Editor:
The original Point Loma Fire Station 22 was built in 1942 at a cost of $7,800, which is $121,494 in 2017 dollars.
I am sure it needed to be replaced, but what are we getting for $6 million? Do we really need palatial fire stations? The average fire station responds to one actual structure fire per year. Our police respond to emergency calls 24/7 as does the fire department yet they do not live at the police station. Why do the firefighters? In 2016, a full 80 percent of Station 22’s calls were for medical “emergencies” (only 11 percent were urgent). A fully staffed fire apparatus and an EMT vehicle respond to almost all calls. Why? Smaller two-person fast response teams make all the sense in the world. Perhaps it is time to bring the SDFD into the 21st century. Scott Mac Laggan