San Diego motor vehicle accident victims and others involved in situations requiring emergency assistance are waiting longer for help, according to a recent city report. Budget cuts introduced in February require up to eight, or 17 percent, of San Diego's firetrucks to be "idled" at any given time. The plan is projected to cut more than $11 million a year in overtime paid to San Diego firefighters. 

While this is certainly welcome to the city's fast-emptying pockets, it may not be such a good deal for those injured in car accidents, suffering from burn injuries or facing other catastrophic situations.

This is because, while cutting numbers from the budget, the plan adds numbers in another crucial area - the time it takes firefighters to respond to emergency situations. The report noted a significant increase in response time at seven of the eight fire stations where the idling plan was put into place.