CHARLESTON -
The South Hills Fire Station No. 5 was closed Saturday for 12 hours because of short staffing department wide.
Assistant Chief Owen Hawk made the decision because several firefighters called in sick, were on leave or vacation, and the city started strict rules regarding overtime this year.
"When we get in this situation, we're actually supposed to shut down (Station No. 5)," said Hawk. "In my opinion, we're short staffed. We just need to hire more people."
Charleston City Manager David Molgaard disagrees. He said the fire department has everything they need and should be able to keep all of the stations open.
"This is a management issue," said Molgaard.
One member of the fire department, who spoke with 13News on condition of anonymity said the city is trying to force firefighters out.
"They (Charleston City leaders) have created a perfect storm, trying to crush the fire department," said the source.
Station No. 5 services much of the South Hills area. During the station closure, Hawk estimated as much as five minutes could be added to the department's response time.
The fire department is not allowed to hire more employees until they have only 171 members left. According to Chief Chuck Overstreet, the department currently has between 174 and 180 members, only a few above that threshold.
Until then, Hawk said unless things change, similar closures could happen again down the road.
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