The city plans to close the fire company at 8 a.m. Friday in order to cover a $1.2 million budget shortfall resulting from overtime costs. The company's firefighters will be re-assigned, and 12 more hired.

A fire company is a group of firefighters who man an engine, the only fire truck that carries water.

"When they've closed companies, it's cost somebody their lives," said firefighter Robert Whitbread, union president, standing in front of Engine 5 in its berth at Fire Department headquarters on Congress Street.

The city has closed five fire companies in 18 years, and people died as a result in fires a short time after each closure, Whitbread said.

Nine residents have died in city fires since October 2004, he said.

"It's one of the worst years since I've been on the job," said Whitbread, an 18-year veteran.

He also blasted the demotion of four fire marshals.

"There'll be fewer fire marshals doing inspections," he said.

Firefighter David Dobbs, a member of the union's executive board, said many city officials who decided to close the company live outside Bridgeport. Mayor John M. Fabrizi lives in the North End.

"None of them are going to be impacted by this," Dobbs said.

Whitbread spoke following a meeting with city officials Wednesday over the closure.

Fabrizi claims cutting an engine company and hiring new firefighters would reduce overtime, and response time would not suffer. The city would re-examine opening the company in the future, he has said.

But city officials have not produced budget projections to back up the savings plan, or studies on the impact of the closure on response time, Whitbread said.

Provisional Fire Chief Brian Rooney has said he chose Engine 5 because other coverage areas could not be cut.

But Engine 5 serves a densely populated area, Whitbread said.

"Someone's going to be shortchanged. Seconds are precious in what we do. Time saves lives," the union president said.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the union placed a full-page ad in the Connecticut Post opposing the closure.

Peter Carozza, president of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, attended the press conference to support the union.

The union is slated to discuss the issue with city officials again today.

Fabrizi said through his spokeswoman that he would not have a community meeting recently requested by three groups of minority city firefighters.

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