Heated debate broke out at a city council meeting Monday night between Muncie residents, fire fighters, Muncie city council and Muncie Mayor Sharon McShurley.
The mayor began by speaking in favor of an ordinance that would transfer city funds to the building maintenance account, which would be used to make improvements to a fire station that the city is currently leasing on the southwest side of Muncie.
But several fire fighters and Muncie residents stood along side Micheal Whited, vice president of the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana to voice their disapproval of the measure, which was eventually voted down by a 7-2 vote by the council.
Whited presented statistics to the council, which showed that using the funds to help open the Hoyt Ave. fire station instead, would result in significant utility savings.
"Hopefully this decision sends a message that the public doesn't want this done and we can move back into the Hoyt Ave. station and save some money," Whited said.
Actions made by the city this summer closed the fire station near downtown Muncie on Hoyt Ave. and moved it's equipment and personnel to a smaller station on the southwest side of the city, which firefighters say hurts response time for a large part of Muncie including Ball State University Campus
Gary Bowden and two other City of Muncie Fire Department battalion chiefs presented information to the council that they say shows why having the number three station on Hoyt manned makes more sense for the city and Ball State.
"If we can maintain the old station number three at Willard and Hoyt it'll be a big savings and it'll be huge protection for the city of Muncie and the downtown," said Bowden. "The number three ladder that responds to Ball State would be three miles closer to Ball State."
The battalion chiefs also said that living quarters in the smaller station are too tight with five firefighters sharing a small bedroom and two that are currently sleeping in an office, which Battalion Chief Terry Moore says has fewer escape possibilities than they recommend for an average bedroom in the houses in Muncie that they protect.
Whited said that the next step for Muncie firefighters will be to find a way for the men now stationed at the southwest fire station to be moved back up to the Hoyt Ave. station.
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