Lawrence firefighters get new duties

Larenece, Ind. (WISH) - Absent were the sounds of firefighters and EMT workers scrambling around Fire Station 40. Inside the massive building were just two firefighters sitting at a table having lunch.

This is the new norm for this Lawrence station. It happened after Mayor Dean Jessup pink slipped 24 EMT workers on Friday. Jessup then switched firefighters into those vacant positions.

The cost cutting moves also included taking the fire engine out of service and replacing it with ambulances. Firefighters stationed here will no longer battle fires; instead they will be dispatched only for medical emergencies.

News of the switch was alarming to some residents who live in the shadows of Station 40.

“Our (city leaders) did not take it serious to tell the people who voted them in,” said Lawrence resident Leon Parson.

Leaders for the fire department in Lawrence say response times are between four and six minutes. Those times are expected to climb with the recent changes.

“They will see a change in response times on fire runs,” said Battalion Chief Dino Batalis. “We will have to rely on the four outlying stations to serve fire protection for the station.”

Despite hearing that the other four stations will pick up the slack, some residents are nervous about the changes at Fire Station 40.

“Everyone knows it’s a matter of seconds before saving someone and having a home perish. It’s a very serious problem,” said Parson.