The Fredonia Board of Trustees approved hiring a firefighter by a 3-2 vote recently.

The hire of Adam Ahrens, who was already active in the volunteer section of Fredonia Fire Department, will fill a position opened by the retirement of Lt. Tim Winters. The trustees accepted Winters’ resignation at the same time.

Trustees Jon Espersen and Michelle Twichell voted against hiring Ahrens. Trustees Ben Brauchler, Nicole Siracuse and Paul Wandel voted “yes.”

“I really don’t see where we have the money right now to hire anyone else,” Twichell said.

“That position was budgeted for, it’s not like we removed it,” commented Fire Chief Joshua Myers.

The fire chief said he was “95% certain” that Ahrens will not need to go to the fire academy due to prior training. Ahrens is already going to paramedic school, paid for by a previous employer. In fact, because of the paramedic schooling, Myers said Ahrens probably won’t have time to attend the fire academy anyway.

Myers pointed out that Ahrens already has his own gear, so the fire department won’t have to buy a new set for him.

Trustees tabled a resolution sending Ahrens to the fire academy, at Myers’ suggestion.

Siracuse said, “Overall, we’re going to be spending less on this slot, I guess you could call it, because Tim Winters obviously makes more than what a new firefighter/paramedic is going to come in at, and we’re going to save money on potentially not having to send this person to the fire academy.”

Ahrens will make $22.34 hourly and be on an 18-month probation period.

Espersen shared his concerns just before the vote.

“Unless and until we have a completed contract with the firefighters union, I don’t feel it appropriate at this time to hire any new firefighters,” he said. “I understand the implications of paying overtime, but I also understand that there has to come a point where we stop hiring and get a better handle on our finances.”