Fire Fighters and Paramedics Highlight Critical Need for Better Roads, Evacuation Routes

First responders from throughout San Diego County came together with community leaders Tuesday morning to demonstrate their support for Measure A. At a press conference in Kearny Mesa, public safety leaders and elected officials highlighted ways that Measure A will help prevent emergencies like wildfires and car accidents and improve response times.
“Measure A will make San Diego County families safer by funding critical improvements to prevent wildfires and repair roads,” said August “Augie” Ghio, former San Miguel fire chief and past director of Homeland Security for the City of San Diego. “I’ve dedicated my career to protecting San Diegans, and Measure A will make critical safety improvements countywide.”
One of the ways that Measure A will improve public safety is by reducing emergency response times, as local paramedic Joe Hunt explained.
“When someone is ill or injured, a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” said Hunt. “We need to repair our roads and reduce congestion so first responders like myself can reach emergencies faster and save lives.”
But that’s not all. Alan Arrollado, President of the San Diego City Fire Fighters Local 145, discussed how the measure will provide funding to help prevent wildfires and improve evacuation routes.
“Our fire season is year-round and Measure A provides critical funding for open space to perform proactive brush management that will help prevent wildfires,” said Arrollado.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Ron Roberts and City of Santee Vice Mayor Jack Dale also shared how Measure A would improve safety in the communities they represent during the brief speaking program. Members of San Diego City Fire Fighters Local 145 and other public safety professionals were in attendance at the event to demonstrate their support for the measure.
Measure A will invest $18 billion in our region’s infrastructure, thanks to a half-cent sales tax in San Diego County. The funds will be invested in specific local community projects (including filling potholes, repairing roads, and reducing polluted water runoff), highway and transit projects, open space preservation to protect water quality and help reduce the risk of wildfires, and bike/pedestrian projects throughout the region.

About Citizens to Repair, Preserve, and Protect San Diego

We are a coalition of San Diego County families, businesses, elected officials, environmentalists, labor unions, emergency responders, transportation advocates, nurses, and veterans who support Measure A. This measure will provide a dedicated source of local revenue, that Sacramento cannot take away, to repair roads and deteriorating bridges, fix potholes and local streets, expand public transit service, preserve open space and improve water quality. It will also create tens of thousands of good-paying, local jobs for years to come. For more information on how Measure A will protect and enhance San Diego’s quality of life, please visit RepairSanDiego.com.