Saturday, April 23, 2011
By Ashley luthern
BOARDMAN
The minimum staffing level in the township’s fire department has been decreased from nine to six per shift – or a minimum of two firefighters at each of the township’s three stations – according to a township memo.
“The trustees will meet in executive session [Monday] for purposes of collective bargaining in regard to this issue. In the meantime, they’ve decided to implement the management clause for minimum staff reversion,” said Administrator Jason Loree.
Loree said previously that the union contract has a stipulation that if the township has to call out firefighters on overtime on five occasions to comply with minimum manning requirements, then the trustees can review the practice and decide whether to continue it.
Harry Wolfe, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1176, said firefighters have offered a number of proposals. Among those was to move lieutenants who are fire-prevention officers back to the fire-suppression force temporarily.
“I’m very disappointed in light of the proposal we gave them. I’m hoping they will take that [proposal] into consideration Monday and reverse their Friday order of six. I’m praying they do that. I hope that nothing happens to anybody” this weekend, Wolfe said.
Loree, Wolfe and members of the fire department met behind closed doors Friday morning to discuss staffing levels, overtime and finances.
“Both sides expressed their concerns,” Wolfe said.
He said he understands the township administration is worried about funding and is focusing on the upcoming 3.85-mill five-year, additional police levy in August.
“The big issue is funding ... with the state cutting back money” to local governments, Loree said.
The fire department has already accumulated nearly four times the overtime hours for the first three months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Much of the overtime is to maintain minimum staffing levels of nine per shift, meaning nine firefighters spread out among the three township fire stations, officials have said.
Officials said there still is some funding left in the fire department’s 2011 allocation for overtime.
The firefighters union has expressed concern for the safety of its members and township residents with the lowering of minimum staffing requirements.