TURLOCK, Calif — It has been four months since the Turlock Fire Department took a $1.1 million budget cut. Since then, they have faced a major staffing shortage and they've had to take one of their four fire engines out of service more than 60% of the time.
"I live in close proximity to a fire department... and know that [sometimes] I don't have that protection, nor do any of my neighbors. It's not comforting," Amy Boylan-Mendes, a neighbor said.
Boylan-Mendes said she has lived next to the fire station for more than 25 years. She said when she wales up every morning, she checks to see if a white SUV is parked outside of that fire station. If it's there, that means the closest fire engine to her house has been taken out of service for the day.
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