VIDEO: The Turlock Fire Department has decided to essentially take a fire engine out of service any day a firefighter calls out sick or takes a vacation day.
This comes after major budget cuts have reduced staffing to just 12 firefighters a day, down from 13.
On Monday, fire engine 33 stood vacant all day at the Turlock's Fire Station 3.
"Public safety is definitely at risk," Matthew Mason, Vice President of Turlock's firefighter union said.
Calls kept coming in but firefighters at the station were told not to touch it because they didn't have the three people required to run the fire engine.
"It's just a terrible spot to put us in, and put the citizens of Turlock in," Mason said.
Instead, the two firefighters that were still working were given an SUV to respond to calls. The SUV, unfortunately, lacks most of the equipment necessary to fight fires, including water.