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Boardman fire staff cut to 6 per shift
TweetBy Ashley luthern
BOARDMAN
The minimum staffing level in the township’s fire department has been decreased from nine to six per shift – or a minimum of two firefighters at each of the township’s three stations – according to a township memo.
“The trustees will meet in executive session [Monday] for purposes of collective bargaining in regard to this issue. In the meantime, they’ve decided to implement the management clause for minimum staff reversion,” said Administrator Jason Loree.
Loree said previously that the union contract has a stipulation that if the township has to call out firefighters on overtime on five occasions to comply with minimum manning requirements, then the trustees can review the practice and decide whether to continue it.
Harry Wolfe, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1176, said firefighters have offered a number of proposals. Among those was to move lieutenants who are fire-prevention officers back to the fire-suppression force temporarily.
“I’m very disappointed in light of the proposal we gave them. I’m hoping they will take that [proposal] into consideration Monday and reverse their Friday order of six. I’m praying they do that. I hope that nothing happens to anybody” this weekend, Wolfe said.
Loree, Wolfe and members of the fire department met behind closed doors Friday morning to discuss staffing levels, overtime and finances.
“Both sides expressed their concerns,” Wolfe said.
He said he understands the township administration is worried about funding and is focusing on the upcoming 3.85-mill five-year, additional police levy in August.
“The big issue is funding ... with the state cutting back money” to local governments, Loree said.
The fire department has already accumulated nearly four times the overtime hours for the first three months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Much of the overtime is to maintain minimum staffing levels of nine per shift, meaning nine firefighters spread out among the three township fire stations, officials have said.
Officials said there still is some funding left in the fire department’s 2011 allocation for overtime.
The firefighters union has expressed concern for the safety of its members and township residents with the lowering of minimum staffing requirements.
Comments
THIS IS RIDICULOUS. HOW CAN TWO MEN POSSIBLY FIGHT A BIG HOUSE OR BUSINESS FIRE. WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE FIRE OR POLICW THAT GET CUT. DO THE COMMISSIONERS THINK THAT THE CITIZENS ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THEY ARE THE ONLY DEPTS, THAT COULD BE CUT. GET REAL.
R1200GS, I believe you are absolutely correct. Funny how they play with the facts, making appear as that there will only be 6 on duty as if they laid off FF on Friday, when then was not the case at all. Scare tactics at it's finest.
Wolfe and his buddies know the end is near for all of this insanity and are only trying to grab as much as they can, why so much overtime, everybody all of sudden go on vacation for spring break? I think not.
See in the private sector, vacations are applied for far in advance and awarded to the employees by set criteria, and as long as it does not interfere with the operation of the company and does not cost them any more than usual to run their operation, and I tell you you always do not get the time off that you want either. Scheduling is a major part of any operation.
Apparently they are allowed to just tell the township I am taking this time off and that is it, I guess you will have to call out somebody to make my spot on overtime, oh well? This can be controlled by management if they choose to, this is a start by limiting the minimum man per shift, they could eliminate most of the other overtime by staggering vacations and other paid leave to not have as many off at one time as they have in the past, end of story, but we all know the unions would fight that to the last breath just like how they fight any other changes that would benefit the taxpayers bottom line.
More press releases are already written and ready to be sent to the TV and Newspapers to scare the residents into the new levy. Scare away, we are onto you.
Amazing how the facts of how and where the 2.2 mil levy for safety forces has never been addressed or explained? Now they are requesting another 3.8 mils when the state reductions are totaling 1.4 mill or so? Across the board reductions and higher contributions to retirement and insurance with higher co pays fixes that without any additional monies, they should be even able to hire more firefighters and police if they play their cards right and do it now instead of later.
This does not have to be about compromising the safety of the FF or the residents by reducing the amount of people employed to do the job. Reductions in compensation accomplishes all of this without dropping the current employees below what their peers make and hire more staff and no new taxes, how hard is that to understand.
I have said my peace and will sign out again for a little while, and leave the posting to FalconEddy, Apollo, and 2muchtax, among others to comment as Every time I say something constructive, a few on here only want to attack instead of discussing, though I will still be watching from a distance, keep up the heat Todd if you are truly on our side.
Why does each Township in the Valley have to have its own dedicated Fire Service , instead of organizing regionally ?
Dedicated services make for a lot of costly duplication of personnel .
The budget problems caused by extensive overtime pay is precisely the reason SB5 was written and adopted.
Every union contract I have ever seen starts with these words: MANAGEMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO JOB ASSIGNMENT. Mr. Wolfe would have us believe otherwise, but I am glad to see this group of trustees are not going to just roll over and play dead. They are going to manage the operation and budget of this township in the manner the residents elected them to do. Praise the lord and pass the ammunition!
Whaaaa whaaaa...typical township employee crying about getting slashed. it is about time the township stepped up and stopped bending over for the police, fire and road dept's. And the comment: “I’m very disappointed in light of the proposal we gave them. I’m hoping they will take that [proposal] into consideration Monday and reverse their Friday order of six. I’m praying they do that. I hope that nothing happens to anybody” this weekend, Wolfe said...hope nothing happens to anyone this weekend? Typical scare tactics like the police has been putting into action for the last few months trying to frighten people into voting for their upcoming levy. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS BS!!!
Until they bring these early retirements in line with the private sector I would recommend no one vote for any levys. We are paying enough they just need to let the public employees pay for more benefits and the golden pensions. Then use the difference to fill the gaps and hire new employees if they are needed!