Firefighters hope new mayor means hiring in Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon firefighters are hoping that the election of a new mayor will help get them more manpower. Firefighters Union President Ernie Richardson says the department is down more than 20 firefighters,

News 12 Staff

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Oct 7, 2015, 1:04 AM

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Updated 3,368 days ago

Mount Vernon firefighters are hoping that the election of a new mayor will help get them more manpower.

Firefighters Union President Ernie Richardson says the department is down more than 20 firefighters, and four new hires who were supposed to enter the academy last month were postponed by Mayor Ernie Davis.

In 2015, he says there have been 39 structure fires, 40 kitchen fires and nine car fires in the area.

The union president says they are so short-handed that the city has relied on mutual aid 25 times this year alone.

Rep. Richard Thomas, the front-runner in the mayoral race, says that it will be his priority to hire more firefighters immediately if he gets the job.