Council Hears Resistance to Fire Station Closing

Bethlehem City Council heard from a handful of people opposed to the planned closing of the Dewberry Avenue fire station as it had its first reading of the 2012 budget Tuesday night.

“It’s almost as if the mayor is not willing to listen to what people have to say,” said Licia Paulus, a neighborhood resident who started an on-line petition to ask Mayor John Callahan to keep Engine 7 at its current location, 201 Dewberry Ave.

Callahan has issued orders and has plans – as part of his proposed budget – to convert the station to a new home for some of the city’s ambulance fleet.

Paulus told council that she launched her petition, which now has 335 on-line signatories, because Callahan would not return her telephone calls.

“I am asking you to use your power to do what’s right and keep the fire station open,” she said.

Paulus was the only neighborhood resident to speak up at the meeting. The other critics were firefighters and Dana Grubb, a former city employee who is a frequent Callahan critic at council meetings.

Council had little to say about the matter, though it could come up when it holds its first budget hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Fire Department and Callahan’s proposed $7.7 million operating budget – a $500,000 reduction from what the department is on pace to spend this year – is on the agenda.

Council has scheduled budget hearings for Thursday, Monday and December 7, 12 and 15. Final adoption is currently planned for Wednesday, December 21, council’s rescheduled final meeting of 2011.

When the Dewberry station closing in front of council in September, council members said decisions to close fire stations are administrative and out of their hands.

Dave Saltzer, president of the city firefighters union, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 735, said the decision was an “unintelligent” one that will jeopardize the lives of city residents and firefighters.

In a perfunctory first reading ballot on the budget proposal, council voted 6-1 in favor of it, with only David DiGiacinto dissenting. After the meeting, DiGiacinto said he is skeptical of the numbers the administration is presenting.

“They haven’t gotten a budget right since I’ve been part of the process,” DiGiacinto said. “What makes you think they are going to do it right this year?”