“This is about the safety of the city,” said Local 82 President Mark Lakosky.

The Local 82 flier distributed in southwest Minneapolis also informed residents that Ladder Truck 5, currently at Station 27 at 54th St. and Nicollet Ave., would be moved to Station 17 at 38th St, and 3rd Ave., leading to a significant drop in response time.

“For 100 years there’s been a ladder at that end of town — because they needed it,” Lakosky said.

Lakosky said proposed cuts to the Minneapolis Fire Department would lead to the loss of 32 fire fighters through attrition plus another eight positions.

“We’ve lost 20 since January 2008,” he said. “The citizens of Minneapolis, do they really believe we can lose 60 fire fighters and get the same service?”

For the last five years, Lakosky said, response times by the Minneapolis Fire Department have failed to meet national standards.

Lakosky noted that the Fire Department chief will be making a presentation to the Minneapolis City Council’s public safety committee February 16.

He urged Minneapolis residents to contact their City Council members to ask them to maintain current fire department staffing levels.

For more information, contact Minneapolis Fire Fighters Local 82 at 612-788-7578.

Reprinted from the Minneapolis Labor Review.