STANDING TOGETHER FOR SAFETY...

In this time of uncertainty and with the specter of terrorism ever present, it is hard to believe that any responsible public official would oppose safe and adequate fire fighter staffing. 

But the fact is that efforts to expand fire department staffing are rebuffed every day in city councils throughout this country.

The fact is that too many politicians are simply willing to ignore the truth and continue to play a dangerous game of firehouse roulette with public safety and the lives of professional fire fighter and their citizens.

Staffing remains a central issue for our union.  Two-thirds of our fire departments are understaffed, and an even larger number cannot meet the requirements of NFPA 1710, including our own.

 At a time when fire and EMS calls are at an all-time high, our fire fighters are being asked to do more with less. 

Despite the increasing demands on the time, services, and skills of our fire fighters, there are many fire departments in this nation that have fewer personnel today than they had two decades ago. Meanwhile, the populations and risk hazards of their jurisdictions have grown dramatically. For example in 1967 the CCFD had 17 fire apparatus and a daily staffing level of those apparatus of 75. In 2014 the CCFD has 22 fire apparatus and daily staffing level of 70 for those units...

We cannot let cities and their misinformed leaders stifle our calls for safe fire fighter staffing. This is not only for the protection of those fire fighters, but also for the protection of the citizens the city leaders swore to serve.


We can’t let city managers, mayors, city councils, county commissions, fire chiefs, or fire district boards intimidate our local union leaders into silence on such a critical life and death issue. 

 The facts are clear. Short staffing continues to kill and seriously injure our fire fighters and it results in many additional civilian deaths. So why in God’s name do public officials turn their backs on this critical life and death issue? How can they do so in good conscience? 

The short staffing does not just include personnel, but it includes fire stations and equipment. In 2008 the citizens of this city and the city itself saw a need to add Fire Station 18 due to the increased call volume and the inability for the Fire Dept. to respond to that growing area in a timely manner. This station was put onto a Bond Election ballot and voted on and approved by the citizens. Now the city is attempting to tell it's citizens this station is no longer needed at this time. How?

The only things that have changed since 2008 is an increase to call volume, increase in residential and commercial structures, an increase in population etc. So with all of those increases, how is it the city finds this fire station, which would increase the safety of the citizens, not needed?

 
We understand that staffing costs money and that many communities are facing fiscal problems in these tough economic times. But that is no reason for local elected officials to ignore the need to increase staffing or to deny that staffing problems exist in their departments. They are doing a disservice to the citizens they represent - and to all of you who protect those citizens. 

But we also understand that when you let problems accumulate over 30 years, like streets and public safety the price to just to get things back up to par seems great.  And the only ones that suffer are the citizens through decreased public safety and increased taxes or fees.

 If the mismanagement would not have occurred for so long the price would not be so high. But is this the fault of the citizens? Is this the fault of the fire fighters? The answer is no.. 


These city officials should work with our local unions to find reasonable, acceptable, and effective solutions to their staffing problems. They should not continue to attempt to cut budgets, reduce staffing of personnel, equipment, and stations.