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Permalink Reply by Sam on February 18, 2009 at 12:18pm

Give me a job and that wont be a concern. I would give almost anything to get paid for doing what I am absolutely passionate about.I love truly do love firefighting and from time to time wife says I love it more than I love her.Thing is I got into it to late for my state and 37 is to old for a career according to PERF.I would give most anything to be in the shoes of one of those people.They just dont know what they have.

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Permalink Reply by John on February 18, 2009 at 12:25pm

Sounds like they have some issues down there, I hope and pray they get them worked out.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on February 18, 2009 at 1:15pm

What was left out of this post was a very important, key piece of information...

"The Atlanta Fire Department faces $15 million in budget cutbacks which some officials say has created morale problems, depleted the force and led to station closings."

Before we get into hammering the Atlanta Professional firefighters, it's important to understand that there is no overtime provisions in place for the Atlanta Fire Department. With minimum staffing levels of 3 firefighters on an engine, dropping below that amount due to the lack of a relief factor means that there are no personnel to staff the engines, which results in fire station brown outs. This is not a problem with the firefighters, but instead with the city's lack of providing funding for personnel coverage. Couple this with mandatory furloughs and you end up with a department stripped of personnel.

Mike

Full Article:

Atlanta firefighting shortage eases a bit
By Ben Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Atlanta Fire Department’s weekend staffing shortage eased somewhat on Sunday.

Four fire stations that had been temporarily closed reopened. The number of firefighters who called in sick dropped from 25 on Saturday to 14 on Sunday. The department averages 13 absences due to illness for every shift, officials say.

“The more people you have on duty, the better coverage area you going to have,” said Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Capt. Bill May. “But this is not ideal.”

Station No. 12 on DeKalb Avenue, No. 22 on Hollywood Road and No. 26 and No. 20 on Cleveland Avenue reopened Sunday.

That leaves Station 7 on Lee Street in West End, which was closed in July, and Station 23 on Howell Mill Road, which closed in December. Neither is expected to reopen until June.

The Atlanta Fire Department faces $15 million in budget cutbacks which some officials say has created morale problems, depleted the force and led to station closings.

Chief Kelvin Cochran on Saturday warned that the city had reached “an extreme level of vulnerability” because of furloughs and an unusual number of firefighters calling in sick. Cochran issued a similar warning on Super Bowl Sunday when 27 firefighters called in sick.

The fire chief declared then that the department was in “an extremely vulnerable situation.”

On Saturday, Cochran said he didn’t believe the absentees were staying home in protest.

However, because of shortstaffing, firefighters were forced to drive a truck from a farther distance than normal to contain a blaze in southwest Atlanta. No one was injured.

Staff writer Jeffry Scott contributed to this article.

Updated: 6:26 p.m. February 14, 2009

6 Atlanta fire stations shut down because of staffing
Chief says city ‘at an extreme level of vulnerabiltiy’
By JEFFRY SCOTT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, February 14, 2009

The head of the Atlanta Fire Department said the city was “at an extreme level of vulnerability” Saturday because of furloughs and an unusual number of firefighters calling in sick.

It was the second time in two weeks Chief Kelvin Cochran sounded such an alarm in the wake of $15 million in budget cutbacks in his department amid the city’s financial troubles.

Atlanta and Fulton County news He said the cuts have hurt morale, depleted his force and resulted in idled fire trucks and understaffed stations. On Saturday, he said, six of the city’s 40 fire stations were temporarily closed until Sunday morning.

Cochran made similar comments on Super Bowl Sunday, when 27 firefighters called in sick. Combined with budget-induced furloughs, that cut the number of firefighters on duty to 131. The normal citywide minimum staffing is 147.

The combination of furloughed firefighters and 25 calling in sick on Saturday reduced staffing to 126, Cochran said in a press release. The chief said he didn’t believe his force was mounting any kind of protest, although the average for illnesses on a shift is 13.

“There’s no indication this is any kind of planned thing,” said Cochran. “Our firefighters are too devoted for that.”

Lt. Jim Daws, head of the union for Atlanta firefighters, agreed.”How can it be an organized effort if the number of people out, 13, only amounts to 3 percent of a department?” of more than 600, he said.

