From the Rockford Register Star: The death of 18-year-old Jamaya Herron in a house fire become a political issue within hours in the city of Rockford, Ill.

Mayor Larry Morrissey has made public his plan to reduce the minimum staffing on each fire truck or close Fire Stations No. 3 and No. 8 to help the city save money and balance its budget. Meanwhile, the firefighters union has continued to mount a strong resistance.

Union President E.J. Dilonardo posted a letter on the union's Web site, offering condolences to the family and praise to the 40 firefighters who responded. The letter in part read: “To the firefighters, once again you did what was asked and it will go unnoticed, and that is OK because it is the fashion in which we have operated forever and the way we want it. Thank goodness Fire Station No. 3 was open and available to respond to this call in their response area. … Had there been five firefighters on Engine No. 3 similar to Chicago, the only fire department in Illinois busier than Rockford, our firefighters would have been much safer as they placed themselves in harm’s way.”

The mayor responded at Monday night’s City Council meeting. “It’s unconscionable to me that our union, knowing how much higher we are staffed than the rest of the state, isn’t willing to make concessions that would assure our citizens that those stations would be staying open,” he said. “The union recognizes very well the financial burden it is on the city to staff at the level we have historically done. They have within their power, and theirs alone, to make the concessions to assure our citizens that those stations will stay open. It’s absolutely disingenuous to me for them to be using public health and safety — like they’re the guardians of it — when they know that the absolute worst thing you can do is shut a station as opposed to reduce manning.”