The Memphis (TN) Fire Department has already cut 100 positions over the past three years, but more staff reductions may be in the works.
A budget proposal under consideration calls for cutting up to 400 city jobs, many of which will likely be firefighters and police officers, according to a WMC-TV report (http://bit.ly/16UOpVH).
Memphis Fire Director Alvin Benson says the cuts will result in longer response times and may jeopardize public safety. He said deeper cuts would also require an analysis of fire stations across the city, and closing some of them might be a consideration.
The budget plan has been temporarily approved by the city council.
Read further details athttp://bit.ly/16UOpVH.
For more on how fire departments are weathering the financial crisis, considerFDIC 2013 Presentation Deals with Firefighting, Politics, and Budget Cuts,Are We Short-Staffed or Just Short-Sighted?, andInside a Budget Fight : It Never Ends, and Nobody Wins.
