San Diego, CA
San Diego Fire-Rescue is facing proposed budget cuts. What it means for your safety
From the fires in Los Angeles County to the fires in Mission Valley and Rancho Bernardo, San Diego firefighters have been on the frontlines of a weekslong fire storm, despite the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department facing possible budget cuts.
“We have always tried to spare police and fire from the worst of any particular cuts,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said Wednesday.
With the city of San Diego facing a more than $250 million budget deficit, Gloria has been forced to make some tough decisions. According to the budget plan, that would mean reducing things like dispatch operations, eliminating a fire academy and helicopter staffing.
Gloria says aircraft from other agencies will help to fill any gaps like what we saw during October’s College Area brush fire, which sparked on the south side of Montezuma Road.
“We had multiple aircraft in the air, but only two of them were paid for by the city of San Diego,” Gloria said. “The others were paid for by other area agencies like SDG&E and Cal Fire, so we can work collaboratively. And, of course, that gets paid back later when our firefighters are called to help another jurisdiction.”
NBC 7’s Omari Fleming shows us some of the strategies local firefighters use to help get rapidly moving fires under control.
Despite the proposed cuts, SDFD Assistant Chief Dan Eddy says he feels his department is incredibly prepared for any threats. After Wednesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting, he said he was thankful that they plan to make sure funding is available for brush abatement positions.
He also noted the department is fully staffed, with 1,000 firefighters. But according to the budget plan, part of the cuts call for savings through unfilled vacant positions.
“We’re considering adding a third academy,” Eddy said. “It would be a back to back to back, so basically like to quarterly. Our academies usually start with about 35 to 40 individuals.”
As the city looks to implement cuts, fire retardant spray called Citrotech is one of the innovations Gloria says the city is using more frequently in areas with heavy brush and encampments to help prevent fires.
“Placing it in high-risk areas in advance of an incident makes it much less likely that a fire that ignites anywhere nearby,” the mayor said.
Gloria says it’s that type of innovation that’s needed right now, but he agrees with Eddy that one of the city’s biggest weapons against fires is mutual aid agreement.
“The city of San Diego is well prepared. The region is well prepared, our collaboration with one another and ensuring that we’re all on the same page, and we have those additional resources here, ensures that we can protect you,” Eddy said.
Gloria also noted fire prevention is not just the responsibility of the city and fire department. He says it’s also important that homeowners clear brush from their property and report any problems they have.
San Diego, CA
City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness
Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
Located on 17th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.
“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.
Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.
“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.
Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.
But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.
“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.
In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”
Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.
However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.
“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.
Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.
He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.
“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.
The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.
San Diego Padres (14-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-11), April 19, 2026, 1:07 p.m. PST
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San Diego, CA
Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
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