The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to delay a decision on whether to shutter four fire stations after the failure of a parcel tax measure meant to avoid the closures.

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief Daryl Louder advised the board that the closures are necessary since the district has burned through its reserves. The recommendation comes a month after voters rejected Measure Q, a $75 annual parcel tax designed to close the fire district's $17 million deficit.

The chief's recommendations are to shut down four of the district's 28 fire stations -- a drastic but necessary move to cut costs after Measure Q failed to attain a two-thirds voter majority, he said. If approved, the stations located at 700 Hawthorne Drive in Walnut Creek, at 6500 Center Ave. in Clayton, at 1240 Shell Ave. in Martinez and at 4007 Los Arabis Ave. in Lafayette are set to close in January.

The chief said those stations were selected based on call volume in those areas and the amount of fire risk to the surrounding communities, among other factors. The stations to close would create the least impact on the fire district as a whole, according to his calculations.

At the start of the meeting, attended by dozens of off-duty fire personnel, firefighter Vito Impastato told the board that he and his colleagues would continue to provide the highest level of service possible, regardless of station closures.

"We take great pride in that trust that the public has given us...we're here above all, to serve," he said. "We know that station closures sting, but rest assured, we will rise to the occasion."

Ultimately, the board voted to postpone the vote on the closures until next Tuesday, asking the chief for more information about costs, benefits and possible alternatives to shutting down four fire stations before making a final decision.

Board members and the chief agreed that the closures are meant to be a temporary fix, and that the stations should reopen in five to ten years when property tax revenues are likely to increase and the district has had time to recoup its losses.

Louder also stressed that shuttering the stations is a last resort.

"We're at a juncture where we don't have an awful lot of options available to us," he told the board.

Fire officials had hoped that Measure Q would provide funding to keep station doors from closing after years of falling property tax assessments -- the district's main funding source -- coupled with increasing health care and pension costs. The district has taken a variety of steps to avoid the closures, including salary cuts, lower starting salaries, increased pension and health care contributions, lowered operating costs and layoffs, Louder said Tuesday.

The district also spent $25 million in reserves to maintain current service levels, which are only at 44 percent of national standards, according to fire officials.

Shuttering four fire stations would save the fire district $3 million over the following six months, according to Louder.

It would also increase response times by as much as 50 percent in the areas closest to the affected stations, Louder said.

"It will definitely impact public safety," he said.

Several community members and city leaders Tuesday addressed the board with their concerns about the potential closures.

Clayton resident Becky Hansen told the board that without the quick response of personnel from the Center Avenue fire station, she would likely not have survived an accidental medication overdose. Weeks later, she said, firefighters from the same station saved her home when a fire broke out.

"Because of them, our house did not burn down," she said.

The chief said that if the stations close, the fire district plans to lean on neighboring fire districts as well as the county's Emergency Medical Services division and American Medical Response to respond to calls.

"They will try to be good neighbors, but at the same time, we will try not to take advantage of them," Louder said.

Other possible funding strategies include utilizing the district's reserve firefighters, establishing public-private partnerships, applying for a $3 million federal grant and attempting to bring a future parcel tax or benefit assessment measure before voters.

A few speakers, like Lafayette resident George Burt, suggested that the county form a task force with residents, elected officials and other stakeholders to review new, more efficient alternatives for the fire district.

"We have a consolidated fire department, and we're in the process of it falling apart," he said. "The system doesn't work."

Supervisor Mary Piepho noted that the failure of Measure Q mean that voters want to see the district practice fiscal responsibility.

"Living within our means means we need to close stations," she said, calling it a "horrible decision."