New Bedford officials are temporarily closing some fire stations at night.
New Bedford currently has ten fire stations, but only enough firefighters to staff nine of them at any given time. In an effort to save money, the city instituted a policy of “rolling brownouts,” where one station may close on a rotating basis on certain days.
At the moment, New Bedford can’t afford to hire any new firefighters, so spiraling overtime costs have forced city officials to extend those brownouts to nighttime hours.
This highlights a larger issue about how some firefighter positions are funded in New Bedford, and whether that plan is sustainable over the long term.
WCAI's Brian Morris speaks with New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell about how the city is handling the shortage of firefighters and the increase in overtime costs.