The company's firefighters will be reassigned. Also, four fire marshals will be demoted, said Michael Feeney, the city's chief administrative officer.

"It's not a thing we want to do," he said about the closing.

He and Mayor John M. Fabrizi claim the measures will cover the shortfall. But they could not provide specific figures Monday evening.

Response time would not suffer, they said. The officials said they would monitor the situation to see when to open the company again.

Officials from the Bridgeport Fire Fighters Association Local 834 blasted the closing, charging it would increase response time, endangering the lives of residents and firefighters.

"In our business, seconds can mean the difference between living and dying," said firefighter David Dobbs, of the union's executive board.

"It's not a question of if it's going to hurt a city resident or firefighter, it's when," he said.

Firefighter Robert Whitbread, union president, said he will meet with the rank and file to decide how to proceed, including the possibility of seeking a court order to keep Engine 5 open.

The closing reduces the number of Bridgeport engine companies to nine from 10, meaning there will be 61 firefighters citywide in one shift, rather than the 65 there are now.

But that also means more firefighters will be available to cover absences in the remaining companies each day, reducing overtime, Feeney said.

Feeney added that the union and the city will meet before the closing to discuss alternatives.

The city's Labor Relations Office announced the closing Monday in a letter to the union.

Whitbread and Dobbs said they met once with city officials nine weeks ago to discuss avoiding the closure, and submitted ideas.

But they claimed they never heard anything until the letter came Monday.

They also claimed Fabrizi promised no fire company would close.

Fabrizi denied making such a promise, and said officials reviewed the union's suggestions before deciding to close the company.

Engine 5 is housed at Fire Headquarters on Congress Street, along with Engine 1, Ladder 5 and Rescue 5 companies.

On Tuesday afternoon, the three companies were dispatched on calls, leaving just Engine 5 available.

After the closure under a similar circumstance, a company from another firehouse would have to handle any additional call.

"This house would be empty under these circumstances next week," Whitbread said.

The union president said the city's plan did not make sense.

He said the number of city firefighters has dropped from about 400 in the late 1980s to 317 uniformed personnel, 280 of which work on the line. Fabrizi had said the city could not afford to hire new firefighters or police officers this fiscal year.

The city has closed six companies in the last 18 years, or about one every three years, according to Whitbread.

The department, Dobbs said, "does more with less than any area fire department."

Aaron Leo, who covers regional issues, can be reached at 330-6222.