From the Times Record News: The Wichita Falls (Texas) City Council on Tuesday voted down a measure proposed by Fire Chief Earl Foster that could have cut 21 promotional opportunities within the department.

According to Foster, the ordinance was meant to enhance both firefighter safety and department accountability by decreasing the number of leadership positions within the Wichita Falls Fire Department and increasing the number of firefighter positions to effectively meet state mandates and the national two-in/two-out standard. Foster's restructuring would have decreased the number of fire captain positions from 15 to 12, lieutenant positions from 24 to 21 and fire equipment operator positions from 41 to 35. Firefighter positions would have been increased from 73 to 84.

The reorganization would have evolved through attrition rather than any employees being let go, taking pay cuts or being demoted.

Those opposed worried that the restructuring would not show significant enough safety improvements to warrant a possible decline in firefighter morale. Read the entire article here.