An intriguing article from ThePressEnterprise.com highlights the City of San Bernardino's ongoing efforts to outsource its fire services following its municipal bankruptcy. The move has sparked significant debate and legal challenges from local firefighters. Last Thursday, August 6th, a federal judge denied an emergency request by the San Bernardino City Professional Firefighters to halt the city’s plan to contract fire services with an outside agency. This proposal is a central part of the city’s bankruptcy strategy, which involves outsourcing several key municipal functions. The city council is scheduled to review proposals from both the San Bernardino County Fire Department and a private firm at its meeting on August 24th. According to City Manager Allen Parker, the city administration will recommend that the council select the county as the provider. Earlier that week, on August 5th, the firefighters’ union filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the city from proceeding. Corey Glave, the union’s attorney, argued that the move could lead to job losses before the bankruptcy court could rule on the matter. In a hearing held in U.S. District Court in Riverside, Judge Meredith Jury stated she did not find the situation urgent enough to justify a temporary stay. She emphasized that the city would need to issue actual layoff notices for the situation to qualify as an emergency. This was the first such request she had received in three years since the city filed for bankruptcy, and she preferred a more deliberate legal process. Jury agreed to hear the union’s case again on September 17th, where she will also assess whether the city is legally required to negotiate with the firefighters’ union regarding the outsourcing plan. Paul Glassman, the city’s bankruptcy attorney, stated that no layoffs are expected before the next hearing. This marks the second time the firefighters’ union has attempted to block the contracting plan. Earlier this month, Judge Jury ruled that the city charter does not prohibit such a move, which the union had previously challenged. While city officials claim that current firefighters will have the opportunity to remain employed, the union argues that this is not a guarantee. Meanwhile, the judge’s decision allows the city to proceed with selecting a provider and beginning negotiations. If the city council chooses the county, it will submit an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission on September 1st, requesting that the city be incorporated into the fire district. This process will involve public hearings and could take several months to complete. A previous post on this topic can be found HERE. Multi Axis CNC Machining,5 Axis Machining,4 Axis Machining,3 Axis Machining Dongguan Jeek Precision Technology Co.,LTD. , https://www.jeeklead.com