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Sunday, March 1, 2009

THE SACRAMENTO BEE

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SUNDAY BEST

RESPONSE TIME | Community at risk

Homes, fire crews in peril

Lone station serves growing North Natomas

DEBATING NEWSPAPERS
We ask: What do you lose if newspapers dont survive? Newspapers are our eyes on the state, our check on private abuses. The ramifications would be great.
CALIFORNIA FORUM, E1

GO GREEN, GO TAHOE
Its getting easier to go lightly on the land while visiting Lake Tahoe. We explore eco-friendly lodgings and restaurants. Also inside Explore, the Kitchens $125 fixed price is worth it.
EXPLORE: Arts & Travel

Firefighters from Station 30 in North Natomas load a patient into a department ambulance Feb. 17. Officials opened Station 30 in 2005 with hope that it would cure the citys longest response times, but that hasnt happened, as thousands more homes have been built. A new firehouse, Station 43, is proposed but could still be years away.

FIRE RESPONSE IN SACRAMENTO

By far, North Natomas continues to have the worst fire protection in the city. It affects other areas, too: Trucks from South Natomas often are sent to cover calls north of Interstate 80. Average response time to fire calls, 2007-2008 Less than 4 minutes 4 to 5 minutes 5 to 6 minutes More than 6 minutes
Source: Sacramento Fire Department; Bee research by Phillip Reese Sacramento Bee

North Natomas 80 South Natomas

ABOUT 15,000 RESIDENTS AND 3 SCHOOLS ARE OUTSIDE STATION 30s 5-MINUTE RANGE
By Phillip Reese preese@sacbee.com Sacramento Fire Capt. Jeff Helvin stood outside a burning North Natomas home late last year, talking quickly into his radio and steeling himself for the plunge into the blaze. It had taken Helvin and his crew more than six minutes to get there, roughly 25 percent longer than the national standard for fire response. Not because the firefighters were slow. Thats just the time needed to get a firetruck to large swaths of North Natomas, the sprawling community north of Interstate 80 that sprung from nothing over the last decade. Nowadays, about four of every 10 North Natomas residents live in spots firetrucks cant reach quickly. That the fire was this bad, that Helvin couldnt get there sooner, that he would now have to place his life in that much more danger, all of it belied the promises city leaders had made three years before.
In the summer of 2005, residents gathered to celebrate their new, modern firehouse at Club Center Drive and Regency Park Circle. Many had spent years campaigning for the station, North Natomas first. The hope, furthered by speakers that day, was that Station 30 would cure the areas abysmalfire response times, which atan average 6.5 minutes ranked worst in Sacramento. Then-Mayor Heather Fargo said the $5.1 million station would improve fire protection in surrounding neighborhoods, too, which previously had sent their firetrucks to cover Natomas. Joining Fargo was the areas

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VIDEO: GOING INSIDE THE FIRE
See video from a firefighters helmet camera as he fought the Stilt Court fire. videos.sacbee.com

FROM HEAD TO TOE

Over the next four weeks, we go on a muscular tour of the body. Well discuss a variety of orthopedic issues, present exercises from trainers and more. Today: The back and neck.
LIVING HERE: Health & Fitness, L1

INTERACTIVE MAP Use our interactive map to see response times to North Natomas fires. sacbee.com

councilman, Ray Tretheway, who had vowed that Station 30 would bring us right back to normal in terms of response times. The following year, Tretheway issued a news release about the addition of a firetruck to Station 30, saying it would reduce response times to four minutes. But that isnt what happened. Instead, city leaders undermined their ownpromises by continuing toapprove thousands of housing units miles away from Station 30, a Bee analysis found. Now, a long-proposed new station StaNATOMAS | Back page, A16

PROPOSITION 8 | Supreme Court showdown

Shannon Minter, a lead counsel in the state Supreme Court case that let same-sex couples wed, spent his first 35 years as a female. Kenneth Starr, best known for the probe that led to Bill Clintons impeachment, has long been an advocate for traditional marriage.

