Redondo Offers to Contract Fire Services to Hermosa

Redondo Beach has approached Hermosa Beach about possibly receiving some contracted fire services from Redondo in an attempt to save costs. The action comes after Redondo decided not to pursue consolidation of fire services with Hermosa because of major hurdles and dim cost saving prospects.

Mayor Mike Gin's letter to Hermosa Beach Mayor Michael DiVirgilio on the matter was approved by the City Council on Tuesday night.

Last month, the council members voted unanimously to abandon the consolidation study, which had been proposed by Gin and DiVirgilio as a way to save costs in the midst of a recession. A final report was scheduled to be released this summer.

In the letter, Gin thanked Hermosa Beach Fire Chief David Lantzer for working with Redondo Beach Fire Chief Dan Madrigal to assess the feasibility of consolidation.

"As an option, I am writing to see if the city of Hermosa Beach and its fire department have any interest in receiving contract fire department administrative services and fire suppression services from Redondo Beach," Gin wrote in the letter. "A key consideration of this inquiry is again, timing and opportunity and the belief that entering into a service contract agreement may mutually benefit both cities without being burdened with the complicated issues and financial impacts associated with a consolidation effort."

Besides pursuing contracted services with Hermosa, the City Council is also interested in bringing Manhattan Beach into the conversation to discuss a potential beach cities fire department. Councilman Bill Brand said he has talked to both Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach mayors and they seemed interested in the idea.