|
|
|
|
|
|
June 10, 2010 Council Meeting
Updated
On: Jun 14, 2010 (15:02:00)
June 11, 2010 Times Leader Article
Dan Emplit opposes decision to reduce minimum number of firefighters per shift.
BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – Dan Emplit said Thursday that he’s probably putting a “target on my back,” but the veteran city firefighter/EMT said he is committed to convincing the mayor and council to hire more firefighters.
“How long are you going to depend on luck to save lives?” Emplit asked council. Mayor Tom Leighton did not attend last night’s meeting.
Emplit cited recent calls that the fire department responded to. He said on Wednesday night, the response was to a grease fire on Gilligan Street and on April 29th, there was an apartment fire. In both instances, Emplit said the city had all three fire engines in operation; had it not, he said, the results could have been catastrophic.
Emplit opposes Leighton’s decision earlier this year to reduce the minimum number of firefighters per shift from 14 to 12. The mayor said he made the decision to cut down on escalating overtime costs in the fire department.
Emplit referred to a study commissioned by the city in May 1995 by Stephen Lloyd Associates of Park Forest, IL, that set 17 per shift as a minimum for fire fighter staffing. A second study was conducted in March 2002 by the International Association of Fire Fighters, and was commissioned by the local union. That study recommended increasing the city’s fire fighting staff.
When Emplit joined the city department in 1993, he said there were 88 fire fighters and now there are around 65.
“This number – 17 – is not a number that the fire department came up with,” Emplit said. “The city’s own study quoted it as a minimum necessary for our goals of saving lives, incident stabilization and property conservation.”
Emplit said a successful fire fight means “everyone returns to their family safe and whole.”
“We are the citizens’ only defense against most life-threatening situations and manning is our only defense on that front line,” Emplit said. “We can not safely work with this low of a manning number.”
Council Chairman Bill Barrett said after the meeting that negotiations remain ongoing between the administration and the fire fighters union Local 104. He said commenting on Emplit’s remarks might jeopardize those talks.
“I will say that I would like to see a third engine staff at all times,” Barrett said.
The current contract expires at the end of 2010. Emplit said fewer men and slower response times could result in increased property damage and risk human life. He said fewer men also endanger firefighters who have more duties and other tasks to perform that normally require more personnel.
“Our job is never safe,” Emplit said. “We are talking about situations where minutes, if not seconds, are the difference between a save and someone’s incalculable loss.”
|
|
March 25th Council meeting.
Updated
On: Mar 27, 2010 (14:35:00)
Firefighters, Leighton reignite dispute over downsized on-duty staffing
By Matthew Harris (Staff Writer)
Published: March 26, 2010
WILKES-BARRE - Dan Emplit stared at Mayor Tom Leighton after resting his case Thursday that city hall turned back on its word to firefighters and residents by lowering minimum on-duty staffing.
Once again, the firefighter played the role of prosecutor. Over six minutes, Emplit read past statements by Leighton lauding firefighters' bravery, expressing his unwavering support and touting their performance.
With each quote, Emplit offered his own rebuttal amounting to a would-be indictment. For all the mayor's warm words, Emplit said Leighton and the city's actions showed an administration asking a department to do more with less by closing two firehouses, failing to replace 19 members who retired and taking three engines out of service.
"Police, fire and EMS are residents' insurance policy," Emplit said. "Would you cancel your insurance policy if personal finances were tight? No, you'd look for other ways to save money."
His argument finished, Emplit closed a folder, crossed his hands and waited for Leighton's reply.
For the second city council meeting this month, firefighters and the mayor revived their dispute over a decision this month to lower minimum staffing to 12 firefighters from 14 for each shift. Two weeks may have passed, but the basic outline of the disagreement remain.
As before, Leighton said the city could not afford to pay overtime costs on pace to reach $800,000 this year, almost double the amount of 2009. Along the back wall of the room, roughly 40 firefighters clad in yellow shirts hectored the mayor. Sitting before council, Emplit said hiring men as they left would have prevented the problem and residents are at risk when the engine at South Station goes out of service during minimum staffing.
Leighton stood, his own brown leather folder in hand, and repeated the city's expenditures were below the $40.9 million budgeted in 2009, but not enough revenue was coming through the door to cover spiraling overtime costs or hire more men.
"We were running out of money in December," Leighton said, throwing his hands in the air. "We had no money in the bank. How was I gonna pay you guys. We were very close to a payless payday."
Before the meeting, union President Thomas Makar handed out a copy of a city budget from 1996, when Tom McGroarty sat in the mayor's office, he said showed the city has consistently budgeted less than needed to pay for overtime. At the time, the city employed 87 firefighters, budgeted $60,000 for overtime and spent $204,614 over nine months.
