A move by some council members to force a meeting between city manager Norton Bonaparte and the Topeka Firefighters Union, sooner rather than later.

Union President Kent Dederick appeared before the city council Tuesday night to talk about the members' "no confidence" vote of Fire Chief Howard Giles.

Dederick and Bonaparte are set to meet Friday to discuss the firefighters' concerns.

But John Alcala made a motion for them to meet Wednesday - saying there are safety issues like replacing old helmets, that need immediate attention.

The measure fell a vote short, with opponents saying with a meeting set, they saw no reason to interfere.