Newburgh Firefighters try to Forge a Deal

By Gina Hughes

This morning as I was eating breakfast I was reading the front page of the Times Herold Record. It was about how they are cutting money and jobs at the firehouse right here in our own back yard. This article titled "Newburgh Firefighters try to Forge a Deal" by Michael Randell. Randell said that "the city's union firefighters say a difference of a little more than $150,000 is keeping negotiators from reaching an agreement in contract talks - and from saving the jobs of 12 of its members." In October Richard Herbek proposed a budget for 2011 that would cut 60 positions and raise the tax rate on homeowners up to 62 percent. The cuts in the Fire Department would include: reduce shift staffing to seven instead of ten, the cuts would also close the West End firehouse. We shouldn't be cutting firefighters in the city that obviously needs help. They should be cutting back in other spots. Lt.Bill Horton, a longtime member of the department said, "the cuts would jeopardize public safety". He continued to say that "I guess minutes matter now but not when we are responding to a fire." Which is completely true. They can't tread this issue lightly, they need to hurry up and make a decision. We need firefighters to save lives. A life can lost in a matter minutes. If they firehouse is closed it will take longer for firefighters to respond to a fire or accident.