Fire company that's slated to close saves life

“This firehouse do a lot for people in the neighborhood a whole lot that firehouse do right there a lot."

A man who calls himself Big Al says he remembers the day they opened the West Lafayette street station back in 1967 when he says he was a young man.

He says now that he's an old man hanging out with his friends outside of the Harvey Johnson towers two blocks away he really understands what having a firefighters nearby really means.

"Them people come out side 24 hours a day if they're needed.  Heat cold sweat fire them people come out that building."

And nothing illustrates that need than what happened this morning. ” Al says.

Around six an elderly man who didn't have a phone left the towers and hurried to the fire station to get help for his son who was unconscious.

Both the Medic 15 and Engine Eight were out, Truck 10's crew was still in quarters.

Truck 10 crew responded and performed CPR and got the man breathing again.

But the city's fire union says if that would have happened two weeks from now, Truck 10 would not have been there it's scheduled to be taken away on July first.

“We're down to bare bones Chief Clack has said we're down to bare bones four years ago, what's changed nothing in my mind the calls have increased the amount of service we provide has increased and now his idea is let's lose these three companies because we haven't had fire deaths are you kidding me we got to kill people to save our companies no way." IAF Local 734 President Rick Hoffman says.

The Mayor's office has said that losing truck 10 along with two other fire fighting companies will save more than a million dollars in the budget.

The stations will stay open but with less personnel.

City Council President Jack Young says he wrote a letter to the mayor reminding her of her stance against closing fire houses in back in 2009.

He says she needs to remember that and find away to keep these units in the neighborhoods.

"They're closing the truck company which is the ladder they use for search and rescue I want that ladder if I'm on my third floor who's putting out the fire I want a ladder there to rescue me." Young says.

Young says he's also asking the mayor to keep open several recreation centers that could also close from budget cuts.

He says council cut six million dollars out of the budget with the hope that the mayor’s office would use that funding to stave off cuts.

Calls to the mayor's office were not returned.