The seven remaining administrative support staff of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District will be furloughed one day a month beginning Oct. 1, 2009.

“This amounts to approximately a 6 percent pay cut,” said department spokesman Patrick Comer. “They wanted to take positive steps now at reducing expenses,” he said.

Across the country many businesses and local government agencies are furloughing employees to cut overhead. Comer said some benefits are also being evaluated and additional money-saving measures are likely and will be announced in the future.

Chief Donald Adams has already said he will accept a 10 percent cut in pay, and more if the union agrees to a reduction in pay deeper than that. “These are difficult times,” Adams said. “Everyone is losing something, but hopefully not so much that they can’t afford to pay their bills.”

Members of the Lehigh Acres Fire Board also voted at the last meeting to take zero in salary.