Faced with the task of having to cut his budget by $680,000, Drabinski reluctantly suggested the elimination of four positions - a deputy chief, a fire investigator and two battalion chiefs - through retirement.
In the same breath, Drabinski said that eliminating the positions could affect services.
Drabinski said the loss of an emergency medical services battalion chief, who can administer drugs to people in the field, would leave the city vulnerable to legal action.
Martinez didn't buy the argument and chalked it up to fear-mongering.
"I don't want this to turn out like the old Defense Department when `the Russians were coming' and we came with all these scared scenarios," Martinez said.
That comment prompted Terry Welsh, president of the Redlands Firefighters' Association, to shoot off a letter to Mayor Jon Harrison.
"The City Council meeting ... turned from an open meeting and discussion of priorities ... to a display of anger and temperament that I can not recall having ever seen in a public meeting," Welsh said in his letter.
He called Martinez's behavior "deplorable," "non-productive" and "highly unprofessional."
Harrison said Friday he was disappointed in the behavior of
both Martinez and Drabinski at the June 3 meeting."I spoke with Mr. Martinez personally, and I think the matter has been resolved," Harrison said.
Drabinski declined to comment for this report.
Martinez said Friday the whole issue boils down to the Fire Department wanting to keep the status quo and the city wanting to provide the same services for less money.
He said civilians can perform certain duties performed by sworn personnel for less money.
"I think that everyone who was there knew what I was saying," Martinez said, "and that is that we should not use scare tactics on civilians that don't have the full understanding of what we do to get our agendas across."
The Fire Department has gone years without having to eliminate positions or drastically cut its budget, but today's tough economic times are now demanding it, said city spokesman Carl Baker.
But no one is being laid off, and the city has managed to operate with a balanced budget the last two years, he said.
"These are positions that are being eliminated, and each of these people are eligible for retirement," Baker said. "It's painful for anybody to have to cut their budget, but these are painful times."
Welsh, on the other hand, believes it's more personal.
"It's OK to have a difference of opinion, but this was more personal," Welsh said Friday. "(Martinez) wants the (fire) chief to retire."
