Businessman and Long Beach mayoral candidate Damon Dunn received a major endorsement from one of the City’s top employee unions last week. The board of the Long Beach Firefighters Local 372 unanimously voted February 11 to endorse Dunn for mayor, citing his support to retain current fire staffing levels as a key factor in their decision.
“When you listen to Damon Dunn, you learn quickly he fully understands the city’s fiscal situation and has a clear transparent path to move Long Beach forward, while maintaining a balanced budget,” union president Rex Pritchard said in a statement.
Dunn is a former NFL player and real estate investor who moved to Long Beach after an unsuccessful run for Secretary of State in 2010. He has never held a political office, but Pritchard told the Press-Telegram that Dunn’s experience in developing projects that can increase city tax revenue was an added appeal for the Association.
The union has also been a vocal opposer of Fire officials’ plans to reduce the number of paramedics on each ambulance from two to one, replacing the other with a non-union emergency technician. The model would save an estimated $1.8 million annually, but Pritchard has said it would reduce union membership and is an ineffecient use of resources.
Dunn supports maintaining four-person crews for fire engines and two paramedics on ambulances.
Election day is April 8.
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