It has been more than a month since the City of Harvey began reducing their workforce, amid a partial government shutdown due to severe financial trouble. Since then, another round of layoffs has hit city employees.

The layoffs have caused concerns at the Harvey Fire Department, especially because wintertime typically means more fires; not just in Harvey, but everywhere.

The Harvey Fire Department was just cut again on the day before Thanksgiving, and employees are expecting more layoffs coming soon.

"You offered a job without knowing if you could sustain that job for years to come," former Harvey firefighter Preston Jackson said.

Jackson was working for the department for two years before he was laid off in October. He was one of about 20 Harvey firefighters to be let go during a partial government shutdown that began in October.

The cuts have left approximately 15 people in the department. With shift changes also in place, that means three or four men are working daily out of two fire stations in Harvey separated by a set of freight train tracks. 

Jackson said those tracks make it difficult for firefighters to reach people if they're on the unstaffed side of the tracks when trains are passing through.

The City of Harvey has an agreement with nearby suburbs that will help if needed.

"I don't see it being sustainable," Jackson said.

Mayor Christopher Clark defended the cuts as fiscally responsible amid the city's ongoing financial distress.

"I know that sometimes, depending on who's reporting, they want to make it seem as if the city is going to fall apart and everything is going to just burn to the ground. No. We've had good support from our neighbors. We've had good support from [Cook] County Sheriff. And, actually, many if not all of our residents have not noticed a change in service," he said.

Clark was asked what he would say to anyone concerned about a public safety risk with fewer firefighters on duty during the winter.

"There's been certain degree of fear mongering that has been out there, especially on the side of some of the laid-off employees, and of course the union, to make people think that that's the case. But, once again, like I said, there has been little to no interruption as far as fire, or police, or any other city service is concerned," he said.

The mayor said he's still waiting to see if the state, county, or federal government will offer financial assistance; claiming that, since he took office in 2019, things have improved.

"We are cleaning it up. That's how it's gotten better. We're here to clean it up. We're not here because we messed it up," he said.

Asked if he has plans to lay off any more city workers, as employees are expecting, the mayor said he doesn't know if that will be necessary.