The mayor of Lawrence and the city's firefighters blamed each other Tuesday for what's being called a public safety crisis that's forced neighboring towns to routinely rescue the city whenever there's a big fire.
It began as a summit to figure out how surrounding communities can spread the cost of bailing out Lawrence. Since July 7, there have been seven fires in the city. The total mutual aid cost has been over $24,000, spread over five weeks among 14 communities.
"Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? What's the end game?" state fire marshal Steve Coan said.
That's when the blame game began.
"We are telling you it is the reality. We have no money," Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua said. "The main reason why the Lawrence fire department was hit so far, is because it is the one that makes the most money in the state of Massachusetts."
Lantigua said if firefighters made concessions he might be able to rehire the 23 firefighters recently laid off. Firefighters were outraged.
Fire chiefs said they simply want to figure out a rotation schedule so the cost is evenly spread around, but firefighters put the blame squarely on the governor's shoulders.
"Can you please go back and tell the administration that we're in crisis in Lawrence? And surrounding communities and we need his help," said Robert McCarthy, of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. "We need to do it before a firefighter gets killed or a citizen gets killed."
But Lantigua argued the state has helped enough and there is no crisis.
"I think we're safe. I think with the numbers of men and women we have from mutual aid we should have not problem," he said.
Some residents who live a few houses away from the scene of a June fire say they are terrified every time they hear the fire trucks in the distance.
"It could have been my house," resident Charisse Burrus said. "I am concerned with not enough help."
Blame Game Begins In Firefighter Crisis
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