"This gets me discouraged when people who are doing the budget every year make it say what they want it to say," Makar said. "If the number should be higher, put that in there and budget for it.
Behind Makar, firefighters continued their 16-day-old protest of the cuts outside with a picket around the City Hall building before the meeting, their ranks bolstered by members of departments from Scranton, Kingston, Nanticoke and four other departments.
The political theater and flaring tempers come during early negotiations between the city and the union for a contract to replace the pact set to expire next year. The sides have met twice and are set to sit down next week when Christine Jensen, the city's human resources director, returns from vacation.
"We've just discussed each other's proposals," Makar said. "That's probably the best thing to say about that."
Those efforts to reach an agreement are tinged with their own frustration, though.
In late December, the city approached the union's board with a deal, reaching what it considered a hand-shake agreement that staved off cuts to minimum on-duty staffing. Yet Makar turned down the plan, claiming it was inadequate, and returned with a plan the city considered extravagant.
Last night, those lingering frustrations also found their way into the chamber when Leighton told upset firefighters responsibility for the cuts laid at the feet of the union board.
"Is Tom Makar here?" Leighton asked, craning his neck to look around the room.
"No," several firefighters yelled.
"Tom should be," Leighton said. "Talk to your leadership and them to (let you) look at the proposal that was on the table."
"It's unethical," Emplit shot back.
"Know what? Get permission for me to share it," Leighton said. "Let me show it to you."
Standing next to his green Dodge Caravan, Makar said his presence would cause more harm than good.
"Me being there would be like throwing gasoline on a fire," he said.
mharris@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2110
http://citizensvoice.com/news/firefighters-leighton-reignite-dispute-over-downsized-on-duty-staffing-1.700025
|
|
Fire Fight
Updated
On: Mar 12, 2010 (08:05:00)
Leighton, firefighters clash over staffing levels
By Matthew Harris (Staff Writer)
Published: March 12, 2010
WIILKES-BARRE - Tensions between the city and its firefighters left the negotiating room at Thursday's City Council meeting as each side continued an ongoing debate over reducing minimum on-duty staffing as part of the city's effort to rein in escalating overtime costs.
Over four days, firefighters have protested and passed out fliers bemoaning the city's decision a week ago to trim minimum staffing to 12 firefighters from 14 to keep the department from exhausting its overtime budget by May. As part of the reduction, the engine based at South Station goes out of service when minimum staffing is in effect.
City officials have remained silent on their position as they engage in negotiations with the firefighters' union, International Fire Fighters Association Local 104, to end the impasse. Last night, Mayor Tom Leighton outlined the city's position as one spurred by an effort to pare down overtime costs that city no longer afford.
In 2009, the city doled out $322,000 to cover minimum staffing overtime, far exceeding the amounts racked up by other departments, such as the approximately $47,000 by city police, he said. And despite raising taxes a year ago, there was no way the city could cover a tab that through two months was on pace to reach $600,000, Leighton said.
"I've done everything in my power, my staff has done everything in its power to keep you safe," he said. "We can't continue down this road."
In general, the department needs 18 firefighters to cover a shift, only calling in overtime help when seven people are unable to work. That meant the city paid overtime to three firefighters, but under the reductions, only one person is required, Leighton said.
Without elaborating, he said members of the union's board had rejected a deal in late December that could have prevented such a reduction.
"You left me with no choice," Leighton said. "I'm not failing you, the city administration is not failing you and city council is not failing you. Your union is failing you."
Before Leighton spoke, ambulance driver Dan Emplit repeated the firefighters' argument before city council that the remaining engines, located at fire headquarters and Hollenback Station, cannot respond quickly enough to calls in South Station's service area, which includes three schools and a high-rise apartment complex.
The drive from Hollenback Station takes 10 minutes in a regular vehicle, a time that will surely be longer in a fire engine to reach a scene or provide hydrant service backing up the first-responding unit, Emplit said.
"Two engines is not enough to cover a city of this size, this number of people and a demographic where the age is increasing," Emplit said. "Any answers? Whose providing coverage?"
Given a chance to offer a rebuttal, Emplit argued that the city only has itself to blame by not hiring firefighters to replace the 19 that left the department over eight years, making it tougher to maintain adequate staffing and increasing reliance on overtime in the process.
