East Lansing firefighters say they are concerned that budget cuts are forcing the department to limit staffing and jeopardize safety.

City officials have reduced the minimum number of firefighters staffing the station at any given time from 13 to 12, a change they say is necessary to limit overtime costs during the city's budget crunch.

Fire union President Don Carter said Wednesday, "the change comes at a time when we are already bare bones."

Carter said resources are being stretched thin in the Northern Tier of East Lansing, where apartment developments and a retail plaza now service more than 3,000 people - and extensive growth is planned in the future.

"Demand and responsibility are going north and resources are going south," Carter said. "We've reached a point where this union and department are concerned that safety standards are not being met."

The firefighter union is currently in negotiations for a new contract with the city and is expected to go to arbitration, firefighters and city officials say.

The 52-member fire department operates two stations, including one on-campus, with a $5 million budget. Costs cover staffing, equipment and maintenance of both stations.

The department's budget is being tested by increasing pension and healthcare costs in a time when revenue from the state isn't increasing and contributions from the university have shrunk, said Fire Chief Randall Talifarro.

"We were left with the option of laying off firefighters or reducing overtime - and we reduced overtime," he said.

While the department is being more selective with overtime, it has been authorized for big events such as last week's move-in and the upcoming home football game.

Still, Talifarro said he understands the concerns of firefighters.

"I share in their frustration," he said. "We are all asked to do more with less and it is frustrating. Given this economic climate, there is not an alternative that we felt to be more palatable."

Talifarro said the expansion of the city hasn't caused "a serious drain on resources" and eventually, he hopes it will pay off by creating a bigger tax base - leading to larger staffing.

City Manager Ted Staton said he thinks the impacts of the change will be minimal - if they are even evident.

"We have the same number of people scheduled to work each day as we had yesterday and last year," he said. "We won't be calling people in on overtime as we did in the past."

With the department and union headed toward contract arbitration, Staton said he is suspicious about the timing of the firefighters' staffing concerns.

"We are in difficult economic times," he said. "We have to save somewhere."

Steve Eder can be reached at ederstev@msu.edu.