The Cinniapolis Fire Protection Services (CFPS) announced today that beginning in the Summer of 2024, their services will be privatized and will only serve those addresses which are up-to-date on their bill payments. Mayor Gondola denounced this decision and vowed to find a workable solution for all parties involved.

After a record-breaking Summer of lightning strikes and fires, the CFPS leadership attempted to renegotiate its current contract for higher wages with Cinniapolis government. Those talks didn’t go very far, according to insiders. The leadership team could not get a meeting with Mayor Gondola, as requested, and received no intentions to negotiate in good faith.

“Mayor Gondola did not have time to meet with the heroes of CFPS. These courageous men and women risk their lives to preserve Cinniapolis livelihoods and structures. All we wanted was a meeting and we couldn’t get that. So, we’re taking our services private. There will be threats of firings and promises to replace our brigades. We’ve heard it all before during previous contract negotiations and we’re prepared to act to neutralize any attempt to bar us from going private. To the citizens, nothing will change for you. Any tax relief from this move will be offset by our quarterly billing of residents choosing to join our company,” said a CFPS spokesperson.

The Mayor’s office released this statement in response to the news, “We are committed to a safe, secure Cinniapolis. The current CFPS contract is effective through December 2025. The words of a few rogue individuals looking to exploit an active Summer of fires into a quick cash grab will not create a firestorm of deceit and doubt between the city and its firefighters. We plan to address their concerns in what we have determined are preliminary, private ongoing negotiations, in contrast to their very dramatic overreaction. We regret this situation has been made public.”

The CFPS stated that they are done negotiating. Although, their plan to go private may face some uphill obstacles, especially if Mayor Gondola chooses to retain a public firefighting department using tax dollars. With persistent inflation and the perpetual rising costs, it’s unlikely citizens will pay for private services if their taxes are already paying for a public fire department.