Letter: Firefighter layoffs raise risk?
The Headquarters of the Garden City Fire Department located at 351 Stewart Ave. in Garden City. (Aug. 27, 2012) Credit: Steven Pfost
It was a very sad day when the Garden City Village Board voted to lay off and demote dedicated professional firefighters ["Garden City board votes to lay off 6 firefighters," News, Feb. 10].
Garden City is not your typical Nassau County town or village. There are numerous department stores and large office buildings, many schools, a university, several churches and expensive homes. To let these people go will eventually be second-guessed if or when an incident occurs that would have required quick professional response by the department.
I am well aware that taxes are high, but will the dollars saved by the layoffs actually be put back into the pockets of the homeowners and businesses? I very much doubt it.
Back in the 1970s, New York City laid off city workers, including cops and firefighters. It took some time, but those layoffs came back to haunt the city with higher crime and longer response times. Don't let that happen here.