"This is not doing more with less," he said. "This is piling on."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
??? If the City spend $322,000 last year to cover shifts because of not hiring men to replace Fire Fighters who have retired, why now say $600,000 ? Nothing has changed except fire protection and safety has been diminished.
http://citizensvoice.com/news/leighton-firefighters-clash-over-staffing-levels-1.673496
|
|
Fire Fighters take to the Streets
Updated
On: Mar 12, 2010 (07:55:00)
W-B firefighters' take staffing issues to residents
By Bob Kalinowski (Staff Writer)
Published: March 11, 2010
WILKES-BARRE - City firefighters on Wednesday took their protest to the people, canvassing neighborhoods to tell residents their safety is at stake over recent staffing reductions.
After days of informational picketing, city firefighters delivered up to 3,000 fliers to residents to notify them that only two fire engines will now be in service on most days.
The engine in the South Station on High Street - the first due at two high rises, two city schools and a hospital - will sit idle on days like Wednesday when the staffing level per shift is at 12, firefighters say. On Friday, the city announced the minimum on-duty staffing level would shrink from 14 to 12 firefighters because the fire department was on pace to exhaust its 2010 overtime budget by May.
"I'm not happy about it," said Peggy Benkoski, 49, a resident of the Valley View Terrace high rise on High Street, two blocks from the South Street Station, where a fire engine was out of service.
Benkoski called The Citizens' Voice after a city firefighter passing out fliers at her complex handed her one of the documents.
"Your neighborhood fire engine is out of service today," the flier reads. "There are only two fire engines protecting the city and they are not near you. Hopefully, they are available when you need them."
The flier asks residents to call Mayor Tom Leighton's office and local media outlets.
"As soon as he gave me this, I got right on the phone. It's ridiculous," Benkoski said.
Firefighters have been battling Leighton for years over staffing concerns. They said the drop from a previous minimum staffing level of 17 to 14 was unsafe and the latest cut is simply dangerous.
"Not only is it unsafe for residents, it's unsafe for us," said firefighter Damian Lendacky while passing out fliers. "We want the public to be informed. As taxpayers, they have a voice."
Leighton ran into two people who asked about the fliers on Wednesday, and he said he told them the city has paid out $100,000 in overtime costs in two months. The two people agreed with Leighton that was too much, he said.
"It's costs," Leighton said, "but I also have confidence that they can do the jobs."
Since 2002, the ranks of the fire department dropped from 88 to 69 members. Firefighters say the overtime budget also was significantly slashed during that time.
Besides the staffing changes, city officials said no additional overtime funds will be doled out this year.
On days when the staffing level is 12, the two engines in operation will be at Fire Headquarters on Ross Street and the Hollenback Station, 1020 N. Washington St., in Parsons.
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055
http://citizensvoice.com/news/w-b-firefighters-take-staffing-issues-to-residents-1.670542
|
|
|
|
Shift manning to decrease to 12 !
Updated
On: Mar 17, 2010 (22:25:00)
A union president blames the city and says overtime costs aren’t managed properly.
By Jen Marckini jmarckini@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
WILKES-BARRE – The city has plans to cut the number of firefighters staffed due to a lack of overtime funds.
As of Friday, the fire department has expended 70 percent of the budgeted manning overtime allocation, according to a memo from Chief Jay Delaney to assistant fire chiefs.
No additional overtime funds will be allotted to the fire department and the minimum on duty staffing will be 12 firefighters, instead of 14.
Thomas Makar, president of Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the fire department is understaffed and staffing is already at an unsafe level.
The city never hired and properly budgeted overtime funds, he said.
“Because of their inability to accurately do a budget they’re going to cut staff,” Makar said.
On top of that, 19 men have retired; two firefighters are on active military duty in Iraq. At least four are off on job-related injuries. The city currently has 75 firefighters, including the fire chief.
The city used to budget anywhere between $200,000 to $500,000 in overtime in the 1990s and early 2000s, Makar said.
Overtime in the budget was cut to $120,000 in 2004, and since then 19 men have retired and no corresponding increase in overtime allotment to cover their absence.
Makar said the firefighters union went to council in 2004 after the reduction in overtime because of cutting of manpower.
The department is down 19 firefighters from 2002.
“Never once did they increase the allotment for overtime,” he said.
Mayor Thomas M. Leighton could not be reached for comment Friday evening.
A fire protection study conducted by the city in 1995 recommended no fewer than 17 firefighters on duty. An international study recommends an even higher number, Makar said.
“The combination of both studies should prove that the minimum staffing level in Wilkes-Barre is unsafe,” he said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple of corrections.
1. We currently have only 70 Fire Fighters, including the Fire Chief.
2. In 2004 we went to council to warn about the unsafe staffing level cause by the City's decision to reduce the level to 14. We warned them also that if they do not hire men to replace Fire Fighters who retire then the overtime will increase. They did not heed both warnings.
