Study: Fire department needs to cut costs

HAMILTON, Ohio - A new study suggests that the city of Hamilton cut its personnel and services, according to Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith.

The report was to show the efficiencies of the fire department. It discovered that the run times were to national standards and also pointed out that 83 percent of all runs were medical.

The recommendation was to cut firefighters from two stations and add emergency medical technicians at Houses Six and Seven. The recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the city council Tuesday evening.

"I think its very important that city council ask a lot of good questions take a lot of notes," said Smith. "I think that they need to direct the consultant on various scenarios, meaning 'You have recommended A. What if we looked at B, C, or D?'"

Smith explained, however, that before any cuts are to be made, that the public's input is vital to the decision.

"I think it is incumbent upon city council and myself to get into the neighborhood where that might happen and have public meetings," Smith said. "We can talk to residents first hand."

Should eliminating any service or positions be an option, Smith hoped that attrition would be the way to go, not layoffs.

"We have some very difficult choices to make. We have to deliver services more efficiently to make up that type of deficit.  At the same time the city needs to be reinvesting in itself. We're never going to grow as a city if were not fixing streets improving our parks, reopening swimming pools. We have to have money available to do those things."