Atlanta shutting 5 fire stations temporarily

The Atlanta Fire Department temporarily shut down five stations Saturday because 23 firefighters were on furlough and 18 called in sick, leaving the department understaffed, said a spokesman.

It was the third time this year — and the second Saturday in a row — the department closed stations and idled equipment since city budget cutbacks cut the force by 120.

Atlanta Fire-Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill May said the department no longer pays overtime, so when a firefighter calls in sick another cannot be called in as a replacement. Because of a hiring freeze, he added, the department cannot replace firefighters who’ve left.

“When people are out, we can’t fill the vacancies, so we have to close stations,” said May.

Closing the stations could slow response in the neighborhoods where the stations are located because the next nearest station has to respond. When all 35 city stations are open, the average response time is about five minutes, said May.

Stations temporarily closed will be reopened Sunday morning if staffing is back up to speed, said May. They are: Station 12 at 1288 DeKalb Ave.; Station 22 at 817 Hollywood Rd.; Station 26 at 2970 Howell Mill Rd.; Station 30 at 10 Cleveland Ave.; and Station 36 at 1335 Kimberly Rd.

The department first closed stations this year on Super Bowl Sunday because of understaffing. Last weekend the force was so depleted, said Fire Chief Kelvin J. Cochran, that the city was at an “extreme level of vulnerability of fire protection.”

Firefighter union leaders and departments officials say they do not believe the sick calls are a form of protest over budget cuts.