Firefighters, the commonwealth's attorney, Northwest Roanoke recreation advocates and the city sheriff appeared before the city council Thursday to protest proposed cuts in the 2008-09 budget.

The city faces reduced revenue projections and hopes to save $3.5 million by asking for across-the-board budget reductions in all departments. The budget also recommends the elimination of 33 city government positions through transfers and attrition, with an additional 11 vacant positions to be left unfunded.

Half a dozen of those proposed reductions are aimed at the Fire-EMS Department. The chief there also has proposed moving a secretary to another city department and making several vehicle and equipment shifts among stations.

On Thursday, however, 91 firefighters packed the council meeting room to protest the cuts. They said the reductions would affect their response times, endangering property and lives.

Scott Hetherington, a firefighter who suffered a heart attack last fall while battling a house fire, said that in his case, having enough firefighters on the scene literally meant the difference between life and death.

"Without adequate numbers of people on the scene, things may have turned out much different," Hetherington said.

Firefighters also targeted the proposed reduction of staffing on a quint, which can run as both a ladder truck and a fire engine, from four firefighters per shift to three. The city council had promised during the last year to keep at least four firefighters on each quint.

Other city departments would be hit by the proposed cuts, too.

The state reduced its share of funding for constitutional officers by $453,000 for 2008-09. That translates to a $60,000 cut for the office of Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell. He told the council that means he'll have to forego an attorney.

"The elimination of that position means that we will have to make the decision to not prosecute misdemeanors" such as DUIs and domestic assault and batteries, Caldwell said.

Roanoke Sheriff Octavia Johnson likewise said that as a result of city, state and federal cuts, her office will have to reduce its budget by a half-million dollars.

"There is no money that can replace life or serious injury to staff because of budget cuts," Johnson said.

A group of nearly 20 city residents, who brought a petition signed with 60 names, protested the proposed closure of the Addison Fitness Center. And another group who last month asked the council to repave the tennis courts at Eureka Park repeated its request.

The council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget on May 12.