Here’s what prompted rumors of a Folsom fire station closing on social media
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- City denies claim of Station 38 closure amid 2025-26 budget deficit concerns.
- Folsom plans to staff all fire stations.
- Budget decisions, including staffing, will be discussed at future council meetings.
The Folsom Fire Department proposed reassigning firefighters away from serving a critical fire station as questions swirl over potential cuts to city departments amid a multimillion dollar budget deficit, according to internal memos.
Folsom Fire Chief Ken Cusano presented a “strategic reassignment” to remove a fire engine from Station 38, according to a memo dated Monday obtained by The Sacramento Bee. An ambulance would remain at the station with firefighters.
Monday’s memo followed questions and claims last week that Station 38, located at 1300 Blue Ravine Road, would close by Oct. 1. “Engine 38 is placed in the middle of the city and a critical apparatus for both fire suppression and emergency medical service response,” according to the social media post, made by an account called the Folsom Firefighters Association.
The Folsom City Council has not voted on cutting city departments or reallocating resources to close a $3 million budget deficit in the upcoming months. The City Council voted to approve a $266 million budget in June, conditioned on closing the budget gap, and will have discussions in the coming weeks about potential strategies.
Cuts to Station 38 could increase fire risk and delay response times, said Dan Carson, a firefighter and paramedic who is a representative from the Sacramento Area Local 522 union for the Folsom Fire Department.
“That’s not how the system was designed,” Carson said, referring to the allocation of resources across Folsom’s six total fire stations.
The Facebook posting comes from a Sept. 2 operations bulletin, which appears to propose closing Station 38. Titled “station 38 closure,” the memo says an engine will be relocated from the station and does not list any plans for an ambulance to staff the station. It was signed by Assistant Chief of Operations Matthew McGee.
Then, over the weekend, the Folsom Firefighters Association posted about Station 38’s closure on the approximately 46,000-member Facebook group Folsom Chat.
City spokesperson Christine Brainerd said the Sept. 2 memo was “incorrect information” disseminated by fire personnel.
“Service modifications are being considered, the intent is to have fire station personnel staffed at all Folsom fire stations,” Brainerd’s statement on Monday said.
On Monday, Cusano issued a different department bulletin titled “apparatus reassignment plan” which outlined how one fire engine will be relocated away from Station 38, and a medical ambulance will be staffed by new recruits.
Monday’s memo sought to “provide clarity and eliminate any misunderstanding regarding” the operations bulletin titled “station 38 closure.” The “realignment” effective Oct. 1 attempts to reduce overtime costs as staff work to close a $3 million budget gap. Cusano is set to retire on Oct. 9.
Maintaining fire services has been a contentious topic as city officials try to address declining revenues in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The Folsom Fire Department, founded in California’s Gold Rush, has about 81 staff members across its six stations while averaging about 9,900 calls last year, according to city officials. A preliminary operating budget dated June 24 said the department proposed an approximate $30 million budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
In July, the City Council declined to follow a city staff recommendation to postpone hiring firefighters in hopes to offset the $3 million deficit. Cusano warned a failure to fill the 10 vacant jobs could lead to a closure of one station out of six total, according to previous Bee reporting.
City Council members opted to fill eight positions, according to previous Bee reporting. Seven people are expected to complete their training Friday and will be assigned to various shifts, Brainerd said.
But Councilmember Anna Rohrbough previously warned of future cuts across city departments. Revenues failed to keep apace with expenditures as labor costs also rose, Folsom City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said previously.
City staff are attempting to find cost-cutting options as the budget process continues, Brainerd said.
“Some services or programs could be modified or reduced as part of this process,” she said.
Whitemyer will present recommendations to offset any budget deficit at the Sept. 23 and Oct. 14 City Council meetings. Both meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and take place at City Hall, 50 Natoma Street.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, members approved a resolution calling for the creation of a fire services exploratory committee. It will allow discussions for a potential partnership between Folsom and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, Whitemyer said.
Carson, the union representative, said firefighters’ jobs hinge on trying to staff stations to ensure resources are available if an emergency does break out. There may not be a fire every day, but residents served under Station 38 may have to wait longer if there is one, he said.
“This is not OK,” he said.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
