Councilmember Schedules Town Hall on Contentious Fire Station Closure

City officials confirmed on Thursday that a Town Hall has been scheduled for Oct. 25 to focus on the closure of Fire Station 39 and the manner in which the Pasadena Fire Dept. intends to serve the area during the extended period required to rebuild the station. The station was shuttered after an engineering study found it seismically unsound.

Interim Fire Chief Calvin Wells, District 6 City Councilmember Steve Madison and City Manager Michael J. Beck are slated to attend.

The issue has generated concern and controversy. Earlier this month, resident Stan Clark presented the Pasadena City Council with a petition signed by over 600 Pasadenans formalizing their demands for better Fire Dept. coverage following the station’s closure.

Clark told the Council at that time that “Southwest Pasadena has been without a fire station, fire engine with a full crew for a total of 145 days. We are petitioning that we must have a full fire station and fire crew now.”

This week, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison said he will push for a fire engine with a 4-person crew and an on-board Advanced Life Support system (ALS) with medicines to be housed in a temporary station on the lower playground of Pasadena Unified School District’s San Rafael School.

Although the Fire Dept.’s current plan of positioning a patrol vehicle at the school with a limited crew “may be adequate,” Madison said it is simply unacceptable.

The Town Hall is currently planned for 6:30 p.m. on October 25, at Maranatha School. For more information, contact Councilmember Madison’s office at (626) 744-4739.