Here’s a list of rotating fire station closures that start today

YOUNGSTOWN — Starting Wednesday, the city’s seven fire stations will be on rotation to temporarily close every two weeks for the remainder of the year.

In a memo Tuesday from City Fire Chief Barry Finley obtained by Mahoning Matters, Finely said “there will no longer be any overtime utilized to maintain minimum staffing.”

In a story in The Vindicator on Tuesday, Finley said the overtime fund was depleted. During the two weeks their station is closed, those firefighters will be moved to another station.

Charlie Smith, the union president of Youngstown Professional Fire Fighters Local 312, said the closures of the stations will impact the response time of firefighters.

“Right now, our stations in the city can be with any fire within three minutes and have a truck there,” Smith said. “You take away that station and then you have a six-minute response time.”

The rotation of station closures is the latest in a series of cuts to Finley's fire department much to the consternation of the firefighters union, which feels that cost-saving measures seem to always target the city fire department.

Since becoming chief in 2018, Finley closed a fire truck, demoted nine, and reduced the number of battalion chiefs from six to three. Most recently, the city opted to shut down station No. 7 — the department's busiest station — on the city's North Side.

In his memo, Finley also said overtime will only be allowed for additional emergency firefighters that need to be called-in for fires or for late-shift sickness or injury to keep a station open for the remainder of a shift.

The department also struggled with insufficient overtime funds last year. In August 2019, the department has used $27,000 of its $40,000 overtime budget for the year. At the time, Finley the police department had spent more than $1 million in overtime for the first seven months of 2019.

Mahoning Matters was unable to reach both Finley and Mayor Jamael Tito Brown to comment Tuesday.

In the list below of trucks and fire station closures through the end of the year, engine companies (E) are used to put out fires, rescue companies (R) are used for rescue services and ladder companies (L) are used for ventilation of buildings, search and rescue and overhaul.

• June 3-15

  • First closed: E9, Station No. 9, 1624 E. Midlothian Blvd.

  • Second closed: E12, Station No.12, 2251 McGuffey Road

• June 16-30

  • First closed: E7, Station No. 1, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

  • Second closed: E2, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave.

• July 2-15

  • First closed: E6, Station No. 6, 1817 Shehy St.

  • Second closed: R3, Station No. 3, 571 N. Belle Vista Ave.

• July 16-31

  • First closed: R3, Station No. 3, 571 N. Belle Vista Ave.

  • Second closed: L24

• Aug. 1-15

  • First closed: E2, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave.

  • Second closed: L22, Station No. 1, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

• Aug. 16-31

  • First closed: E12, Station No.12, 2251 McGuffey Road

  • Second closed: E15, Station No. 15, 2739 McCollum Road

• Sept. 1-15

  • First closed: E15, Station No. 15, 2739 McCollum Road

  • Second closed: E6, Station No. 6, 1817 Shehy St.

• Sept. 16-30

  • First closed: L22, Station No. 1, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

  • Second closed: E9, Station No. 9, 1624 E. Midlothian Blvd.

• Oct. 1-15

  • First closed: L24, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave. ,

  • Second closed: E7, Station No.1, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

• Oct. 16-31

  • First closed: E12, Station No.12, 2251 McGuffey Road

  • Second closed: E9, Station No. 9, 1624 E. Midlothian Blvd.

• Nov. 1-15

  • First closed: E2, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave.

  • Second closed: E7, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

• Nov. 16-30

  • First closed: R3, Station No.3, 571 N. Belle Vista Ave.

  • Second closed: E6, Station No. 6, 1817 Shehy St.

• Dec. 1-15

  • First closed: L24, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave.

  • Second closed: R3, Station No.3, 571 N. Belle Vista Ave.

• Dec. 16-31

  • First closed: L22, Station No. 1, 420 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

  • Second closed: E2, Station No. 2, 125 W. Indianola Ave.

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 5:26 AM with the headline "Here’s a list of rotating fire station closures that start today."