SAUBURN -- Citizens raised concerns Thursday while city officials made their case once again over the recent closure of one of the city's three fire houses.
During a special public hearing authorized by city council at its weekly meeting, three Auburn Fire Department advocates questioned the motives and legality behind Tuesday's decision to close the fire house on Frederick Street. But Fire Chief Mike Hammon and City Manager Mark Palesh reiterated that vacating the station will save the city money while improving department services.
The station was built as a bomb shelter in the 1950s and maintained to protect the city's watershed, Hammon said. Closing the fire house followed a recommendation from a comprehensive study of the city's fire department conducted in 2003, he added.
Furthermore, Hammon said response times between the vacated station and the one on Market Street quickly equalize as one moves away from either of them, such as along Grant Avenue. The two are seven-tenths of a mile apart, he said.
"While we all would like a fire truck in our neighborhoods, that comes at a cost," said Hammon, who added that the city's tax base has been shrinking for years.
But Auburn Professional Fire Fighters Local 1446 President Steve Parker said the union feels the city is manipulating the safety of the residents with the decision to close the station.
"This is not in the best interest of safety for the public," Parker read from a prepared statement. "(The closure) will increase important response times ... in what seems to be a knee jerk reaction to recent contract disagreements."
There was a problem over response time just this week, Parker added. With two engines already on a call, it took the third engine six minutes to get from the Clark Street station to Fleming Street, he said.
"To me, that is totally unacceptable," Parker said.
Bill Jacobs, a former councilor, asked city attorney John Rossi to examine whether it is within the city manager's power to close a fire station if the station was built with a council resolution. Jacobs then criticized the council for discussing these matters in executive session.
"I don't think safety is something to talk about behind closed doors," Jacobs said. "I think this whole thing happened illegally."
For the full report, read Friday's edition of The Citizen.
The station was built as a bomb shelter in the 1950s and maintained to protect the city's watershed, Hammon said. Closing the fire house followed a recommendation from a comprehensive study of the city's fire department conducted in 2003, he added.
Furthermore, Hammon said response times between the vacated station and the one on Market Street quickly equalize as one moves away from either of them, such as along Grant Avenue. The two are seven-tenths of a mile apart, he said.
"While we all would like a fire truck in our neighborhoods, that comes at a cost," said Hammon, who added that the city's tax base has been shrinking for years.
But Auburn Professional Fire Fighters Local 1446 President Steve Parker said the union feels the city is manipulating the safety of the residents with the decision to close the station.
"This is not in the best interest of safety for the public," Parker read from a prepared statement. "(The closure) will increase important response times ... in what seems to be a knee jerk reaction to recent contract disagreements."
There was a problem over response time just this week, Parker added. With two engines already on a call, it took the third engine six minutes to get from the Clark Street station to Fleming Street, he said.
"To me, that is totally unacceptable," Parker said.
Bill Jacobs, a former councilor, asked city attorney John Rossi to examine whether it is within the city manager's power to close a fire station if the station was built with a council resolution. Jacobs then criticized the council for discussing these matters in executive session.
"I don't think safety is something to talk about behind closed doors," Jacobs said. "I think this whole thing happened illegally."
For the full report, read Friday's edition of The Citizen.
