MAYORAL CANDIDATE SAYS CUTS TO FIRST RESPONDERS DEMONSTRATES NEED FOR CHANGE

The man who wants to be the next mayor of Columbia is calling on the current mayor and members of the city council to restore cut-off funding to local firefighters.

Speaking to media and supporters at a press conference Tuesday, Steve Benjamin said the recent closures of two Columbia fire stations showed “a misplaced set of priorities” and emphasized the need for fundamental change in South Carolina’s largest city.

“I opposed that decision because I believed, as I still believe, that you don’t balance the budget on the backs of our first responders,” Benjamin said. “You don’t play politics with firefighters’ lives.”

City officials said the stations were closed because of budget shortfalls, but Benjamin said that was unacceptable.

“These are difficult economic times and we have some tough decisions to make,” said Benjamin. “But we must remember that nothing is more important than protecting the lives and property of our citizens.”

According to the Columbia Firefighters Association, the fire response times in Columbia have dropped to 17 percent below the national standard.

“We ask these men and women to protect our homes, our lives, and the lives of our families,” Benjamin said. “We can’t ask them to do that with one hand tied behind their backs.”

After the press conference, Benjamin toured the Shandon Fire Station — one of the two slated to be closed — and spoke with firefighters there.

Video: Adam Beam (The State)