> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Berkeley fire chief on why he backs measures V and U: Op-ed - URL: https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2026/10/14/community/berkeley-fire-chief-why-he-backs-measures-v-u-op-ed/ - Published: 2026-10-14T23:25:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T00:41:04.000Z - Description: Emergency response times and aging fire stations are at stake, writes Berkeley Fire Chief David Sprague in this guest essay. - Author: Guest Essay - Tags: Community, Elections, Guest Essays, #articles *Editor's Note: TBS publishes guest essays from community members on issues of concern.* --- My name is David Sprague, and I serve as Berkeley’s fire chief. My title is included for identification purposes only, and the views expressed in this piece are my own. ## Why am I voting YES on Measure V? Because when you call 911, you should receive a fast and effective emergency response. In an emergency response, minutes matter. Longer response times can directly affect survival, the extent of fire spread, and responders' ability to intervene before an emergency becomes catastrophic. If Measure V does not pass, the city’s plan is to cut emergency dispatcher and police officer positions and close Fire Station 4, located at Marin and The Alameda. This would be a devastating loss to community services and detrimental to our safety. The closure would eliminate nine positions and take Engine 4 out of service, a unit that responded to 28 fires and 1,150 medical emergencies in 2025, including 17 cardiac arrests. This station covers parts of the city that have narrow, winding streets and is already challenged to meet the Department’s response time goal. [How will Berkeley budget cuts affect Berkeley Fire?The worst impacts have been staved off for now, but CERT and the city's new Street Trauma Prevention program are still at risk.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/3b/8e3bb516-9b88-46c2-aa85-566ed9c3647c/content/images/icon/The-Berkeley-Scanner_Icon_Color-9aa77c51-bdfb-4c18-b7f0-9eed77915481.jpg)The Berkeley ScannerGuest Contributor![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/3b/8e3bb516-9b88-46c2-aa85-566ed9c3647c/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-3.45.45---PM-0c2cf94c-7075-4412-9ad9-69c9c823b46e.jpg)](https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2026/05/21/community/how-will-berkeley-budget-cuts-affect-berkeley-fire/) If Station 4 closes, all of the emergencies in the area would have to be covered by units responding from other parts of Berkeley, increasing travel times while reducing available coverage in their own districts. In 2026, Berkeley navigated one of the largest budget reduction efforts in its history, cutting about $20 million or seven percent of the total General Fund budget. The actual size of the structural (recurring each year) deficit is $30 million - leaving a $10 million annual gap. The hope is that this will be filled by revenue from Measure V. If Measure V does not pass this November, the city will begin another painful process of reducing the remaining $10 million from its budget. The reality is that we do not yet know exactly what will ultimately be cut. What we do know is that almost 50% of the general fund budget pays for police and fire services, and it will be impossible not to have an impact on these services. Measure V is a 0.5% sales tax. To put that in context, it would add $0.50 to a $100 purchase. Our neighbors in Albany and Oakland already enacted similar local measures that set the sales tax at the same rate proposed by Measure V. As a lifelong Berkeley resident, taxpayer and someone who is a frequent user of city services and spaces, I would much prefer to pay this small additional tax than implement austerity measures that devastate emergency services. ## Why am I voting YES on Measure U? Few municipal facilities carry greater responsibility than a fire station. They are workplaces, emergency response hubs, critical infrastructure, and long-term public investments that must function without interruption during the very disasters that may disable the rest of the city. Over the next 15 years, Berkeley faces the extraordinary task of remodeling or replacing every fire station in the city. Berkeley has a significant infrastructure challenge. One need only drive, ride, or walk around the city, spend time in many city facilities, or talk with city staff to see the effects of aging infrastructure. The central issue is not whether these needs exist, but how and when they are addressed. Deferring infrastructure needs does not make them disappear; with construction costs up more than 40% since 2021, continued delay means further deterioration and higher eventual repair and replacement costs. The city implemented a Vision 2050 program that, over several years, identified Berkeley's infrastructure needs to address the impacts of catastrophic climate change. It calls for infrastructure capable of withstanding the earthquakes, wildfires, power failures, and other emergencies the city will face in the decades ahead. Nowhere is that responsibility more important than our fire stations: the places that must remain operational when the rest of the community is under its greatest stress. Measure U is the funding mechanism for that plan and I believe it is necessary for the safety of our city. Please join me in voting YES on measures U and V. ## Related resources Learn more about [all the Berkeley ballot measures](https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/elections/ballot-measures?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) for November 2026 on the city website. - [Measure U](https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/Berkeley%5FBond%20Measure%20-%20Full%20Text.pdf?ref=berkeleyscanner.com): General obligation bond measure for public infrastructure and facilities (two-thirds vote) - [Measure V](https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/Berkeley%5FSales%20Tax%20-%20Full%20Text.pdf?ref=berkeleyscanner.com): Transactions and use (sales) general tax measure (majority) - The city attorney's [impartial analysis](https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/Nov%202026%20Impartial%20Analyses.pdf?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) of each ballot measure --- **The Scanner will periodically publish** [**guest essays**](https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/author/guest-essays/) **from community members on issues of interest or concern. 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