New Bedford residents held their own protest Saturday, irate that the fire chief plans to shut down Station 11 on Brock Avenue based on the recommendation of Mayor Mitchell.
"He should be ashamed of himself," said Kathy MacCord of New Bedford. "We voted for him for what? To take this away from us?"
MacCord says the neighborhood's many elderly residents and children would be at a higher risk in an emergency.
"God forbid, something happens to me, I hope I go peacefully," she said, "because I'm coming back to haunt that man."
Another resident is furious that officials would even consider cutting public safety services.
"Who's thinking up this stuff? It's ridiculous!" said Theresa Knight of New Bedford. "Let them be the first house on the list: if your house burns, don't bother going here. Because they don't want to pay you the money."