Boardman fire chief: Station closures justified

The closings will not affect the main fire station on U.S. Route 224 across from the mall, the chief said.

By Sean Barron

BOARDMAN — Despite the best-laid budget projections for 2009 — and the passage last November of a 2.2-mill police and fire operating levy — a difficult economy and several unexpected situations have combined to make the rotational closings of two fire stations a necessity.

That was the main message Fire Chief James Dorman delivered during Wednesday’s trustees meeting as he explained why he felt such an option was needed.

Closures will alternate between the station near Lockwood Boulevard and Shields Road and the one on South Avenue; the main fire station, on U.S. Route 224 near Southern Boulevard, won’t be affected, he explained.

On Saturday, Dorman closed the South Avenue facility.

Based on firefighters’ vacation schedules and the average number of annual sick hours, Dorman had predicted about $180,000 would be needed for overtime in 2009. That figure, however, was surpassed last month, in part because four firefighters were injured this year in the line of duty, he noted.

Also, one firefighter resigned this summer, and another died, neither of which could have been factored into the budget. All of this contributed to overtime’s being more than what had been appropriated at the start of the year, he continued.

The department, which has an annual operating budget of about $4.3 million, has exceeded its overtime for 2009 by more than $40,000, he noted.

Dorman said he has discussed with some of the township’s 34 full-time firefighters the need to make reductions. He also considered two other options to deal with the overtime situation, but neither proved viable, so the closings was the best one economically and in terms of service, Dorman explained.

The chief said the two stations each will be assigned a month to be closed, but that such a schedule is flexible and heavily dependent on manpower at both.

The main station will remain open because of the average volume of calls it receives each year compared with the other two. The Route 224 station fields between 1,300 and 1,400 calls annually; the average number of calls each year to the others is 700 to 800 each, Dorman noted.

Trustees Larry Moliterno and Robyn Gallitto agreed with Dorman’s assessment of the overtime situation. Trustee Kathy Miller, on the other hand, opposed the closings.

In somewhat heated discussions with officials during the session, Miller called the decision irresponsible in light of the levy passage.

Miller complained that she only recently learned of the situation and that no formal talks among trustees took place.

In addition, she continued, too little community input was considered before the move, and trustees should have had the opportunity to further review the township’s expenditures and be a bigger part of discussions.

The closings could have a long-term harmful effect, she predicted.

Nevertheless, “We have to operate year to year,” said William D. Leicht, fiscal officer.

Dorman has said he does not anticipate layoffs, and that closing a station will still allow all personnel to remain on the job.

The chief added that talks must take place between trustees and the firefighters union as soon as possible to find common ground and save money.