Red Phone: Dear Fired Up, Sunday is indeed the first day that the Sunrise Fire Station could be closed under the deal that the city reached in June with the union to avoid layoffs. Part of the deal included having occasional closures - known as brownouts - at Sunrise, the least busy of the city's three stations, to reduce overtime.

The brownouts - which may or may not occur Sunday - could last a day, a week or more depending on the staffing at that time, said Gilroy Fire Chief Dale Foster.

The fire station will post a sign in front of the station on Day Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard directing people to call the emergency dispatch center if they need help. Sometimes the station may be able to give people a day or two notice, but sometimes it could be a last-minute decision, Foster said.

For more on the deal, go to www.gilroydispatch.com/news/256963-fire-union-approves-deal.

Loud power generators

"We have had to put up with our neighbors' loud generator that has been running constantly for about three months. It is usually turned off by 10 p.m., although not always. We live in a residential area in the middle of town and can't believe someone would choose to run a generator over paying PG&E. The fuel is way more expensive. It has been impossible to enjoy our backyard. Is there anything we can do?"

Red Phone: Dear Power Down, It looks like there are two parts to your question. The first question is if it is legal to have a generator.

Many residences and businesses use generators as a backup when power goes out. But electricity from generators can't be used unless the proper circuit breakers, connections, disconnects and grounding have been installed and inspected by the city building department, said Code Enforcement Officer Scott Barron. Generators can be used for small appliances as long as they don't create a safety or health hazard, he said.

"If this type of use is brought to the attention of Code Enforcement, an inspection would be made to verify if life safety issues were being created," he said.

But he pointed out that generators could be used only for a short time, according the guidelines set aside in the California Electrical Code.

As for the noise pollution issue, the sound must be under 70 decibels - roughly equal to highway traffic noise - at the property line. If not, you can call the Gilroy Police at 846-0300 to report the problem.