What would Measure PFD fund?

How would Measure PFD support Pasadena firefighters?

The proposal would fund facilities and equipment used by Pasadena firefighters and paramedics. Eligible uses also include recruiting and retaining qualified firefighters, professional training, staffing improvements, and upgrades to emergency communications.

The ordinance prioritizes capital improvements and allows service enhancements above an established baseline. It does not promise a specific number of new firefighters or a guaranteed response time. See what voting Yes or No on Measure PFD would mean for this funding.

Which fire stations would it fund?

It would fund rebuilding Stations 33 and 37 within the first ten years. Other listed uses include another fire station, training centers, Fire headquarters, safety infrastructure, ambulances, and firefighting equipment.

The proposal tells the City to prioritize building and infrastructure projects until they are complete. Naming a project in this proposal does not mean construction has started or a contract has been awarded.

What else could the money pay for?

Your tax dollars could pay for new or upgraded facilities, emergency equipment, and debt payments for capital projects. They could also support fire and paramedic services, wildfire readiness, brush and debris removal, and costs of collecting and administering PFD.

The ordinance lists staffing, training, communications, prevention, recruitment, and other enhancements above an established baseline. Those operating funds would add to existing services. Amounts could change each year with City Council approval.

Would the City have to keep its existing fire funding?

The proposal does not guarantee a specific future General Fund budget for fire services. It sets a starting point, called a baseline, using the average annual Fire Department budget for the three fiscal years before its effective date and front-line services at that date. It describes eligible service enhancements above that baseline.

It also says prioritizing capital projects does not require the City to maintain a specific General Fund contribution. That limits what you can infer about future City funding.

How would spending be checked?

An independent financial audit would review PFD spending every year. The finance director must also provide a public annual report covering receipts, expenditures, capital-project status, verification of service enhancements above the baseline, and carried-forward balances. The report must be presented to the City Council and posted on the City’s website.

These reports would show where money went and how projects progressed. They would not guarantee a particular emergency-response time or completed project.

Why we want a different plan

We want clear performance standards and a fairer way to pay for public safety. Read our case against PFD.