Oakland budget crisis: Neighbors share frustrations as closures of Fire Stations 25 and 28 take effect Monday

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — The video above may show the last time in a long time that you’ll see firefighters working at Station 25 in the Oakland Hills. It’s one of two fire stations closing Monday as the city tries to balance its $129 million budget deficit.

“I am frustrated, as I have been all this time, by the city’s decision to put the public safety of Oaklanders at risk,” said Seth Olyer, vice president of the Local 55 union that represents Oakland firefighters. Oakland.

Olyer’s concerns are echoed by those who live near Fire Station 25 which is closing.

“It’s a little scary with all the high fire danger here,” said Mark Moore who lives nearby.

RELATED: Closing 2 Oakland fire stations to help balance city’s $129M budget deficit

“We’re in danger, so I think we need to meet with the neighbors and send some kind of petition to Alameda County, because it’s very sad,” said neighbor Cesar Ortiz.

“When we bought the house, we envisioned having a fire station that close,” Moore said.

Last October, the Keller Fire burned 15 acres in the Oakland Hills, damaging at least two homes and displacing hundreds of residents. Olyer said fire trucks from now-closed Stations 25 and 28 were among the first on scene.

“Absolutely, they were among the first companies to be on scene to fight this fire, so without a doubt, this whole incident would have played out very differently without the absence of those two fire engines,” Olyer said.

RELATED: Oakland Fire Department faces closure of 6 positions if budget proposal passes

Oakland’s fire chief explained Friday that it’s a blackout process that will keep stations closed for at least six months and save the city $5 million.

No firefighter will lose their job but…

“It’s realistic to think it will take surrounding businesses that are already on Skyline Boulevard 15 to 20 minutes to cover those areas. I mean, those are just facts. I’m not here to scare anyone OK, but I’m here.” to present the straight facts, which means you’ll wait longer for a fire truck to show up,” Olyer said.

The chief said fire stations that are closing are among the least busy places in the city of Oakland.