D.C. Fire Chief: Budget Woes Could Affect Service

D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin says budget pressures his department is facing may affect service.

Rubin said that the department won’t fill 80 positions and has had to cancel a cadet class.

His remarks came in conjunction with the release of a national study sponsored by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. that shows local firefighters think equipment is not purchased or replaced quickly enough.

Rubin says the D.C. Council approved a final department budget for fiscal year 2010 that was a $2.5 million reduction from what was proposed by Mayor Adrian Fenty.