This review is purely for the paramedics/EMT's and ambulance if you live in the city of El Cerrito,…read moreit is NOT about the firefighters. El Cerrito residents: As of 2023, if you call an ambulance and ask to be taken to ANY other hospital except Alta Bates in Berkeley or Richmond Kaiser, you will be REFUSED! El Cerrito ambulances will NO LONGER bring you to the County hospital in Martinez or John Muir in Walnut Creek, even though it's in our County! Even if your health insurance ONLY covers John Muir, the ambulance staff does not care and will NOT take you. And they will CHARGE YOU JUST FOR COMING, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T TAKE YOU ANYWHERE. Even if no blood pressure, no nothing, you will receive a bill for $550 and change. How come they don't charge old people for getting them off the floor, but charge a younger disabled (paralyzed limb) person for walking into your bedroom? Plus they treat you like some kind of criminal. And they love making inappropriate comments to women. Questionable billing practices: they sent me only one bill. I called the billing department and explained I was charged even though no services were performed. The billing lady was shocked and I assumed she took care of it. Then, A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, I get a bill from a collections agency. No second bill or warning or anything. Other Yelpers are reporting the same thing. If you're on Medicare, remember Medicare WILL NOT pay for an ambulance unless you're taken to the hospital. So, I guess the EC Fire Department wants to make their money and if you don't go to the hospital they know Medicare won't pay so they charge you, a sick and disabled person. I wonder how much more it would have been if I had let them force me into an EKG, even though my problem had nothing to do with the heart? Up-selling at its finest! SHAME on the CCC Fire Dept administrators! Praise for the ACTUAL firefighters risking their lives.

A great fire department with great guys who are always ready to serve their citizens with pride and…read moreintegrity, and if the need comes up, provide mutual aid to neighboring cities. As our local fire department says "when I doubt call us out!"

Wetm by to visit and see the rigs and was met by a very friendly crew. They were hospitable and…read morewere full of advice for future firefighters. I hope to be back soon for another visit and look forward to visiting them in the future.

As a grand finale to the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) curriculum and as a refresher for…read morecurrent team members, the El Cerrito Fire, Richmond Fire, and San Pablo Police departments host a biannual "Hands on Disaster Drill" for CERT students. Although I was excited to practice the fire suppression, cribbing/lifting, disaster medical/triage, light search and rescue, and neighborhood team skills I learned in the small El Cerrito-Kensington CERT program, I wasn't sure what to expect two weeks ago when I attended the 2009 drill. However, as a multi-city effort, the drill at El Cerrito City Hall thoroughly re-enacted a real emergency allowing CERT volunteers to interact while practice life-saving techniques. I particularly enjoyed acting as a member of a triage team to administer basic first aid to volunteer victims. I also enjoyed additional training provided by the American Red Cross regarding disaster preparedness and emergency shelters. I am still floored by what could happen if a disaster hit West Contra Costa County. I am glad the local cities are partnering to increase awareness and I will be back at future drills to maintain my newly acquired skill set and perhaps volunteer to "doll up" with severed limbs and be in shock so others might be able to help me in a real emergency .

A great fire department with great guys who are always ready to serve their citizens with pride and…read moreintegrity, and if the need comes up, provide mutual aid to neighboring cities. As our local fire department says "when I doubt call us out!"

On Thankful Thursday, 11/20/25, I have to reflect on all the libraries of my past that made me into…read morethe successful broadly educated person that I am today. Instead of doing a review for each library since it's been a period of time and changes obviously occur I am mentioning libraries I found useful in my growing up and college education process. Growing up I lived in El Cerrito and it was a comfortable walk with my mom and sometimes a sister or two to visit the El Cerrito Library. We each had our own library card and would pick out two or three books to check out. My favorite section the children's books. On occasion our family would visit the Richmond library for which my parents had a library card. My memories serve me that the Richmond library had records and movies that could be checked out. I browsed the books but rarely asked for one to be checked out for me. I did make requests for records that may not have been my parents choice. Once in college I became well versed at the Berkeley Main Library, the North Berkeley library, the University of California Berkeley library, the Boalt Hall Legal library, and the Contra Costa Court Reference library. I even spent hours in Sacramento at CSUS library. You probably can guess I was in need of all sorts of legal reference books to excel in classes, write briefs and papers. My thanks to each and every library as I passed all my law classes with straight A's. I have no idea of the quality of these libraries currently but I am THANKFUL that in the early 1970's all of these libraries allowed me access and were the quality that I depended upon.

What a special place. I haven't thought about family library events until recently after a few…read morefriends began sending me events happening in the area. We attended a Firefighter Storytelling Hour and it was so much fun. A few members of the local Fire Department came out on a weekend morning and introduced themselves, read a story, and we all sang "The Wheels on the Fire Truck". After, everyone had the opportunity to see/touch/take photos/and go into the truck with their respective groups. A wonderful start to the day. Checking out ccclib.org, you can categorize the library locations to find upcoming events/times. Today for example, there's a Therapy Dogs for Grown Ups hour. How fun! The staff is so friendly and there's lotsa parking/accessibility. Have you been to a recent event at the library worth sharing about? Would love to hear more as I begin this new quest of family fun!

Review for Officer Gonzales - Richmond Police Department, CA…read more I want to sincerely thank Officer Gonzales for the incredible help he gave me today. My camper accidentally fell off my hitch near the train tracks by the highway, and I was in a stressful situation trying to figure out what to do. Initially, another officer saw what happened but drove off, leaving me unsure of how long I would be waiting. After about 25 minutes, Officer Gonzales arrived, and he was the only officer who stayed to help. He was amazing--he basically lifted my entire camper and helped me properly secure it back onto the hitch. I had made a mistake attaching it, and he handled the situation with patience, professionalism, and kindness. What really stood out to me is that he didn't make me feel worried or anxious at all. Most interactions I've had with police make me feel nervous, but Officer Gonzales was just there to help--he even said so himself. I had been on my way to the DMV to register the camper, so I was a little nervous when he pulled up, but his calm, helpful attitude completely put me at ease. I truly appreciate his assistance, and I want to publicly acknowledge his kindness, dedication, and professionalism. Officer Gonzales went above and beyond, and without him, I would have been stuck in a very stressful situation for much longer. Thank you!

Two weeks ago I was assaulted. The mall has six security cameras, yet the police refuse to check…read morethem. When I call, it's always just a recording. What's the point of having these police? It's a complete waste of taxpayers' money!