Old Town firefighters are warning that a proposed four-person cut to the department would create a “risk” to city residents.

The city’s fire department is slated to shrink from 24 first responders to 20 if the proposed budget goes forward.

The cuts come after Old Town’s budget decreased by $2 million in property and business taxes after Nine Dragons Paper closed the Old Town mill in 2023 . This change in the city’s income forced cuts in the proposed budget that will run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, including cuts of 13 full-time and four part-time employees across the city.

This change will decrease shift sizes and limit how the fire department is able to respond to calls. Namely, the change could make it so only one ambulance from Old Town will be able to respond to calls at

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