The union representing Ashland firefighters is sounding the alarm on budget cuts that will affect Ashland Fire & Rescue's ability to respond to emergencies. According to Ashland Firefighters Local 1269, the agency will be running "harder with fewer resources" next year.
"Ashland Firefighters received some disappointing news this week, as the fallout from 2019’s budget cut continues to evolve," the union said in a Facebook post. "As you may remember, AF&R’s operating budget was reduced by several hundred thousand dollars this year in an effort to close a gap in the City’s 'General Fund.'" In May, Ashland Fire Chief Mike D'Orazi resigned his position in an effort to thwart firefighter layoffs. While Local 1269 said that those layoffs were indeed averted, the City went ahead with cuts to Ashland Fire & Rescue's personnel budget.