From the fires in Los Angeles County to the fires in Mission Valley and Rancho Bernardo, San Diego firefighters have been on the frontlines of a weekslong fire storm, despite the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department facing possible budget cuts. “We have always tried to spare police and fire from the worst of any particular cuts,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said Wednesday. With the city of San Diego facing a more than $250 million budget deficit, Gloria has been forced to make some tough decisions. According to the budget plan, that would mean reducing things like dispatch operations, eliminating a fire academy and helicopter staffing. Gloria says aircraft from other agencies will help to fill any gaps like what we saw during October’s College Area brush fire, which sparked on the south side of Montezuma Road. “We had multiple aircraft in the air, but only two of them were paid for by the city of San Diego,” Gloria said. “The others were paid for by other area agencies like SDG&E and Cal Fire, so we can work collaboratively. And, of course, that gets paid back later when our firefighters are called to help another jurisdiction.” Despite the proposed cuts, SDFD Assistant Chief Dan Eddy says he feels his department is incredibly prepared for any threats. After Wednesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting, he said he was thankful that they plan to make sure funding is available for brush abatement positions. He also noted the department is fully staffed, with 1,000 firefighters. But according to the budget plan, part of the cuts call for savings through unfilled vacant positions. “We’re considering adding a third academy,” Eddy said. “It would be a back to back to back, so basically like to quarterly. Our academies usually start with about 35 to 40 individuals.” As the city looks to implement cuts, fire retardant spray called Citrotech is one of the innovations Gloria says the city is using more frequently in areas with heavy brush and encampments to help prevent fires. “Placing it in high-risk areas in advance of an incident makes it much less likely that a fire that ignites anywhere nearby,” the mayor said. Gloria says it’s that type of innovation that’s needed right now, but he agrees with Eddy that one of the city’s biggest weapons against fires is mutual aid agreement. “The city of San Diego is well prepared. The region is well prepared, our collaboration with one another and ensuring that we’re all on the same page, and we have those additional resources here, ensures that we can protect you,” Eddy said. Gloria also noted fire prevention is not just the responsibility of the city and fire department. He says it’s also important that homeowners clear brush from their property and report any problems they have.