Lambert St. Louis Airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge says there's little chance that the airport will continue operating three firehouses after the next fiscal year begins July 1.

The oldest one, situated just west of the terminal and at the south end of the airport, has been selected for probable closure. The estimated cost savings is $1.8 million a year, according to an audit issued in November by Missouri state Auditor Susan Montee.

But nine neighboring fire departments -- including Florissant, Hazelwood, Kinloch and Maryland Heights -- are objecting, contending in a letter last week that the closing will lead to "a corresponding decrease in efficiency, effectiveness, and safety."

(See the full text of the letter below.)

The departments also cite Montee's audit's recommendation that "additional feasibility analysis" be performed.

Chris Molitor, a city firefighter and president of Local 73 of the Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri, maintains that the fire station targeted for closure is "the most strategically located" and houses the only pumper now at the airport.

 Hamm-Niebruegge (left) disagrees that safety is at issue, but emphasized in an interview with the Beacon that she is "happy to sit down with (the fire departments) at any time" to discuss the matter. She points to Montee's support for the station closure.

The director said that airport officials, the airlines agree that the closure plan won't affect safety, and that the two-station arrangement is in line with FAA guidelines. The current setup, she contended, is too costly and unnecessary -- particularly in the wake of the airport's reduced traffic in recent years.

The matter first arose unexpectedly at the January meeting of the Airport Commission. But Hamm-Niebruegge said that the station closing would have come up no later than the commission's April meeting, when the new budget would be discussed.

Hamm-Niebruegge has just been in her job since Jan. 1, but previously was an executive with American Airlines and now-defunct Trans World Airlines, most of that time based at Lambert.

Closing one of Lambert's firehouses, she said, has been a topic of discussion since 2007 -- shortly after the third and newest fire station was opened.

At its heyday as an airline hub, Lambert was handling 30 million travelers a year and was served by two firehouses manned by 58 firefighters, she said.

Now, Lambert's passenger traffic is about 12 million people a year, Hamm-Niebruegge said, but it has three firehouses staffed with 79 firefighters.

The airlines currently using Lambert are committed to safety, she said, but also are "pressuring us to reduce costs" in the wake of the reduced traffic.

The newest airport firehouse -- which opened in 2006 -- is at the far west end, off of Lindbergh Boulevard. Another firehouse is on the north side of Lambert, off Airport Road.

The firehouse slated for closure is on the main south road serving the airport.

Hamm-Niebruegge said that firehouse is the oldest of the three, "needs the most work" and is mainly used as a backup for EMS personnel and equipment. The primary EMS operations are in the eastern-most D Terminal, she said.

Hamm-Niebruegge said she already has been in discussions with city Fire Chief Dennis M. Jenkerson about how and when to reduce the number of firefighters assigned at the airport to 58, the old staffing when there were only two airport firehouses.

The area firefighters' union -- Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri, locals 2665 (county) and 73 (city) -- says that safety is the issue.

Local 73 president Molitor said the problem with the newest fire house is that it is so much further from the terminal. That fire house was built to serve the third -- and newest -- runway, which is not used much under Lambert's current traffic patterns.

If the newest fire station was closer to the terminal, "we wouldn't be having this discussion," Molitor said.

The broader issue, he added, is that the union believes the decision to close the south fire house was made without consulting area fire departments. "Before this decision was made, there should have been input from firefighter professionals," Molitor said.

The union also indicated support for the points made in the letter from the nine fire departments.

The full text is as follows: ;

"We have recently been informed of the City of St. Louis plan to close the St. Louis Fire Department South Lambert Airport Station, and to cut personnel by twenty-one employees.

Speaking on behalf of the nine St. louis County mutual aid departments, we would like to go on the record as opposing this action, based upon the lack of analysis and consultation of the St. Louis Fire Department, the St. louis County mutual aid departments, and the Airport Commission, whose responsibility is for the oversight of all planning, management, and the operation of the Airport.

"The lack of proper planning and collaboration with fire professionals has created what appears to be a very unsafe environment, not only for the passengers, visitors, and workers of the terminal structures, but the emergency workers themselves. While it also appears that FAA guidelines, and budgetary concerns were used to support the City of St. Louis plans, the larger issue of structural and facility emergency planning has largely been ignored.

"As almost anyone related to our service is aware, when reductions are made to the three key elements of fire protection -- equipment, staffing and response time, if not analyzed, will most certainly cause a corresponding decrease in efficiency, effectiveness, and safety. On behalf of the citizens and visitors we are sworn to protect, we would ask that the City of St. Louis rescind this decision, and follow the recommendations as outlined by Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee, in her audit report to the City of St. Louis.

"Ms. Montee made it very clear that additional feasibility analysis should be performed in conjunction with the fire department resources. It is our understading that this did not take place with the City of St. Louis Fire Department, and furthermore was not performed with the input of the St. Louis County mutual aid departments. We look forward to working with the City of St. Louis, and its Fire Department, to safely address the issue."