There is growing public opposition towards the closure of two Halifax-area fire stations. And there are some who are worried that closing fire stations during a time of city-wide expansion may be a mistake.

At Number Four Fire Station in the North End of Halifax, there is a monument marked with 24 names. The names belong to fire fighters who lost their lives on the job – nine of them during the Halifax explosion.

“I think there’s a lot of attachment to this fire station in the North End,” says Halifax Councillor Jennifer Watts.

Watts and others worry about the future of this station.

“It’s a concern to see a station close in an area that we’re trying to increase the density of and have more people living here,” says Watts.

The city’s north end is full of construction, preparing for a potential influx of 25,000 people who may work at the Irving Shipyard during the peak of promised defence contracts.

“Closing this fire station for economic reasons to disperse the crew that works here is the wrong thing to do,” says Jim Gates, President of the Halifax Firefighters Association.

In 2006, there were almost 300 fire fighters and 91 captains across four platoons in Halifax. These numbers were later cut to under 70 captains and fewer fire fighters.

Halifax Fire’s Executive Officer Phil McNulty says that if all existing fire stations are to remain open and new ones are built, then 56 new fire fighters will have to be hired at $2.4 million a year. But, he says it is not the fire department’s role to make those kinds of decisions.

These petitions and letters have been sent to the Mayor’s office as condos and apartments are being built across the Halifax-area.

Rick McCarthy, President of Condo Corp., says closing fire stations doesn’t make new residents feel any safer.

“Our greatest fear is that we have a major high rise emergency and the response time has been increased,” McCarthy says.

When Halifax Council has its first meeting of 2015, the closure of the two fire halls will be one of the first major decisions it reviews.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant.