On Thursday, the Ann Arbor Fire Department held a community meeting at the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown branch for residents to learn more about the restructuring plan.

Only one resident attended the informational session, which detailed how three fire stations in the city of Ann Arbor will close if a plan for restructuring is passed by City Council in an effort to restructure the fire department.

Specifically, Chuck Hubbard, Ann Arbor fire chief, has proposed the closure of Station 3 at 2130 Jackson Avenue, Station 4 at Huron Parkway and Platt and Station 6 near Briarwood Mall.

The three closures would shift AAFD operations to Station 5, located near the Northwood housing area, reopening Station 2, at Packard Street and Stadium Boulevard, and Station 1 downtown Ann Arbor.

Hubbard said he began development of the plan over the course of six months, beginning in June 2011, adding that the main reason for the restructuring was to follow guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association.

“In order to be compliant with that with our current set up and our current contractual obligations and our staffing levels, I sat down for months going through scenarios and changing maps and talking with my senior officers, over and over, trying to come up with what we thought would be a safe plan for both us and our citizens,” Hubbard said.

Currently, three firefighters are dispatched in a single fire truck, but the proposal would allow for four firefighters per truck. The NFPA requires that four firefighters arrive within four minutes, 90 percent of the time, which may be difficult because the department must send two trucks to a fire.

The changes are also in response to a law administered by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, which requires four personnel to be on the scene before anyone can enter a burning building.

Hubbard said he developed the plan in order to meet the needs of the city in a more effective way, and to balance costs while still meeting standard requirements.

City administrator Steve Powers said although Ann Arbor is in good fiscal condition compared to other cities, the fire department needs to be managed in the most cost-effective way.

Powers added that there is no date set for the changes to be made, as the city is still getting more citizen input with three more community meetings planned this month.

Though some residents may be concerned that closing fire stations could affect their homeowner’s insurance rates, the city said in a statement that residents should check with their insurance providers to see if that is the case.

Ann Arbor resident Larry Horvath was the only resident present at the meeting. He lives in a neighborhood close to Station 2, which will reopen after 11 years of inactivity if the plan is put in place.

“What compelled me to come tonight was the plan to reopen a station in my neighborhood that was closed, which is Station 2. That seemed like a winner to me and I wanted to hear the details of that,” Horvath said. “It serves my interests and it benefits me in that area.”

Jim Kosteva, the University’s vice president of government relations, said in a statement that the University has not taken a position on the proposal.

“The University hasn’t undertaken an evaluation of the proposed fire department restructuring, but we are confident that the chief and city leadership will put forward and implement a plan that provides appropriate response to ensure the best protection of citizens and property possible," he said.