BOX OFFICE | Ticket sales surge this year

Unlikely hits show magic of movies in tough times

By Carla Meyer
cmeyer@sacbee.com

INSIDE
Business D1 Classified H1 Crossword L4,6 Dear Abby L4 Forum E1 Carolyn Hax L4 Horoscope L4 Job Market G1 Living Here L1 Lottery B2 Obituaries B6 Movies Explore Sports C1 Travel Explore

Dueling attorneys a study in opposites

By Aurelio Rojas
arojas@sacbee.com

WEATHER
Rain likely

61 | 49
Complete forecast Page B8

VOLUME 297, NO. 60

Kenneth Starr and Shannon Minter, lead attorneys in the California Supreme Court case that will decide the fate of same-sex marriage in the state, are as different as the competing sides they represent. Starr, dean of Pepperdine University School of Law, is best known for leading the inquiry into President Bill Clintons affair with a White House intern. Since then, the former federal judge and U.S. solicitor

general has dedicated himself to conservative causes, including writing briefs for the Mormon church in a previous gay marriage case in California. Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, is a transsexual who spent his first 35 years as a female. He was a lead counsel in the state Supreme Court case decided last Maythatallowedsame-sexcouples to marry, a ruling that was reversed in November when voters approved Proposition 8. LAWYERS | Page A12

Most years, new movies released in January and February are afterthoughts,often inexpensively made comedies, horror films or thrillers competing with Oscar-nominated fare. In 2009, with the economy dim, the afterthoughts have taken over the box office spotlight. Taken, an action thriller, and Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a comedy, have emerged as unexpected hits. Built around non-superstars Liam Neeson and Kevin James, they have eclipsed $100 million in box office receipts, a key ticket benchmark for success. Throw in Tyler Perrys Madea Goes to Jail, last weekends box-office leader

Warner Bros.

HITS KEEP COMING

The movie season stays hot with these much-anticipated films on the way: Watchmen: Zack Snyder (300) directs this dark superhero film (above) based on a 1980s graphic novel. The $100 million adaptation hits theaters Friday. Monsters vs. Aliens: This 3-D behemoth from DreamWorks Animation is set to open March 27.

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Final edition | $1.50

AUTUMN CRUZ acruz@sacbee.com

Fire Capt. Jack Helvin was seriously burned in North Natomas on Oct. 7 in a fire that grew during the time it took his crew to arrive from its South Natomas station.

(opening at $41 million), and you have surprising numbers for the first two months. The New York Times reported thatticketsales areup 17.5percent, to $1.7 billion; attendance is up nearly 16 percent. The movies share this trait: they help viewers forget their troubles. In dark theaters filled with silliness or suspense, moviegoers can find relief from the gloom. As long as (Hollywood) is putting out funny films or something that really gives them escape, customers will be out there, said Michael Morgan, who operates Woodlands State Theatre, where Blart has been bringing em in for several weeks now. And this movie-going surge has preceded the arrival of the MOVIES | Page A15

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A16 The Sacramento Bee | Sunday, March 1, 2009

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Firefighter paramedics JoAnn Wham and Mike Donley buckle up before responding to a blaze from Station 30, the only fire station now in North Natomas. Slow response times were predicted about the time Station 30 opened in 2005 by city planners, who warned that the station was adequate only for homes and businesses existing at that time and advised, The city must acquire new fire facilities and equipment to meet the needs of new development.
AUTUMN CRUZ acruz@sacbee.com

THE CONVERSATION

The Bees Daniel Weintraub moderates The Conversation, where you can discuss this weeks issue: What is the publics stake in the future of newspapers? sacbee.com/conversation

SHARE YOUR VIEWS

Natomas: Homes still being built

FROM PAGE A1 tion 43 faces a tough climb against a staggering budget deficit, and even if approved, likely would take at least three years to complete. Which brings the story back to Capt. Helvin and the events of Oct. 7, 2008. Fire officials and community leaders say that if development hadnt happened so quickly or if Station 43 had been in place, things might not have gotten so out of control. The new station could have covered it and the response time would have been a lot better, said Fire Capt. Jim Doucette, and what happened might not have happened.

W. Elkhorn Blvd.

Step inside The Kitchen restaurant and experience all that goes into an evening of culinary wonder thats worth the $250 tab for two before wine. videos.sacbee.com

North Natomas

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DINING OUT VIDEO

rce Way

How is the gloomy state of the economy affecting you and your family? Are you cutting back on spending, or worried about your job security? Join the discussion in our News forum. sacbee.com/forums

SLOW RESPONSE IN NORTH NATOMAS

Many North Natomas fire calls fall outside of the fiveminute range of Station 30 (indicated by the solid blue circle). The dashed circle indicates the same range for the yet-unbuilt Station 43.
1/2 mile

Fire calls with response time of more than five minutes (during the past two years)

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Station 30
Club Center Dr.

