The next time you call 911 in East St. Louis, you may not get a response as quick as you might expect. Two weeks ago, public service workers in St. Louis were given notice that they would no longer have a job come August first.

Nineteen police officers and eleven firefighters will be out of a job as of Sunday. According to St. Louis mayor Alvin Parks, Jr., a total of thirty-seven city employees are being laid off. The layoffs were passed by a 3-2 vote during a July 31 East St. Louis City Council meeting. Officials made the decision in order to circumvent a loss of state funding from the Financial Advisory Authority. Read more about East St. Louis Laying Off Firefighters and Police Officers