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Pennsylvania Town Switches To Volunteers; Chief, Career Staff To Be Laid Off
Tribune-Review
Uniontown has notified its entire paid fire department that all six members and the chief will be out of jobs by the end of the year, with volunteers to take their place.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the International Association of Firefighters Local 955, Councilman Gary Gearing notified firefighters the layoffs will be complete by Dec. 31, when the next contract expires.
City council voted Tuesday to notify the fire department of the intended layoffs. Mayor Ed Fike said the move is intended to save money.
Fike said although the fire department recently landed a $632,835 federal grant to bring the force back to its full complement of 11, council is uncertain it can legally accept the funds.
Fike said city officials have questions about how to replace those funds when the grant runs out.
Joshua Bloom, a Pittsburgh attorney who represents the firefighters, said today the union plans to fight the layoffs.
Copyright 2010 Tribune Review Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
August 26, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Drivers or not, what is the turn out of volunteers for all times of the day? If vollies could respond in POV to a scene things will have to change up to get to the station, meaning longer response times, most likely. Seems the chief on down is getting the axe, so what about leadership and daily ops of the dept? Who takes over?
For the sake of the community, I hope this decision doesn't completely bite them, but I do think they will end up being worse off in the end. For those getting laid off, I think it will be an ugly fight, but hopefully they do get a compromise of some sort or find other FF jobs soon. The money issue I find interesting especially considering this sounds like a SAFER grant and it sounds like the mayor/manager wants to still use it. I'm interested to see how that plays out considering what the rules state.
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Permalink Reply by Robby Stables on
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First let me say it sucks that more people are being laid off in an already tough economy. I would like to offer those people to come to Saskatchewan and join our Industrial Safety crews they are always looking for people.
Secondly
Our depatment is combination - 2 CO, 4 CFF, 26 POC
We run a one man station 24/7 with the CFF taking the Apparatus to the scene and we respond in POV. The CFF is IC until the CO shows up and is given command. it seems to work well for us and our town (10,000)
I hear that Bowling Green Kentucky is all Vol and they have 4 halls.
Again it sucks people losing jobs, I am sorry for them
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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I was trying to do a little research to support the cause but I can't find call volume on the municipal or the union website. I did see a report that the popluation is 12,000. I have also figured out they don't run the ambulance service and recoup the billing.
Can someone tell me how many true fire emergencies they run in a year?
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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
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800 calls per year - per their report
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Permalink Reply by Roy Walker on
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I find it so distastful when firefighters get it in the nrck like this,as long as there is no emergency then nobody thinks of us but when all hell breaks loose suddenly we are needed. Gutting a departmtnt like this is a disgrace and you won't likely find someone with the experience of the chief they have let go and without command there will be chaos.
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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on
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Not for career, but they have to have at least 3 members to be IAFF.
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Do you think someone would do a job for free after the town took away their paycheck?
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both, if I remember correctly
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Permalink Reply by M.J. 6821 on
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I have to be the devils advocate for a minute.
If its true that they run 800 calls per year that is medical and fire and the paid FF's are only drivers and pump operators, I can understand their thinking.
They already have volunteers in place and it sounds like they only need to have pump ops class to be ready to go alone.
Im assuming they are going to be a paid on call dept. and if thats the case their budget that they have in place will sustain them with good equipment and training even if they cut the fulltime staffs pay from the budget.
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no one likes budget cuts - but you might be right
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800 calls may not matter in the long run. According to the link provided, they had 3 structure fires in the course of a couple days.....quite a lot for a dept just responding to 800 calls a year. 800 doesn't sound like EMS as well as fire, the link does also mention about assisting with EMS, but if EMS is seperate, then the FD may only be called out for those assist type of calls or if EMS is out type of thing. Meaning if they did run EMS the call volume could be greater.
I also checked out the site and states these guys are also FF's. They may drive and operate the apparatus, but it doesn't appear to be their sole responsibility. Couple that with other dept duties like inspections, code enforcement, etc.
From their dept news:
That was what Mayor Ed Fike said about the $632,835 grant from the U.S. Homeland Security Department's Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
"Laying off those firemen is something that has eaten away at me since it had to happen," Fike said.
Fire Chief Charles Coldren said the firemen have been praying for the grant, which provides funding for two years, since City Council approved the application in October.
"We prayed every night and crossed our fingers," Coldren said. "Everyday was a good day we didn't get a denial."
Coldren and Councilman Gary Gearing, the director of public safety, commended working and laid-off firemen for preparing the grant application.
Sure seems like the decision has really eaten away too much on the mayor. I hope they do realize this money will have to be given back.
Seems to me there is always a reason a dept will go with some FT staff. Having people just drive and operate rigs seems to be a pretty shallow reason just for some FT members. Getting rid of everyone who is paid, from chief on down, sounds like a stupid move and I think there is much more to this than what we are seeing or hearing.
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