The San Diego City Council on Monday affirmed its commitment to having at least four firefighters on city fire engines and trucks, the current standard.

"We need to set, I believe, some standards going forward in these tough budget times," said Councilwoman Marti Emerald, head of the Council's Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee.

"We want to send a message ... that one standard we don't want to abandon is the basic minimum four-member standard for firefighters," Emerald said.

Council members unanimously approved the minimum staffing policy, a vote apparently inspired by city officials who have questioned whether three-person crews would save money for the financially struggling city.

Councilman Carl DeMaio, who represents Rancho Bernardo and recently revealed a budget plan that restores some fire department cuts, said he doesn't support a change to the policy now.

The councilman did say, however, that the city needs to explore options for deploying firefighting staff in ways that would save money.

No specific proposal altering minimum firefighting staff levels has been offered.

The City Council heard from fire officials, who said that four-person crews are critical for scene coordination and maintaining emergency response times.

The decision is up to Mayor Jerry Sanders, who is committed to four-person crews, city Chief Operating Officer Jay Goldstone said.

A study on staffing levels initiated by the mayor's office is expected in the next month.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responds to more than 100,000 calls each year, though most are medical emergencies and not fires.

Fire Station No. 33 is RB's only station, located at 16966 Bernardo Center Dr.

City News Service contributed to this report.