Fitchburg Fire Chief Kevin Roy

"Somehow we're going to have to look at public safety and providing basic protection for the people of the city," Roy said.

Roy said Mayor Lisa Wong has asked him to submit a budget with more than $1.1 million worth of cuts.

The department currently has a budget of about $6 million.

Wong must present her budget for all city departments by May 15.

The city is facing a $5 million budget deficit.

Roy said a $1 million cut will mean 12 layoffs in the department, the closing of an engine station on South Street and reducing the number of fire trucks in the city to two engines and a ladder company.

"This is actually worse than the worse-case scenario," Roy said. "This is a devastating cut."

Roy said the budget has not been finalized so he'll be waiting for Wong's budget presentation next week to learn exactly how much the cut will be.

The news comes a day after officials at the Fitchburg Public Library said they may have to close the building, or at least only be open a few days per week, because of severe budget cuts for next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Wong said she had no comment on the issues because the budget has not yet been finalized.

But Wong said at her weekly press conference that city departments should reach out to nonprofit organizations and other entities within the city to help provide services, specifically in human services. Wong said she's looking to businesses to reach out and help the city.

Roy said the reductions will jeopardize the department's ability to fight house fires and larger fires may be too much for the department to handle. He said the city may also lose its mutual aid coverage that other communities provide to Fitchburg if Fitchburg is not able to help cover for them.

He said five years ago the department has 97 employees, four engines and two ladders. If the budget cuts go through next fiscal year, the department would reduce its fleet by half of the 2003 levels and reduce the staffing to 72.

The department cut nine firefighters in 2003 and another four last year.

"We've never really recovered from the '03 cuts," Roy said. "We just can't keep cutting bodies."

Police Chief Robert DeMoura said the department is looking at "close to the same number" of cuts as the Fire Department.

DeMoura said, however, that the issue is a work in progress and that he would wait until Wong releases her plan before commenting further. He said he is meeting this week to discuss reorganization plans for the department.

Joan Goodwin, director of the Fitchburg Senior Center, said her department is also working with the mayor's office and that no cuts have been finalized.

Goodwin said there are ongoing discussions about cutting back hours of operation.

"At this point in time, who knows what could happen," she said.

Council President Thomas Conry said he's concerned about cuts to public safety departments.

"Public safety is an important thing. People demand services and rightfully so," Conry said. "They need to be protected."

Conry said the poor economy only increases the need to support the police and fire departments. He said foreclosed properties increase the likelihood of fires in vacant buildings and difficult financial times can mean increased domestic disturbance instances.

"It probably means that we will have to cut some other services, where, I don't know," Conry said. "I'm just waiting for the budget to come in from the mayor."