The city of Detroit is laying off 164 firefighters by the end of July, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing's office announced this afternoon. The layoffs could be temporary, as the city hopes to secure a federal grant that would restore the jobs of 108 of those firefighters. Still, there is no guarantee the city will be awarded the grant, Commissioner Don Austin said during budget talks this spring.
"Since I became mayor, I've made public safety my top priority and I've said I would protect the jobs of police and firefighters, but fiscal realities have made this untenable," Bing said in a statement. "With my administration continuing to work to fiscally stabilize the city and with recent cuts to the city's budget, we're announcing the layoffs of 164 Detroit Fire Department firefighters by the end of July."
Bing said he hopes that many, if not most, of the remaining 56 firefighters who will lose their jobs will be recalled to the fire department as it loses others through retirement and attrition. The Detroit Fire Department has 881 sworn firefighters and 248 EMS technicians.
In the statement, Bing said Austin and his staff have developed a plan to maintain the highest levels of fire service for the city's citizens, including:
-- Better deployment of engines from adjacent sectors and use of newly installed GPS systems in the engines and rigs to best dispatch fire department personnel
-- Conducting thorough risks/gain analysis of interior versus exterior fire suppression
-- Continuing community fire prevention education.
"Laying off any of our courageous and dedicated public safety personnel is the last thing I want to do at this point, but I have to face this hard reality," Bing said. "I have every confidence in Commissioner Austin and the men and woman of the Fire Department to maintain their highest standards of fire services and public safety for our citizens."
Copyright 2012 - Detroit Free Press
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
