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Coral Gables
Fire Sale Canceled
City Beautiful won’t provide fire services for Pinecrest
By Stephanie Rodriguez
The Coral Gables City Commission pulled the
plug Tuesday on a proposal to provide fire services for
the
village of Pinecrest.
The proposal called for hiring 27
firefighters and one fire inspector for Pinecrest as
well as setting up a substation in that municipality. If
approved,
Coral Gables
would have replaced the Miami-Dade Fire Department as
Pinecrest’s primary fire rescue provider. The city would
have had to purchase a fire truck, rescue truck and
equipment for Pinecrest. In turn, Pinecrest would have
paid $6 million to the city of Coral Gables
the first year and $5.25 million for each of the following
four years.
Coral Gables firefighters currently respond to Pinecrest
only when called in by the Miami-Dade Fire Department.
Gables resident Rip Holmes thought that Coral
Gables Fire Rescue should provide fire services for
Pinecrest.
“The county has wasted so much taxpayer money,”
he said. “I’m supportive of the relationship between
Pinecrest and
Coral Gables. I think it’s insulting that they are
accusing us of greed.”
He was referring to county officials such as
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Herminio Lorenzo, who felt that
Coral Gables sought to profit from a service the county
already performs.
“With all due respect, they [Pinecrest] are
saving a whole bunch of money and you’re gaining a whole
bunch of money,” Lorenzo told the mayor and city
commissioners. “I’ve been in the fire services for 35
years. Through the years, we have learned to help each
other and respect each other. This would not be good for
the relationships between departments.”
“This can be a good friendship if we can make a
few dollars,” countered Gables Commissioner Wayne
Withers. “If we’re afraid of replies from the county —
that’s a terrible way to make a decision. We’ve never
had anything good to say about the county.”
However, County Manager George Burgess said he
doesn’t believe quality is the issue.
“It's trying to save a life,” he said.
Burgess went to Tuesday’s meeting to convince
commissioners that the deal would be bad for everyone.
Without
Miami-Dade County fire services, Pinecrest will lack the
necessary water supply to fight blazes on the east side
of the village.
Coral Gables Assistant Fire Chief Walter Reed
replied that they have a plan for the lack of water.
However, most commissioners believed it would
take too long for
Coral Gables
to set up fire services for the area, and at least one
activist was afraid the endeavor would be financially
detrimental to the City Beautiful in the long run.
“With all due respect,
Coral Gables does not have experience with providing
fire services for profit,” Coral Gables resident Richard
Namon told commissioners in the meeting. “This project
is not for financial gain, but for financial losses.”
But Pinecrest Village Manager Peter Lombardi
wanted the fire service deal to happen.
“The city of
Coral Gables’ fire services are excellent and I would
like to have that same kind of service provided to the
city of
Pinecrest,”
Lombardi said.
Although commissioners had until April to make
a final decision, Commissioner Rafael “Ralph” Cabrera
said Pinecrest deserved an answer Tuesday.
The commission voted 3-2 not to extend fire
services to Pinecrest. Voting no: Mayor Don Slesnick II,
Vice Mayor William Kerdykl Jr. and Commissioner Maria
Anderson. Voting yes: Cabrera and Withers. |