Link to the TL article: http://www.timesleader.com/news/W-B_firefighter_staffing_to_be_cut_03-06-2010.html?searchterm=makar
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firefighters protest overtime cuts
By Matthew Harris (Staff Writer)
Published: March 9, 2010
WILKES-BARRE - Upset with understaffing and a recent decision to freeze further overtime allotment, members of the city fire department protested early Monday evening outside the South Station on High Street, calling for city hall to bolster their ranks or allot more money to pay firefighters to cover shifts.
"We want more guys. Obviously it's nice to get overtime every once in a while," said Mike Bilski, secretary of Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. "We need the guys on the scene to do the job."
Roughly 20 firefighters picketed in front of South Station in response to a decision announced Friday in a memo from Chief Jay Delaney to assistant chiefs notifying them that minimum on-duty staffing would be trimmed to 12 firefighters from 14, or five below the number recommended by the city's fire protection study.
Besides staffing, no additional overtime funds will be doled out this year. At this juncture, the city has spent 70 percent of the $100,000 budgeted for overtime hours, and the remaining money might be used up either next month or in May, Delaney said.
The impromptu protest came after Bilski and other department members called coworkers when they finished discussing an increase in money for overtime with city officials. An attempt to reach Delaney in response to the protest and the meeting was unsuccessful.
Jeff Berlew, a firefighter at South Station, said the city created its own predicament by not replacing departed firefighters.
"For the last three years, they budgeted the same amount of overtime," he said. "Obviously, when we have older people retire, and they don't replace them, then we're going to run into the trouble with overtime."
Since 2002, 19 fire department members have retired while money for overtime has remained stagnant, leaving the city reliant on calling in extra manpower at a higher cost, Bilski said.
Under the latest changes, the number of houses running engines may be also be pared to two. In the event there are only 12 firefighters on duty, South Station will only provide ambulance service, meaning stations on East Ross and North Washington streets will be left to pick up the slack.
That could mean longer response times in which precious minutes are lost, or it could put members of ambulance crews at risk if they try to conduct rescues without proper equipment or back up, said Mike Crawford, an emergency medical technician based at South Station.
"I hope it's nothing serious like someone gets hurt or we lose a life in the fire, but people have to realize we've been doing this job the past couple years with barely enough people," he said.
mharris@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2110
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a result of one man, Makar. The deal the e-board and the City had would have guarnteed 14 men per shift for the next few years. However, because he would not personally have received as much as he thought he was entitled, the rest of us now suffer. Wake up firefighters, before it is too late.
http://citizensvoice.com/news/firefighters-protest-overtime-cuts-1.665244
|
|
W-B Firefighter Entrance Exam Notice
Updated
On: Jan 24, 2010 (11:15:00)
Below is a copy of the notice I received from the City:
THE CITY OF WILKES-BARRE
FIRE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA
Theresa McGuire, Chairman Theodore Wampole, Member
George Soltis, Member
ENTRY LEVEL FIRE FIGHTER
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
APPLICATIONS
All candidates for the Fire Civil Service Testing must submit an application to the Wilkes-Barre City Clerk’s office no later than:
Friday, February 19, 2010
Applications for the Fire Department are available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the City Clerk’s Office, Fourth Floor, City Hall, 40 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre.
EXAM DATES:
PHYSICAL AGILITY EXAM
Place: South Fire Station
313 High Street, Wilkes-Barre
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
and Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 8:00 a.m.
WRITTEN EXAM
Place: Coughlin High School, 80 N. Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Time: Registration 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Test: 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
NOTE: Candidates must pass the physical agility test in order to qualify to take the written exam.
Study guides and practice exams are available on line through McCann Associates:
· Click on Government, Public Sector, and Public Safety link.
· Select Candidate Resource Center
· Click on the appropriate guide (Firefighter M-100 Study Guide)
· In addition, practice tests area available at a nominal fee of $12.99 through their online store; to receive a 15% discount on the practice exam, use coupon code BSPNF.
From the City's Web Site:
http://www.wilkes-barre.pa.us/forms/civil_service_application.pdf
|
|
106 Lawrence Street - Second Alarm
Updated
On: Jan 09, 2010 (17:27:00)
Wilkes-Barre City Fire Fighters Local 104 are on the job at 106 Lawrence Street. Second Alarm called.
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome
|
|
|
You are not
currently logged in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27453 visitors since Nov 13, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
| Upcoming
Events: |
| No
Events Found |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SHIFT COLORS |
|
RED: 1 DS 3 NS
GREEN: 2 DS 4 NS
BLUE: 3 DS 1 NS
YELLOW: 4 DS 2 NS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
