Proposed layoffs at a New York fire department in order to deal with a budget shortfall are being called "reckless and illegal" by the union representing the firefighters possibly affected.
The Ogdensburg Fire Department is considering letting go of four firefighters in order to make up for a $900,000 city budget deficit, WWNY-TV reports. Ogdensburg Professional Firefighters, Local 1799, which represents the department's 27 firefighters, says the proposed layoffs violate the current five-year contract with the city. That agreement runs through 2025.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the union claims layoffs would greatly affect public safety. Along with the usual range of calls—firefighters responded to 1,918 emergencies last year, with an average response time of around four minutes—the department also is dealing with COVID-19 cases, which St. Lawrence County health officials say continue to grow and have yet to peak.
“The (Ogdensburg City) Council is placing a bet, and they are risking the lives of families within our community in the hope that no one is harmed," Allen Rickett, president of the firefighters union, told WWNY. "However, the simple fact is that area residents were at risk nearly 2,000 times last year. Your options and alternatives have far fewer consequences than risking the future of Ogdensburg’s 11,000 residents."
