147 Tulsa Firefighters To Report To Special Meeting Friday Morning

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Fire Department is preparing for layoffs.  Fire officials have notified 147 firefighters they need to attend a meeting Friday morning at the Tulsa Fire Department Training Center. 

Tulsa Fire Chief Allen LaCroix said the firefighters will be informed at that meeting of their status to be laid off.  

1/20/2010 Related story: Tulsa Firefighters And City Workers Prepare For Layoffs

LaCroix said if the 147 firefighters are laid off in February, the Tulsa Fire Department will run with 8 fewer fire trucks per day.

He said layoffs will not result in any fire station closings at this point because the Tulsa Fire Department currently has 12 fire stations that house two fire trucks.  

Chief LaCroix held a news conference Thursday morning at city hall and said the negotiations with the firefighters union local continue.  He said the mayor has indicated a wiliness to use a portion of the city's emergency reserve fund to avoid firefighter layoffs.

LaCroix said the situation is very serious and the city may have to file for bankruptcy.  

LaCroix said at this point the layoffs will not result in any demotions, but there is a possibility that eleven or twelve staff personnel will be transferred back to the field to fill vacancies resulting from the layoffs.

Those personnel will come from the Tulsa Fire Department's Training Center, Investigations Division, Public Education Division and Code Enforcement Division.

Tulsa Firefighters Union Local 176 has called a news conference for this afternoon to react to the fire chief's statements this morning.

The Friday's meeting is set for 9 a.m. at 1760 Newblock Park Drive.    

News On 6 reporter Chris Wright is following this story and will have more in newscasts at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.