Union officials, however, say that the layoffs would reduce the career force to 22 or 21 members. Three firefighters are currently on paid disability, and their retirement applications are pending — a process that can take up to two years — while another remains out on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary hearing decision.

Piazza said that overtime would likely increase with the layoffs, since the career unit typically operates with six or seven members on each tour.

“If the city is committed to keeping a five-man tour and we’re losing at least one guy on each tour,” he said, “any time somebody has a scheduled vacation day or gets sick, that’s going to cause an overtime issue.”