PREP SPORTS

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A fire gone bad

Helvin was filling in at Station 15 when he got the call about a fire on Stilt Court, a North Natomas cul-de-sac 2.5 miles from his station. Though his station was in South Natomas, he was two miles closer than North Natomas own Station 30. It still took Helvin and his crew six minutes and seven seconds to reach the fire. Thats slower than about 65 percent of all structure-fire responsetimes nationwide,federal statistics show, and well above the National Fire Protection Associations fiveminute standard. As he stood outside the home, Helvin saw heavy smoke streaming from the second floor. He didnt know if anyone was inside, but he decided he had to find out fast. Helvin led two of his men into the building to search upstairs. The smoke was so thick they couldnt see inches ahead, even through a special camera designed to improve visibility. The men opened windows to clear the air. The smoke didnt clear, but they kept searching. One of Helvins men shouted bad news. The hose was flat. No water was coming through. Later they would learn the fire downstairs had burned a hole in it. Helvin ordered his men there were now three of them as another firefighter had arrived to evacuate. As the leader, Helvin would bring up the rear. The men crawled on their hands and knees back toward the staircase. The smoke was so bad, Helvin couldnt see the man in front of him. Meanwhile, outside, Station 30s fire engine finally arrived on the scene. It had taken the engine nine minutes and 47 seconds to travel across North Natomas to the fire. The crew immediately began setting up ladders around the building. As he crawled, Helvin felt a blast of heat. It was so overwhelming, he instinctively turned away from the stairs and headed in the opposite direction. Unbeknownst to him, two of his men had made it down the stairs, and another had jumped from a window. Helvin was alone. Heretreated back toa bedroom,hoping to jump from a window himself. But the window wasnt where he remembered it. He searched frantically. Still no window. Helvins thoughts, like the smoke, grew darker: He started doubting himself.Hethoughtof his wife and twochildren. Then he thought about how he was going to burn to death, and about how much that would hurt. He slumped to the ground and considered killing himself to avoid that fate. I thought, Ill rip my mask off and just take a couple of breaths of black smoke, Helvin recalled. It sounds crazy, but that relaxed me a little bit. In control of himself again, Helvin crawled for the stairway. It was completely engulfed in flames. In less than a second, so was he. Helvinjumpedover the stairway railing and, still on fire, crawled toward a glass door. He made it outside, got up and ran until he crashed through a wooden fence. His colleagues grabbed him, and Helvin was taken to a hospital, where he spent three days in the burn unit. He suffered serious second-degree burns on his hands, neck and left ear. The otherthree firefighters sufferedmoder-

SACRAMENTO CO. GE AN R . IN
Del Paso Rd.

Centro El Cen

Stay abreast of what the best young athletes in the region are up to with daily reporting from The Bees high school sports team in the Prep Blog. sacbee.com/preps

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Proposed Station 43

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BACK-SEAT DRIVER

Bee transportation writer Tony Bizjak answers your questions about roads, laws, driving and other transportation issues. sacbee.com/ask

4 firefighters burned in Stilt Court blaze

San Juan Rd.

SACRAMENTO
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Source: Sacramento Fire Department; Bee research by Phillip Reese

South Natomas

fire) response, he said last week. He added that he had thought new technology allowing Station 30 firefighters to control red lights would have more of an impact than it did. That doesnt wash with some members of the North Natomas community. First, anyone with a map can see that North Natomas is a big place it has about as many square miles as the city of Davis, which has three fire stations. How could they not know they were going to have development on the west side of I-5? asked Angelique Ashby, a Natomas resident and community activist. It was very short-sighted to think you could build a fire station as far away as Station 30 and think that you would be OK. Second, noted Sharward, the city wasnt handing out fliers along with building permits warning new residents that timely fire protection was at least five years away. When he bought his home four years ago, Sharward said, I didnt know what our situation was. I had no idea. But as the area grew, the fire response time worsened. Today, the median response time in western North Natomas is about seven minutes. That has dragged down response time for all of North Natomas to six minutes, just slightly better than before Station 30 opened.

