Pomona’s Plan to Get Fire Services From the County

The service of the Pomona Fire Department has been excellent for many years. It is too bad that some of the firefighters are unhappy with their wages and think Los Angeles County Fire Department will be such an improvement. (Times, Oct. 17) If they want to work for the county, let them go! This doesn’t mean we need to put the entire city in jeopardy, with less service, slower response times (ask the people of Claremont), less revenue and loss of local control over the city Fire Department. The county proposal will not save the city any money. The cities of Monrovia and Covina studied changing their service to the county and declined to do so because of decreased service and higher costs. Several other surrounding cities now covered by the county are starting negotiations to look elsewhere for fire protection because of higher costs to their cities.

Police and fire departments are very important to your city. Do not give them away! The city could not afford to get them back. Let’s support the fire chief and the other firefighters who still want to dedicate their lives to the city of Pomona.

KATHLEEN COWMAN

Norco

Warehouse Space for Food Bank

Thank you to the many San Gabriel Valley residents who have called to express their desire to help us find warehouse space in the San Gabriel Valley. (Times, Oct. 14) It is heartwarming to see how supportive the community is.

I must correct one point in the article, however. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank distributes usable food and related resources to charities only, not to individuals.

Individuals in need of food can get help by contacting local charities, many of which are associated with community service and religious organizations. In addition, Info Line, a nonprofit agency funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services and the United Way, is open 24 hours a day to provide individuals with referrals to community agencies. The phone number for Info Line is (800) 660-4026.

Again, thank you for your consistent support of the food bank. In these tough times, every helping hand, dollar or can of food is especially appreciated.

DORIS BLOCH

Executive director

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank