(UPDATE July 7: Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright issued the following statement this morning, which is published in full:

“To ensure a safe and orderly transition for all City fire companies, including three undergoing disbandment, Truck 10 will remain open for approximately 90 days while all rotating closures are discontinued effective July 9th. The transition from three nightly rotating closures to three permanent disbandments will enhance operational predictability and response times are expected to improve to meet national fire protection standards.

“In 2009, the Baltimore Fire Department managed five nightly rotating company closures due to budget cuts. Upon taking office, Mayor Rawlings-Blake restored funding, reducing rotating closures from 5 to 3. Last year, Baltimore achieved the lowest number of fire deaths since 1938 while expanding the City’s Free Smoke Alarm program. Today, the City [is] investing in computer upgrades which will allow for faster responses to 911 calls.”)

Truck Company 15, the busiest Fire Department truck company in Baltimore, which handled more than 4,000 calls in fiscal 2012, will be disbanded Monday to save the city about $300,000.

A general order was issued late this afternoon by the Fire Department ordering its closure at 7 a.m. Monday.

This follows two postponements of the company’s closing due to power outages and extreme heat that has led Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to declare Baltimore in a state of emergency.

Squad 11, serving the Bayview/Greektown communities in southeast Baltimore, will also be disbanded on Monday morning as a result of cuts in the 2013 budget, which went into effect July 1.

Truck 10 to Stay Until October

Meanwhile, Truck 10, the mainstay of Harlem Park in West Baltimore, will not be disbanded until October 1, following a review by the fire department.

The practice of rotating closures will end with the permanent closure of the two companies.

The internal announcement, confirmed by various sources within the agency, ends a roller coaster ride for firefighters and some city politicians.

“I am not pleased at this outcome,” Michael B. Campbell, president of Fire Officers Local 964, said tonight.

“All three companies provide core services and are needed. It’s all about safety, and citizens will have less safety with the closure of the two companies and with another company facing the same fate three months from now.”

Made 11 Runs Last Night

Truck Company 15, for example, handled 11 runs across East Baltimore last night, including suppressing a working fire that broke out in the 1000 block of North Castle St. at 9 p.m.

The fire engulfed a vacant rowhouse. Through the efforts of the three-man crew, the company was able to keep the fire from spreading to adjoining houses. Truck 15 was assisted by Engine 33 and other apparatus. There were no reported injuries.

In addition to putting out the fire with its hook-and-ladder apparatus, Truck 15 also assisted a man who was trapped in a basement during a fire yesterday on Dudley Ave., sources said. The man was rescued and the fire extinguished.

The company also assisted a resident who underwent a severe asthmatic attack yesterday.

As of Monday, Truck 15 will be placed on the city’s surplus property list, and the Montford Ave. firehouse in East Baltimore will house Engine 33, a hose, not ladder, company.

Fire Chief James Clack has insisted that disbanding the fire companies will not decrease response times or harm citizen safety. This contention has been vehemently disputed by many firefighters and in public statements by the fire unions.

Budget Saving of 0.02%

The 44 firefighters affected by the company closures will be transferred into other units and there will be no layoffs.

Based on figures provided to the City Council in May, the disbandment of Truck 15 and Squad 11 will save the city about $500,000 in an operating budget of $2.299 billion – or 0.02%.

Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright did not respond to questions from The Brew about the disbandments yesterday.

The mayor’s office has been silent about the closures for the last 10 days.

Shortly after the new budget was passed by the City Council, Mayor Rawlings-Blake said the company closures would save the city money by reducing the amount of equipment needed by the fire department.