By Jane Prendergast
Enquirer staff writer

Cincinnati officials continue to seek ways to prevent the Fire Department from going millions of dollars over budget.

Some of the latest solutions don't sit well with many of the city's 800 firefighters. On Tuesday, Chief Robert Wright tossed out the possibility of canceling certain days - called kelly days - that firefighters get off once a month. Firefighters work 24-hour shifts and are off 48 hours, and the kelly days give them as many as five days off in a row.

That schedule was negotiated as part of the union contract for Fire Fighters Local 48, said union President Joe Diebold. Changing it, he said, would require that the contract be renegotiated.

"The city doesn't have the authority to change our workweek," Diebold said.

Wright is trying to cut more than $2 million by the end of the year to prevent going over budget because of projected overtime.

Mayor Charlie Luken stressed Tuesday that the city isn't cutting the department's money, but rather insisting that it operate within its budget.

"We need to get creative to get fire back on budget," Luken said.

Diebold said the union offered some ideas:

• Charging more for fire-inspection permits, which he said have been $20 since he came on the job 20 years ago. The union recommended increasing them to $50.

• Upgrading all emergency medical runs to advanced life-support, with paramedics aboard. That would allow the department to charge more for each run while offering more advanced service.

• Increasing the amount the city charges per mile for emergency medical runs from $5 to $10."We just think there are other ways to do business," Diebold said. "We're trying to help find other sources of income."

Wright could not be reached for comment. He also has suggested the possibility of "browning out" fire companies, meaning some fire houses would sit unused each day.

The union said that would be a threat to firefighter safety.

E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com