REX BABIN

NATHANIEL LEVINE nlevine@sacbee.com

Bee political cartoonist Rex Babin makes his commentary about local and national issues with a keen eye and steady hand. See his still and animated cartoons. sacbee.com/opinion

A long struggle
A fire station in western North Natomas has been part of the citys plan for the community for 15 years. The city always knew one fire station wouldnt do the trick, but long ago decided a community center and other projects should take precedence over Station 43, Vina said. The Stilt fire added urgency to the communitys pleas, and both city officials and community leaders agree that the station finally may be moving toward approval. The city now has about $30 million in fees paid by developers who built in Natomas; the station would cost about $10 million. City officials have told western North Natomas residents that for the project to go through, other community improvements in the area would have to be put on hold. Many say they have come to terms with that assessment. I sat down with my neighbors, said Ashby, and obviously our first concern is safety. For the station to be built, a lot still has to happen and the timing could not be worse: The station must be approved by the City Council. The vote could come up as soon as May, city officials say. But, even though the station would be built entirely with fees earmarked for North Natomas, the decision comes amid potential citywide brownouts and other Fire Department cuts to stem a colossal deficit. The City Council would have to make a commitment to staff the station after it opened. Thats an ongoing labor cost that likely couldnt be paid for by developer fees, and it comes as the city considers layoffs. Congress would have to pass an exemption to its new construction moratorium in North Natomas. Rep. Doris Matsui is carrying a bill that would allow the exception for the fire station, but it has not yet passed. Regardless, it generally takes years after a fire station is approved for construction to be completed, leaving the area with inadequate protection throughat leasttheend of 2011,cityofficials said. In the meantime, fire officials say they will do their best, but they are limited in how well they can protect a large area so far from any of their stations. So they join the residents in praying that nothing catches fire. For me personally, said Capt. Scott Williams, who tracks response times for the Fire Department, I would not live west of Interstate 5.

COMING IN THE BEE

Battalion Chief Michael Bartley, left, and engineer Martin Gennuso dish up tortilla soup in Station 30. Contrary to predictions by some officials when the station opened in 2005, North Natomas continues to have the citys slowest emergency response times.

CAT, HAT, EGGS, HAM

TUESDAY: In celebration of Dr. Seuss 105th birthday, we asked readers to submit their own Seuss-like poems on a topic thats burbling through everybodys mind: the economy. The poems poured in, and well share the best. LIVING HERE: FAMILY

ate second-degree burns, too. Today, Helvin is back at work and largely recovered, though pink spots on his neck are a constant reminder of that October day. If a fire engine had gotten there sooner, would the fire have been easier to control? If a minute later, would Helvin have survived? Time is never really on your side when you are responding in greater than five minutes, he said.

DIFFERENCES OF TASTES
WEDNESDAY: If men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, how does this play out when it comes to the way women enjoy wine vs. their male counterparts? Are there gender differences when it comes to palates? We ask the experts and get a blend of answers. LIVING HERE: FOOD & WINE

The aftermath
Word about the Stilt Court fire and what happened to Helvin and his fellow firefighters spread quickly through North Natomas and infuriated residents, particularly those who live farthest from Station 30. The home was gutted. Folks collected money for the family that lived there, neighbor Keith Sharward said. That family moved to a rented home in another neighborhood where they have spent months waiting for their home to undergo massive repairs. Sharward, who has lived near Stilt Court since 2004, said of the fire: Wed just been waiting and hoping it wouldnt happen. The city did not take as seriously as it needed to its obligation to keep this community safe. The slow response that preceded the tragedy was predicted years earlier by city planners. Around the time Station 30 opened, a planning document cautioned that in North Natomas current firefacilities areonly adequatefor existing residents and businesses so the city must acquire new fire facilities and

BATTLE OF HER LIFE

THURSDAY: In the small but brilliant constellation of female triathletes, Jamie Whitmore is a bright, bright star. The Somerset woman who was always among the top finishers in the XTERRA series of competitions now is fighting for her life due to a rare cancer. The illness has sidelined her, but she is ever the optimist and competitor. LIVING HERE: OUTBOUND

equipmentto meetthe needsof new development. Yet the city seemingly ignored that warning, approving building permits for about 3,700 housing units in North Natomas after Station 30 opened, records show. Right now, like the house on Stilt Court, about 7,000 homes and several apartment complexes in western North Natomas sit outside the area that fire officials say they can reach within five minutes, according to a Bee analysis of electronic parcel data and satellite maps. At least 15,000 people, or about 40 percent of North Natomas residents, live in that area. Thatarea alsoishometo two elementary schools and a large middle school attended by almost 2,000 children. And, despite the economic recession, new homes approved by the city before the federal government imposed a moratorium on new construction there because of flooding risks still are going up. Assistant City Manager Gus Vina said officials were caught in a Catch-22: They couldnt afford another fire station without the development fees produced by new growth. Without development, you are cutting off the hand that feeds you, Vina said. The speed at which residents moved into western North Natomas like the rapid growth elsewhere in the neighborhood caught the city by surprise, according to Councilman Tretheway. I think we were surprised we Call The Bees Phillip Reese, werent able to affect the (promised (916) 321-1137.

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