Okeechobee considering ending city fire services

Okeechobee city leaders are taking a close look at contracting fire protection with Okeechobee County to replace the city fire department as a way to save money.

RED FLAGS ARE BEING RAISED BYFIREFIGHTERS IN OKEECHOBEE ASTHE CITY CONSIDERS DOING AWAYWITH ITS FIRE DEPARTMENT - TOSAVE MONEY.WPTV NEWSCHANNEL FIVE'S MATTSCZESNY IS LIVE THERE WHERESOME FIREFIGHTERS PLAN TO FACETHE CITY COUNCIL ... MATT?KELLEY - SOME OF THEFIREFIGHTERS SAY THEY WILL BEHERE TO OFFER UP A SOLUTION TOSAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT - BYSTARTING A MEDICAL TRANSPORTSERVICE TO GENERATE REVENUE -IT COULD BE A LAST DITEFFORT - TO SAVE THEIR JOBS.<<144618“III COULD BE OUT OF A CAREER”STEVE WEEKS IS AN OKEECHOBEECITY FIREFIGHTERÃHEWORRIED ABOUT TALK IN CITYHALL TO REPLACE THE CITYFIRE DEPARTMENT WITHOKEECHOBEE COUNTYDEPARTMENT.

THE CITY ISLOOKING TO SAVE MONEYÃANDSPEND LESS WITH THE COUNTYTHAN OKEECHOBEE CURRENTLY PAYSFOR CITY FIRETHREE MILLON DOLLAR BUDGET.163143“ITTO MAKE WERE IN THEEXPLORATORY STAGE”OKEECHOBEEQUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBLEJOB LOSS OF 13 EMPLOYEES ANDFIREFIGHTERS AND ALSO ABOUTRESPONSE TIMES FOR THE PUBLIC.DOWLING WATFORD - OKEECHOBEEMAYOR 163122“ONE OF MYFRIENDS AT CHURCH CORNERED MEAT CHURCH THIS PAST SUNDAY ANDSAID SHE WOULDNIT WASNRESPONSE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERSTHEY WERE THERE IN A COUPLE OFMINUTES” NO NUMBERS ARE INYETÃEXCEPT THAT FIREFIGHTERSSAY THEYGUARANTEE THEY COULD BECOMECOUNTY FIREFIGHTERS AND STAYIN OKEECHOBEEÃSTEVE WEEKS -OKEECHOBEE FIREFIGHTER 144754“THEYDO WITH TWO PERSONNEL WITHWHAT WE DO ON AVERAGE WITHFOUR PERSONNEL SO YOUCUTTING PEOPLE AND I BELIEVEITTIME”