Empty fire stations and fire crews without any water could soon be the reality in Folsom.

The city is facing a multi-million-dollar hole in its annual budget – and, Tuesday night, city councilmembers are being asked to make some controversial cuts.

"It's going to decrease our services to the entire city," said Folsom firefighter Dan Carson.

Carson says 911 response times will get a lot longer if the cuts are implemented.

"Instead of 2 minutes for a fire engine to get there, we might be seeing six to seven or eight minutes, even," Carson said.

The city is proposing to eliminate the fire engine located on Blue Ravine Road – leaving only an ambulance at that station, which is often busy driving to and from Sacramento area hospitals.

"It's not a position that we want to be in, but it's one that is necessary," said Folsom City Manager Brian Whitemyer.

Whitemyer says the cuts are needed to balance the city's budget, which is using $3 million in reserve funds this year to remain solvent.

"We can't handle this anymore. We have to stop literally the bleeding, and we have to learn to live within our means," Whitemyer said.

Changes are also proposed south of Highway 50.

The only fire engine in that growing area will also be eliminated and replaced with a fire truck, which carries ladders and tools but has no water to put out a fire.

"South of 50, all the homes have sprinklers, all the businesses have sprinklers. The reality is fire risk is different," Whitemyer said.

These proposed reductions come after voters rejected a sales tax increase last November.

"We are now seeing the effects of that which are cuts citywide," Carson said.

About a quarter of the overall budget is spent on the fire department, and the city says these cuts will help save more than a million dollars a year.

But opponents fear it could put people's lives at risk.

"My family lives in town. I was born and raised in Folsom. It's a shame to see the fire department losing services," Carson said.

If approved Tuesday night, the fire department cuts would take effect on Oct. 1. The city is also in talks with Sacramento Metro Fire about potentially merging operations to help save money in the future.