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New Firefighters Help Reduce Vallejo Response Times

VALLEJO (KCBS) - They've only been on the job two weeks, but already nearly one-dozen just-hired firefighters are helping to keep 911 response times in check in the City of Vallejo.

During Vallejo's lean years after the economy tanked, the number of firefighters slipped from 95 to just 67. Now, thanks to a federal grant, Vallejo has in recent weeks been able to hire ten new firefighter-paramedics.

KCBS' Jeffrey Schaub Reports:

"This has made a difference in response times and sharing the wealth of the call volume throughout," explained Vallejo Firefighter Department spokesman, Arthur Gonazles. "We were able to open a station, that lowers response times throughout the entire city."

"You know," he continued, "it provides protections not only to us as firefighters but to the citizens themselves because there's more units available on the streets to respond."

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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