"More lives will be lost,” said Aaron Mischler, president of the New Orleans Firefighters Association. Author: Thanh Truong / Eyewitness News Published: 5:20 PM CST December 10, 2020 Updated: 5:20 PM CST December 10, 2020 NEW ORLEANS — They are the ones who run to the emergency, but that responsibility in New Orleans is getting more complicated because of the pandemic and the economic disaster accompanying it. Some first responders like New Orleans firefighters and police are saying pandemic related furloughs are forcing them to work with fewer people. “Without a full complement of firefighters on the job, we can’t do our jobs effectively and fires are going to continue to get bigger. Lives are going to be lost,” said Aaron Mischler, president of the New Orleans Firefighters Association.