There is a shortage of resources at the San Diego Fire Department as seven ground units suspended their services due to COVID-19 infections among many firefighters.
The shortage translates to nearly 15 percent of the SDFD's fleet of 50 fire trucks for front-line response.
According to San Diego Union President Jesse Conner, COVID-19 prevents many firefighters from working and the only solution is to partially suspend the operation of units.
In a memorandum from that Monday, San Diego Fire Chief Collin Stowell directed for an “emergency suspension” of the department. This measure includes reducing the lack of ground units due to personnel, which the union had warned since the weekend.
"When we start losing people and we can not fill those vacancies, we have to start taking out a unit here and there," Connor said."We literally do not have enough firefighters to cover operations and the amount of response units to aid requests. "
Aside from the fleet of 50 units or trucks for front-line responses, San Diego firefighters have another 32 units in reserve, but now lack sufficient personnel in headlines and reserves.
The department asked the public to consider that as long as the emergency suspension is in place, it may take longer to respond to calls for help, or limited personnel may be sent.
"This is a real price of COVID-19," Conner said. "Suspending units is not the solution we want. We think even in giving mandatory assignments. For example, telling some firefighters that they cannot go home even if they feel ill.”
Although the firefighters have not mentioned it, the outbreak of COVID-19 infections among their staff comes as the highly contagious Omicron variant of the becomes the dominant COVID-19 variant in the nation.
