Dear Friend --

Today I was proud to stand with Councilman Daryl Supernaw and our Long Beach Firefighters as we returned Fire Engine 17 to its home at Fire Station 17 in the Artcraft Manor neighborhood, just a few blocks from the traffic circle, next to Stearns Park.

Engine 17 was removed from service during the post-recession budget cutbacks in 2012 and it’s been a priority for me to find a way to restore it. Now thanks to Measure A and the hard work of the City Council and city staff, East Long Beach has a restored fire engine in the service area. The restoration of Engine 17 will provide much-needed firefighting and emergency medical response capabilities, not only to the immediate area, but to the entire city as well. 

Those improved response times can save lives, which is exactly what our outstanding Fire Department is best at.

I want to thank Councilman Supernaw, our Fire Department leadership, the entire City Council, and the Measure A Oversight Committee, led by Commissioner Steve Neal, for their contributions to this effort.

Public safety is job number one for the City of Long Beach, and thanks to voter-approved Measure A, we have been able to invest in improved public safety over the past several years, adding more than 40 sworn police and fire personnel to our ranks. This includes re-opening the South Police Command Division and restoring Rescue 12 as well as Engine 17, adding the Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART) to our Fire Department, and increasing police staffing on our Quality of Life teams.

Our police and firefighters are the best in the business and getting better all the time, and we will continue to work to expand and enhance our police and fire services.

Go Long Beach!

Mayor Robert Garcia