Muncie Firefighters Mark Final Day On Job

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Sunday marked the final day at work for 32 Muncie firefighters, laid off in an effort to trim the city's $3.8 million deficit.

Earlier this spring, Mayor Sharon McShurley ordered the department to lay off 32 workers and close two stations.

The fire union has taken issue with the cuts, which decrease the department's manpower by 35 percent. President of Local 1348 Mike Whited said it's a danger to public safety.

"I don't think it had to come to this," he told 6News' Sarah Cornell. "If we have a two-alarm fire at Ball State (University) or a house fire, we're pretty much going to send all the men there, and there won't be any left to respond to another house fire, another incident that we have."

Station No. 1, the oldest in Muncie and the closest to downtown, closed at 7 a.m. Sunday. By midday, two calls had come into the district, but its trucks didn't move.

Dave Ring, who owns a grocery store downtown, said he's concerned that not having a fire station as close could put this business in danger.

"It's going to decrease response times in a downtown area where we have a lot of buildings and houses that are real close together," he said.

In addition to the cuts, the mayor has also instituted a protocol change when it comes to medical runs. Firefighters traditionally responded along with Delaware County EMS, but now the firefighters will be dispatched only if it is a serious accident.

Cornell attempted to reach McShurley for comment on Sunday, but calls and messages were not returned.

McShurley is scheduled to have her monthly Mayor's Chat on Thursday at the Muncie Library, and some firefighters said they plan to attend.