VENTURA, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In a break from the past, the Ventura City Firefighters Association has endorsed Democratic candidate Jill Martinez's bid to replace longtime Republican incumbent Elton Gallegly as the CA-24th's representative in Congress. "In the past," said John Duff, president of Firefighters' Local 3431 and a 25-year veteran of the department, "we just followed everyone else and backed Gallegly. Not this time." Duff said that Gallegly hasn't endorsed local public safety issues, including this year's P6, which would provide $2 million to the fire department.
The fire department has not had the funds to increase its force since 1990, Duff said. That period has seen a 275% increase in calls to 911 emergency dispatchers, from 40,000 to 110,000 annually. If approved, P6 will allow the Ventura City Fire Department to add nine firefighters to its current roster of 66. Two administrative positions would also be available, increasing total fire department staff to five persons. P6 funding would also enable the department to open a new fire station in the less-accessible Harbor area, which is split off from the rest of the city by the 101 Freeway. An increase in the number of 911 calls from that area has created the need for the new fire station.
"Jill has a history of working with public-safety agencies," Duff said, adding that her support for P6 is in line with her experience as chaplain for the Stockton Police Department. "At the federal level, Jill will be thinking of us."
Jill Martinez, housing developer for working families and ordained minister, is running for Congress in CA 24th Congressional District, which includes most of Ventura County, and parts of Santa Barbara County. Jill, who has fundraised millions of dollars for local charities, was the chaplain of the Stockton Police Department and taught professional ethics at CSU-Stanislaus. She has been actively campaigning throughout the district, meeting her future constituents, and emphasizing that she is the only candidate running who wants the job.
Jill Martinez for Congress
