Oakland Fire Chief Damon Covington, several city council members, and Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins addressed residents’ concerns about the brownouts of three fire stations during a virtual town hall Thursday night.
The hour-long meeting was organized by District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. City leaders sought to clarify the decision-making process that recently led to the shuttering of three firehouses and answer community members’ questions. Several hundred people tuned in.
Fire Stations 25 and 28 in the Oakland Hills have been temporarily closed since Jan. 6 to help address the city’s budget shortfall. They will remain closed through the end of the current fiscal year. Fire Station No. 10, located in the Grand Lake neighborhood, has been closed since 2022 for renovations…