YAKIMA, Wash.-- Some changes could be coming for a few firefighters in Yakima.
The city's 2013 Preliminary Budget includes a proposal to move crews from the Yakima Air Terminal station, back into various city stations.
Right now this is just a suggestion, no changes have been decided on yet. But if approved by the city council, the change would take the three firefighters who man the airports crash truck throughout the day, and put them at other stations to fill in when there's a "brown-out," or crew shortage.
The shift would keep the city from having to fill two open firefighter positions, saving them about $220,000 a year, but it does leave the Yakima Airport without a 24 hour a day crash truck.
Chief Dave Willson says it's not an easy decision, but it's what's best for the city.
"I'm moving personnel where they're needed the most. Do I like doing it? Well no, but it is something that I'm going to do for risk management for the citizens," Wilson said.
Now the FAA does require the airport crash truck to be manned during takeoffs and landings, and Chief Willson says that will happen as required. Also, if they have extra crews on duty some days, those firefighters will spend their shift at the airport just in case of emergencies.
