Nearly Half of Hamtramck's Firefighters Clean Out Their Lockers

Nearly half of Hamtramck's firefighters cleaned out their lockers and packed up their gear Monday as city-mandated layoffs within the fire department went into effect, Melanie Scott Dorsey writes in the Free Press.

The layoffs reduced the department by 12 firefighters, a 44% drop in the force, Hamtramck Firefighters Association Local 750 President William Diamond said. The department now has 15 firefighters, not including the fire chief and fire marshal.

City officials voted in July to lay off the firefighters in hopes of cutting costs, Hamtramck City Manager Kyle Tertzag said Monday. The city currently has a $3-million deficit.