The exterior of Saint John City Hall is pictured in this file photo. (Staff photo)
City council has voted to close the Millidgeville fire station and reduce its firefighter staff by 24 employees.
The cuts add up to a $1.875-million reduction in the Saint John Fire Department’s operating budget, as a part of the city’s economic sustainability initiatives in order to curb its $10 million budget shortfall.
Council voted unanimously to pass the motion on Monday evening, though many called the decision a tough one.
“This is a very difficult decision,” said Fire Chief Kevin Clifford. “It’s a decision that has service impacts tied to standards.”
The department’s capacity will be reduced by 10 to 15 per cent as a result of the cuts, and response times could face an increase of several minutes.
Part of the approval is based on a full service review which is being planned for the department after the cuts have been made.
City Manager John Collin said the plan is to look for an agency that has done similar reviews for other communities.
“We are going to be very deliberate (with the review), and take our time,” Collin said.
Councillor David Hickey said he’s hopeful that these cuts will prevent the need for more budget manoeuvring in the future.
“We need to unite our front-line workers, city staff, all of our community, around an understanding and a need for sustainability,” he said. “Because otherwise, we’ll keep having to have these conversations.”
