Controversy is brewing in Steubenville as city leaders eye cuts to the fire department.
The war of words is heating up and it all comes in the shadow of some positive news for the department.
The city of Steubenville has improved its public protection classification rating. The news came this weekend and Chief Carlo Capaldi says it speaks volumes about the fire department.
"We have good people. We have good officers and we have people that are willing to put their lives on the line for citizens,” Capaldi said. “Even though we improved to a class III, one of our lower scores was on staffing. We received 6.43 points out of 15 which is about a 40 percent, so even ISO, through their scoring system, realizes that we score low on staffing,” Chief Capaldi said.
The Insurance Services Offices jumped the city up from class 3 to class 4. Despite the news, some city leaders seem prepared to make changes.
Cuts to the fire department have always been a hot topic and with the recent study results, fire officials are urging caution.