Closed for Business- Lexington KY

From the Lexington Herald Leader

Lexington firefighters spent hours Saturday gathered in front of a historic fire station, protesting its temporary closing and alerting the public that their homes and families may not be safe.  Fire Station No. 4 on Jefferson Street was closed Saturday in order to reduce Lexington Fire Department costs.

On Friday, Mayor Jim Newberry said the closing would not compromise public safety because there are four other fire stations within a 1.6-mile radius of the historic Vogt Reel House.

But about 50 firefighters who protested on Saturday disagreed and displayed signs that said, “This engine is closed! Who is protecting your house?” and “Mayor Newberry closed this company. Who is protecting your family?”

Lexington fire Capt. Edward Crews, secretary of the Lexington Professional Firefighters Local 526 said fire stations are sometimes out of service for maintenance or training. But training can be halted in case of emergency and maintenance is unavoidable.

Crews said more station closings will occur based on daily staffing levels because the mayor wants to save money by not paying overtime. Newberry has said the city could save as much as $900,000.

On Saturday, firefighters urged residents to contact council members and the mayor to tell them not to call for further closing.

Story by Shawntaye Hopkins /Lexington Herald Leader-

photo by Pablo Alcala | Staff

Closed for Business- Baltimore MD

Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr. / December 17, 2008

From the Baltimore Sun:

As hundreds of Baltimore firefighters marched on City Hall Thursday afternoon to protest service cutbacks, Mayor Sheila Dixon announced plans to postpone the closure of any more companies until the end of the fiscal year on July 1. One company had been scheduled to close on New Year’s Day.

Dixon also said that the number of companies closed for a day on a rotating basis will be reduced from five to four, and that the Fire Department had applied for a federal grant to help fund positions for as many as 22 additional firefighters.

“Our primary concern is the health and safety of the people of Baltimore,” Dixon said in a statement released shortly before the firefighters protested outside City Hall.

Said Fire Chief James Clack, “We’re optimistic we’re going to get that money.”

Until they see results, firefighters remain skeptical. Chanting “Don’t cut safety” and holding signs reading, “Cuts to Fire and Medical Kill People,” more than 300 firefighters walked four and five abreast down North Gay Street. Police briefly closed traffic and residents offered their support.

The protest was organized by the International Association of Fire Fighters, whose president, Harold Schaitberger, opened his remarks by ripping off his suit jacket and saying, “It may be a little cold outside, but I’m hot as hell” over the previously proposed closures.

Schaitberger likened city officials considering closing fire companies to “playing Russian roulette” with neighborhoods affected by such closures. “They say, ‘We can’t afford to keep all these companies open,’ ” Schaitberger said. “You can’t afford to keep all these companies closed.”

Steve Fugate, president of the Baltimore Fire Officers Association, said he has seen a “40 percent” reduction in the size of the city’s Fire Department during his 35-year career.

Fugate and others said that a fire last week, which claimed the life of a 76-year-old man and badly injured his daughter, was “kind of the tipping point” for local firefighters to protest what they believe are levels of staffing that are unsafe for themselves and for residents.

“We’re operating short citywide,” said Fugate. “You can’t cut any more.”

Longtime city resident Joann Parker, whose son Richard is a city fire captain, said, “They are so essential to us. They save our lives and do everything we need them to do. I don’t think this issue is pay loss [during furloughs]. The issue is safety, and that’s exactly what they’re trying to bring to the public’s attention.

“While Clack said that the response time to the fire that killed Samuel Davis was delayed when 911 dispatched trucks to the wrong location, firefighters have said it was caused in part by the fact that the station nearest to Davis’ West Baltimore home was closed for the night as part of the rotation.

William Cole, the councilman for the 11th District, said that twice in the past nine days he has visited the station housing Truck 16, one of those that now will remain open at least until July 1 but had been closed as part of the rotation.

“In addition to keeping it open, we have to make sure that the rotating closures aren’t also affecting coverage in certain parts of Baltimore,” Cole said.

Said Clack, “If there are options where we can do this and not rotate companies closed, I’d love to know what they are. There’s only so much money. There’s only so much we can do.”

Tulsa OK Plans Include Sending 3 Firefighters to Their Fires; Layoff of 60-130 Firefighters

From a story by Abbie Alford, Fox23.com

Bigger cuts are possible at the Tulsa Fire Department. The latest numbers show depending on the scenario, 60 to 130 firefighters will lose their jobs.

This is part of the city’s effort to save $5 million to $10 million because of a lack of sales tax revenues.

FOX23’s Abbie Alford explains why there’s a huge concern for your safety.

Fire Station #27 is known to make the most medical calls and is also known to be the busiest fire station in Tulsa.

Tulsa Fire Chief Allen LaCroix says if layoffs happen they may not have enough crews to run one truck. That’s $440,000 just sitting there unused and that could mean a longer response time for your call.

LaCroix says the fire department hasn’t grown in at least ten years in fact it has decreased.

Instead of taking furlough days this past summer, the fire department took about a $1.7 million hit that was equivalent to the citywide eight furlough days.

The fire chief says under the first scenario, a 2.2% cut would mean 60 firefighters losing their jobs. The chief says that would help save the city $1.2 million in cuts.

However, under the 4.4% plan, to save the city $2.5 million the fire department would have to layoff 130 firefighters and possibly close some fire stations.

“There will be layoffs I don’t know if that includes the fire department or not but there will be layoffs within the city,” says LaCroix.

In some cases the chief says there may only be three firefighters responding to a blaze and by standard they need four to safely respond to a fire. They need two inside and two outside.

If that is the case those firefighters will have to wait for another crew to arrive that could mean at least a three-minute delay.

“If we lose that ability to respond within that three to four minute time period of time because once the brain is without oxygen for four minutes your chances of survival are thin,” says LaCroix. “It will have an impact on the ability on the type of service we are delivering now.”

The chief also says instead of layoffs another option is to cut firefighters pay by 2% for the next six months but that would need the fire union’s approval. The chief also says the council and the mayor could also look at moving around surplus funds. LaCroix says through retirement they’ve reorganized positions and will save $1.5 million over three years. Citywide department heads are expected to meet next week with Mayor Dewey Bartlett and his staff.

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