Engine 3 in the City of Tonawanda is facing some major issues. The firefighters union says they do not have enough manpower to fight fires.
The full-time firefighters are racking up thousands of dollars in overtime and it’s unclear if the city has enough money in their budget to pay for the shortfalls.
“You’re only guaranteed to have five people show up to a fire, we rely heavily on the off duty guys and the volunteers,” said Dennis Angelo, Local 859 union president.
The lack of firefighters comes after two firefighters retired last year, leaving the city with only 24 full-time firefighters.
In 2015, a similar situation unraveled when there wasn’t enough manpower to staff the firehouse.