San Jose Firefighters Answer Call to Conserve Water

San Jose firefighters are doing their part to answer the Santa Clara Valley Water District's call to cut back water usage by 20 percent.

Crews at all 33 San Jose fire stations are avoiding the use of hoses to wash down driveways, fixing leaky faucets, turning off lawn sprinklers when it rains and only doing laundry when they have a full load.

"It's a little more labor intensive, but it's OK," San Jose Fire Capt. Cleo Doss said.  "As long as we're trying to save water for our neighbors."

But when it comes to putting out fires and saving lives, firefighters said they will use as much water needed to get the job done.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District said to have a high-profile agency like the San Jose Fire Department leading the way for conservation speaks volumes.

"I think we all have a lot of respect for firefighters, so the fact that they're taking the lead and doing everything they can, both inside and outside to reduce their water use is an inspiration and should be an inspiration for everybody to do the same thing," said Marty Grimes of the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Firefighters said they are just doing their part.

"When we go home we're going to be conserving water in our homes," Doss said. "So it's only right that we as a family while we're at the stations, which we consider our second home, that we do the same thing here."

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