Five Escambia County fire stations are operating with reduced staffing because of budget constraints.
Escambia County Interim Fire Chief Paul Williams sent a memo Friday to all firefighters announcing several changes, including the reduction in staffing levels at the five stations in an effort to cut down on the amount of overtime.
The county is five months into its fiscal year, but the fire department has used more than 50% of the $784,018 budgeted for overtime.
Five fire stations — Bellview, Cantonment, Ferry Pass, Innerarity Point and West Pensacola — have gone from having four certified firefighters on shift to having three firefighters on shift.
In some situations, the change could slow down firefighters in making entry into a building on fire.
Escambia County Fire Rescue Capt. Craig Ammons told the News Journal that during a structure fire, regulations require two firefighters to remain outside a building while two firefighters enter a building to fight the fire.