Residents and other concerned citizens told Hamilton City Council to find other places to cut in the proposed 2013 General Fund budget rather than eliminate 18 firefighters and close two engine companies.

Council held a special meeting Monday night to gather input from Hamilton residents who would be affected by shuttering the city fire station on Shuler Avenue on May 5, 2013 and reopening it to house a medic unit on Jan. 1, 2014. More than 40 residents, concerned citizens and firefighters attended the meeting to hear a verbal report on the efficiency study from Mike Walker, president of Berkshire Advisors, and City Manager Joshua Smith.

A list of frequently asked questions and answers was also distributed to those who attended the meeting.

Walker reiterated that Hamilton has a very good fire department and the recommended changes would increase efficiency. He said the city may be able to cover those areas on the east side through mutual aid assistance with Fairfield Twp. but the assumption used for the study is that the city could not rely on mutual aid.

The fire department accounted for $13.4 million or 32 percent of the city’s 2012 General Fund budget.

Dennis Rider of Fairfield, a retired firefighter who owns property in Hamilton, said if the city goes through with the cuts, all of the stations will be busier.

“Make sure the people know there could be a 10-minute wait (for mutual aid assistance),” he said.

Rider also expressed concerns about insurance rates rising if the cuts happen.

Jim Ruhl, a resident who is the son of a Hamilton firefighter and whose son is currently a Hamilton firefighter, told council he knows the city has financial issues but the city needs its safety forces to help attract businesses.

His son Brian, a Hamilton fire captain, said, “the entire city will feel the effects of these closings. These closings will affect everyone.”

He said the city expects superior EMS and fire suppression service and he doesn’t want his family to be compromised. “We want seasoned professional firefighters and paramedics to respond,” Brian Ruhl said.

Christine Freiberg of Black Squirrel Trail said she fears property values would go down and insurance rates will increase. She said if she were a business owner, she wouldn’t open a business here because of poor response time from police and fire units.

Walker said the recommendations note that overtime will be reduced by going to a longer workweek from 48 to 52 hours a week and having fewer apparatus will require less staff. He said the longer workweek could save the city $825,000 in overtime costs.The fire department’s overtime costs are projected to be $1.1 million in 2012.

Another resident, Dan Hancock raised the issue of not having an engine with foam capability housed closer to the Butler County Regional Airport. Currently the engine at the Shuler Avenue has that capability as does the engine at Laurel Avenue in Lindenwald.

Smith said if there is a call from the airport, it goes to Fairfield first because the airport buildings are in Fairfield. The runway and taxiway are inside the Hamilton city limits.

Bob Short, a retired fire captain, asked whether the proposed cuts were for reasons of efficiency or because it’s a budget issue. He urged council “not to decimate the fire department” to resolve a budget issue.

Walker said the city’s budget situation did not drive the recommendations that were made.

After the meeting Short said, “all of us need to come together and come up with ideas to raise revenue coming into the city and to look at any other options that could be viable.”