Fire companies close today

Seven fire companies closed on Monday morning and 130 firefighters were reassigned to other companies throughout the city, fireighters union chief Brian McBride said.

Local 22 of the International Association of Firefighters has tried to block the closures through the courts, arguing that the action would put both firefighters and the public in jeopardy. But the union lost the first two rounds in lower courts last week and are hoping for a favorable ruling from the state Supreme Court on their appeal. Meanwhile, the five engine companies and two ladder companies were officially deactivated today.

Now five different stations are without the ability to put out a fire, because there are no engines -- no water," McBride said "They might as well be libraries without books."

No comment yet from the Nutter administration, which has taken the position that firehouses will work in tandem to provide proper firefighting and rescue capability. Nutter says the city will save $10.5 million annually from the cuts to help close a five-year, $1 billion budget gap.

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