<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2GeD0u_1H253uPG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2GeD0u_1H253uPG00" width="800" height="450" >(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY) -- Firefighters in one Capital Region city say laying off eight staffers will have an impact on response times. Saratoga Springs firefighters are pushing back against city officials’ claims that the layoffs would not affect their response.Saratoga Springs officials announced last month the city faces a $5 million shortfall. Proposals include raising property taxes 18-percent and laying off eight firefighters. But the union for the city’s firefighters said that would affect their ability to keep the public safe. Joe Brimhall, union president, said his members were blindsided by the announcement.“We were unbelievably shocked,” he said.Last week finance commissioner JoAnne Kiernan and public safety commissioner Tim Coll said they did not believe the layoffs would affect response times. Brimhall said if those layoffs are approved, there would be three firefighters assigned to each piece of equipment, down from four.“Three firefighters in a truck would change our response dynamics,” he said. “Getting from point A to B is only one part of the response.”He said once at the scene of a fire, first respondents could be forced to wait for back-up before going into a fire. Plus he said the layoffs would cost the city when it comes to overtime.“Reducing or laying off eight firefighters would result in an additional $85,000 expense to the city,” he said. “It does not save any money.”Brimhall’s union members have been working on a contract that expired nearly a year ago. He said there are no new talks scheduled.“I want to take the city at face value that they want to work with us and find ways to preserve our staffing,” he said. “But at this point, they have been reluctant to meet with us and actually negotiate, sit down and talk these issues through.”</div></body>

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY) -- Firefighters in one Capital Region city say laying off eight staffers will have an impact on response times. Saratoga Springs firefighters are pushing back against city officials’ claims that the layoffs would not affect their response. Saratoga Springs officials announced last month the city faces...

Firefighter layoffs would affect emergency response, union says.

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY) -- Firefighters in one Capital Region city say laying off eight staffers will have an impact on response times. Saratoga Springs fir

Firefighter layoffs would affect emergency response, union says.

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