Central Coventry Fire District will soon only have one rescue on the road to cover 62 square miles.
That decision came after local taxpayers rejected the budget for the third time in a row, WPRI reported.
Kevin McCann, president of the Coventry Professional Firefighters Local 3372, said staffing will be reduced from eight to six firefighters per shift, which is only enough to safely keep one rescue in service.
“There’s probably 19,000 [residents] that are in just Central Coventry alone,” McCann said, adding that of the 655 residents who voted, 350 shot down the budget.
The decision could mean life or death for residents, who will have to wait longer for an ambulance, especially while Rescue 4 is transporting patients to the hospital.
McCann also is worried that firefighters will jump ship due to the lack of staff.
McCann said one firefighter, who was seriously injured when a ceiling collapsed on top of him earlier this year, left because of it.
“We only had six guys trying to do the work of 15. He sought employment elsewhere. This is what’s going to happen," he added.