EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — City officials are reducing the number of firefighters per shift from 10 to eight, a move many say puts the fire department and its residents in danger.
WKYC.com reported that the firefighters union claims the East Cleveland Fire Department is already understaffed, claiming 14 per shift is a minimum safety level.
“It could mean we’re going to have to let the building burn down,” Firefighters’ Union President Thomas Buth said.
East Cleveland firefighters also double as paramedics and officials are unsure what will happen if there’s a simultaneous fire and ambulance run. The department, however, does have a mutual-aid agreement with neighboring departments.
“We’re going to have to rely on other cities to come in, or (residents) will have to wait … somebody could possibly die because of this,” Buth said.
Laying off 10 part-time firefighters will save the city $500,000, according to the report. The budget cuts follow a recovery plan approved by city officials.
“The last thing we wanted to do was cut the fire department,” Mayor Gary Norton said.
Norton said the chance of fatality caused by the cuts is a “real possibility,” according to the report. Cuts have already been made in other city departments, including police.
The firefighters union is suing the city for violating its contract, which contained minimum manpower requirements.