Reporting
Magee Hickey

In one New Jersey community Saturday morning, the doors of one firehouse are closing for good.

Engine Company Number 2 on Dumont Avenue was shut down at 8 a.m. as part of the Clifton City Council's efforts to trim 60 city jobs to save more than $4 million in spending this year.

Several firefighters are being laid off, and five senior fire officials are being demoted to save $600,000 in the Fire Department budget.

Late night negotiations saved the jobs of five of the 17.

Clifton's Mayor James Anzaldi said, "These are times we don't have control. The state has control. The economy has control."

According to the acting Fire Chief, the decision to close Station 2 in the Albion Section was made based on the number of calls to that zone, response times and the amount of impact on the community. The company responded to 42 fires last year, less than the other firehouses in the city.

"I feel this is the biggest mistake we have ever made so please I am asking you to do the right thing," said a speaker at the hearing.

Clifton residents, firefighters and their families packed City Council chambers earlier this week to protest the layoffs and firehouse closing, many saying they can understand Clifton has budget problems but they can't understand a decision that could jeopardize people's lives.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/firehouse.budget.closing.2.952793.html