In the past two years, Sheffield has lost 17 firefighters. Fire Chief Dewey King said the major cause of that high turnover is low wages.
The city has 20 firefighters who staff two stations -- one on Second Street and another on West Montgomery Avenue.
King, who is also the city's public safety director, said firefighters work a 24-hour shift, followed by 48 hours off.
The chief said 51 percent of his firefighters live outside Sheffield, some as far away as Madison. He knows that once they find a better paying job closer to home, they will leave.