By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

THE Guam Fire Department and the Department of Corrections are the only public safety government agencies that are facing possible budget cuts if the administration signs Bill 74 into law.
According to a breakdown of the budget cuts from the Guam Legislature, GFD and DepCor may get 1.05 percent cuts.
This means that GFD may go from a $21 million budget to $20 million, while DepCor may be allocated $13.7 million rather than $13.9 million.
The only public safety agency not expected to get a cut if the administration makes the budget cuts law is the Guam Police Department which will keep $22.3 million in the fiscal year 2007 budget passed in September.
Acting GFD fire chief David Peredo said GFD operates on 24-hour shifts seven days a week, manned by “trained professionals in firefighting, search and rescue, and medical emergencies.
“The importance of the Guam Fire Department to the community cannot be measured by the decision to cut one public safety budget and not another,” Peredo said. “Our service and commitment to the community is steadfast and our dedication to the citizens of Guam will always be our number one priority.”
To brace for this possibility, Peredo said the agency will have to take some cost-cutting measures without jeopardizing the mission of GFD which is “to serve and protect.”
“Utilities, fuel consumption, and areas not affecting the mission will be reduced but not eliminated,” said Peredo.
Altogether, Peredo said the agency has been anticipating and preparing for “some sort of cuts.”
“Although no one wants to have their budget cut, due to these trying times there are difficult decisions that need to be made and acted upon in order to carry us through this fiscal year,” Peredo concluded.
The administration received Bill 74 yesterday morning, and Gov. Felix P. Camacho or Lt. Gov. Michael Cruz has 10 days from yesterday to act on it. If no action is taken by the 10-day mark, the bill will automatically become law.
DepCor director Robert Camacho was not available for comment on the budget cut as of press time yesterday.
However, he earlier told Variety that there are several cost-cutting measures that he is looking into, including reducing the shifts of officers on duty, eliminating all travel paid by local funds, and possibly furloughing some employees in the administration division.