“The story here is the department is so understaffed if people are sick they have to close fire stations,” said Daws. “They’ve cut down to the bone and crippled the department.”

Cochran said he called Atlanta City Council president Lisa Borders Saturday to alert her. Borders could not be reached Saturday. Stations closed until Sunday were No. 7, on Lee Street; No. 26 on Moores Mill; No. 12 on DeKalb Ave.; No. 22 on Hollywood Rd.; No. 30 on Cleveland Ave.; and No. 23 on Howell Mill Rd.

Cochran said the short-staffing forced firefighters to bring a truck from farther away to fight a fire in southwest Atlanta on Saturday morning that involved three buildings. No one was injured.

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Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on February 18, 2009 at 2:07pm

Since money is one of the driving factors in Atlanta I'll repeat myself like I did to a similar post. Make some of their stations combos. TCSS

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Permalink Reply by Howard on February 18, 2009 at 3:01pm

Are you a Firefighter or not? do your job or walk away

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on February 18, 2009 at 5:49pm

Howard,

Perhaps you did not take the time to read the additional information that I posted... let me repeat this again for you Howard. Atlanta FD has some significant budget issues where they cannot afford to provide any overtime or sick time coverage. For such a large department, the minimal numbers of folks off duty, at most departments would not be an issue.

When you don't have appropriate funding, that's where you have issues like Atlanta is facing. These firefighters are doing their job and just for the record, every hour they worked accrued sick time. Colds, flu's, viruses, injuries and a host of other things can hit folks, specially during the winter season. I would expect you to be more understanding here and not be willing to throw these guys under the bus so to speak.

I took the time today to make contact with the President of the Atlanta Firefighters local. The way this article was posted omitted the one key point about the lack of funding for the fire department. Even your own profile identifes lack of funding as being the top issue facing firefighters. Asking the question are you a firefighter or not and getting personal here doesn't help anyone here. It just pisses folks off. Think before you speak, do your homework, don't jump to conclusions and remember it nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

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Permalink Reply by anna m. mills on February 18, 2009 at 7:43pm

well if some of them ... i dont understand you sick? super bowl sunday 15 or more are sick? now i understand you want off like the next guy and you dont get weekends off and all then pickt job that does. no one said that you had to be a ff for a job. i agree many would give there right arm or left depending.. but come on.. swope days off.. you do get those i know. 24on and so.. thats why so many own second jobs. anyway.. every co/every fire co is in a budget crunch. but news flash people in there personal life is in a budget crunch so id be thankful for a job. never mind a good job. cool job. job of my choicing except for maybe some who i dont know couldnt find anything else to do any thought lets be a ff. i just dont see where being sick on super bowl sunday helps the buget crunch. when you are standing up and saying look we just cant keep our trucks staffed look at super bowl sunday look how hard it was. yea thats going to hold water even though you have a valid fight almost maybe. im sure they could help you through the tuff staffing right now with everyone putting their heads toghter if you want, so stand up and be counted. we all do

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Permalink Reply by Howard on February 20, 2009 at 9:45am

Why would you assume I didn’t THINK before I speak to assume could piss people off to could it not? If you are sick ok but if you are not working because of “appropriate funding”, I will say it again find a different job. I thought these posting are here to have OUR OWN opinions if my opinions’ piss people off to bad we should all think for our self-right.

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Permalink Reply by Muriel on February 22, 2009 at 4:07pm

I wonder what these "sick " firemen/women would have done if their home blew up and there were not any firefighters to go because they are all "sick" and someone they love is in that blazing house..Maybe they should take a lesson from the Volunteer Fire fighters and raise their own funds...

I was in the health care field and was told by the Nursing teacher that interviewed me to take nursing as my CHOSEN career ..that as a nurse youhave to work 3 shifts,weekends ,holidays etc so if you can't accept that then nursing is not for you...well I think that rule also fits fire fighters,police etc...and my personal opinion I am glad that I live in a small community and have a VOLUNTEER Fire Dept.. I know they will show up if needed....Budget cut not a reason not to show up for work..yeah pissed off is understandable .....

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