ERIE, Pa. - Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott wants to close one of the city's six fire companies to abide by an arbitrator's award that requires more firefighters per truck.

If the city's six fire companies remained open, Sinnott says he'd have to hire 24 new firefighters costing at least $1.7 million a year. Sinnott says the city can't afford that.

Another way to make sure the city reached the arbitrator's goal of five firefighters per rig is to shut down one station and put more firefighters in each of the five remaining stations.

Union officials who praised the arbitrator's award and a county judge's decision to uphold it last week, did not immediately comment on the planned cuts.

A union attorney says the city could also meet the arbitrator's goal by spending more on overtime.
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Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com

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