PITTSBURGH -- Negotiators for Pittsburgh's firefighters union on Thursday presented city officials with their proposal for a merger of Fire Bureau and Emergency Medical Services operations.

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WTAE's Bob Mayo reported that the secret meeting took about three hours. The elimination of firefighter positions through attrition was discussed, as was the cross-training of firefighters and paramedics.

Joe King, president of Pittsburgh Firefighters Local No. 1, told Mayo that paramedics would take the firefighters' seven-week academy course, while firefighters would undergo 110 hours of training to become EMTs. The result would be "a combined level of services riding on the back of fire trucks or in mobile rescue squads," King said.

Talks between Mayor Tom Murphy's office and the union have intensified since the mayor, facing a $60 million deficit, announced hundreds of layoffs across several city departments.

Murphy has said merging fire and EMS operations, cutting positions and closing some fire stations could save $15 million annually. Mayo reported that the union's latest proposal would only save about $5 million a year at first.

The firefighters' contract includes a no-layoff clause, but a union poll shows that firefighters are willing to take a 2 percent pay cut to save other city jobs, if city administrators will do the same.

Though King has said in the past that closing some stations "could be" an option, it's not known whether that topic was included in Thursday's talks.

Union negotiators told Mayo that their proposal was "well-received" by the city and that both sides continue making good-faith efforts to reach an agreement.

Tom Cox, Murphy's executive secretary, declined to comment after the meeting.

Firefighters must vote on whether to accept, reject or amend the union's proposal before the next negotiating session with the city on Sept. 2.

The paramedics' union was not involved in Thursday's talks. Officials say they will not take part in any negotiations until something is done to save the jobs of laid-off EMTs.