Fort Myers firefighters protest upcoming layoffs

Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Dozens of first responders are picketing outside city hall, protesting against layoffs set to begin in two weeks.

The Fort Myers Fire Department is losing nearly $4 million from a federal grant.

Losing money from the SAFER grant, which stands for “staffing for adequate fire and emergency response,” means cutting positions.

The staffing will drop from about 124  to 105.

Firefighters are upset, because the city tax base is growing. The council recently passed a fire assessment fee to get extra money, and the city has put lots of money into renovating a golf course.

The fire union warns people could be affected by the loss of positions.

“There would be a trickle effect of a delayed response,” said J.P Duncan.

The city says it can adjust the schedules and go back to the staffing in 2010, before they acquired the SAFER grants.

The fire union president plans to urge the council to find the $2 million to keep the people on staff.

Fort Myers is applying for another SAFER grant and will hear back on that in the coming months.

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