Baltimore Union Urges Public to Fight Fire Company Closures

The union for Baltimore City firefighters is urging the public to help try to stop the closing of two fire companies.

The city is planning to close Engine 4 in north Baltimore and Engine 55 in the Pigtown neighborhood, WJZ-TV reports. Last week, the Baltimore City Council expressed concern over the proposal to close two companies, as well as other potential cuts to the department's roughly $300 million spending plan. 

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"The 2 fire engines proposed are responsible for bringing water to put out the fire and are equipped with medical equipment to provide life saving care," the union stated in a Facebook post.

"Anyone living or working in these neighborhoods are urged to call Mayor Jack Young at City Hall to express opposition to these careless, reckless and dangerous permanent closures," the union added.

In a statement also released Thursday, Baltimore City Councilman Bill Henry echoed the union's sentiments, according to WJZ.

"As far as I know, every member of the City Council is against these closures," he stated. "We voted for cuts to other parts of the budget which would have provided the Mayor with sufficient funds to restore the two fire companies that are being shut down. The Mayor has chosen NOT to use that money and is closing the fire companies anyway.

"I’m calling on the Mayor to keep these fire suppression companies open," he added. "If you want to help Baltimore Firefighters Local 734 fight for these companies, focus your efforts on calling the Mayor’s office … and getting your neighbors to do so also. There is literally nothing more that the City Council can do that we haven’t already done. Only the Mayor can reopen these fire companies.”