Lay offs

[46Truck]

time to move on...

I grew up in MA too and I really feel bad for my brother FF's there. My hometown of Braintree is reportedly going to axe almost 10% of the FF's there and close 2 of their 3 stations! It's unbelievable and sad. I left MA almost 4 yrs ago and was lucky enough to settle in TX and landed my dream FD job with a major metro dept. You get sooooo much more for your money here! My house will cost me under $200K but would go for at least $400-$500K up north. I still love MA and visit my family there whenever possible, but to live there? Nah...I had to move on. Good luck to all you Brother FF's toughing it out in MA.

[DaSharkie]

Grov,

I wish you the best of luck with your new department. Unfortunately you are not alone in your trek out of this state. I pray every day that I get into grad school so I too can flee.

[GrovFire25]

This post is hitting home for me. I'm from Mass but recently got hired in Maine and am moving there soon. The BS with getting hired in Mass (civil svc, layoffs) made me look out of state, that and the fact that I'm making a killing on my house and am able to buy a similar house up in Maine for alot less.
I'm so sick of the politics in Mass, I've lived there all my 35 years and it'll always be home, but I've had enough.
I was a call FF in Mass for a 7 years and really feel for the career brothers there. They're getting the shaft.

[DaSharkie]

I'm happy for you. I hope that you don't have to go through this again next year. I hear rumors that there will be more state funding cuts next year.

[UFDFF15]

Just wanted to let everyone know that with a lot of research and fighting from my Union President, @ Town Meeting we were able to get both of the positions back

[CaptainGonzo]

The problem is they think with their wallets instead of their heads!

[PFD109NFD107]

What the heck is happening there in Mass? It seems like the whole state is getting the pink slip. It sure is a long way from December 3, 1999. I can't believe the citizens of Mass is taking this laying down. Is the state union helping to make all of these lay-offs public? The safety of the people is being put at risk.....

[CaptainGonzo]

The problem in Athol is the fact that it is a "company town"..the major employer is Starret Tools, and whatever Mr. Starret wants, he basically gets.

Property taxes are high because of the real estate value of the homes. Schools get the bulk of the funding, especially special education. State mandated special education costs alone (sending children with autism and severe handicaps) account for over $1.5 million of the school budget. Two of these students cost the taxpayers of Marlborough over $500K per year.

In a cost analysis I did, I figured out that the FD budget at $5.4 million costs an average of $1.13 per day per tax bill... that's less than a small coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Broken down per resident basis, it's a whopping 40 cents a day...13 cents for the day tour, 27 cents for the night tour.

This is the approach that we have to take! Big numbers scare people...tell the taxpayer that their FD protection is $5.5 million and they scream "it's too much! it's too much!" tell them it's $1.13 a day for full time fire protection and they say "wow...such a deal!"

[DaSharkie]

UFD, as I have said before, the high prices of homes in Massachusetts are forcing lots of people out of the state. This higher cost of living here only makes it worse and more people are leaving.

The population of the state dropped about 75,000 people in teh last few years. That's almost 1% of the population. Not a huge number but still signifigant.

What hurts worse is that these "Yuppies" come to towns and vote to raise taxes to build schools and expand the already bloated school districts and then complain when the taxes get too high and move out of town leaving the people who have lived there all their lives to keep on paying. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

My wife and I are only sticking around to find out if I get into my Graduate program. If I do we are gone as soon after the acceptance as possible. If not, we are gone as soon after as possible. I can move to a much more affordable area and get much more for my tax dollar and still maintain a very good standard of living for the same salary.

The morons in Boston don't make it any better. We are already taxed to the eyeballs but instead of working to reform government ( I am not saying that all of Romney's are great but try at least a few of them ) they keep the status quo and spending like there is no tomorrow on stuff that is not even the business of the state. You cough up 5% for income tax, 5% for sales tax, gas taxes, and then some incredibly huge local property taxes. These buffoons were told the good times would end and they should prepare for it but they kept thinking all would be well forever. And we are no better for continuing to re-elect these same corrupt, incompetant people.

[UFDFF15]

In my town there is about 7 new development going in. The cheapest house in them are going for a min. of $400,000. One of the developments consists of $600,000 & $700,000 mini-castles. And those are the people fighting for the new schools!!!! We have to live in town and there is no apartments that are under 1000 a month. We are being taken over by yuppies!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaSharkie]

DaSharkie, just wondering, in your jurisdiction where they had layoffs are they planing to replace them with volunteers or just have less firefighters altogether?

Just dropping manning. Most departments and communities around these parts do not have residents wishing to give thier time. Problem is these houses are going for A LOT of money. This months figures put the average house in Massachusetts at $350,000. If you get closer to Boston adn Rt. 128 or 495 the prices get really outrageous. When people are shelling out $400,000 for a house tehy expect that the fire department is there and do not want to give of themselves or have their children do it. It's pretty sad. Absolutely no sense of community. In any event, when they don't want to raise taxes - and I can't blame them for that - you lose guys. They don't care because even though they are paying more money for insurance they don't see that as a "tax."

The problem with many of the communities that are laying off is that they lay off the junior guys, who in many towns are Paramedics hired specifically to run the ambulance. So now you lose manpower AND the extra change for preforming ALS skills so you hurt yourself even more but the idiots in town hall can't see the forest through the trees.

On a side note, the town of Athol, MA is laying off 4 firefighters - most of who are Paramedics. This situation of which I speak is occurring there - you now lose A LOT of money because you can't do ALS runs as frequently. They run transfers at the ALS level out of the community hospital and have stopped doing them during certain hours to maintain staffing for community safety. The town only hurts themselves more.

[Smoke20286]

DaSharkie, just wondering, in your jurisdiction where they had layoffs are they planing to replace them with volunteers or just have less firefighters altogether?

[DaSharkie]

I was not civil service. Just because you get laid off and another department is hiring doesn't mean squat. Massachusetts has some of the most archane and difficult to understand civil service laws anywhere.

If you get laid off, you go to the top of the statewide list depending upon seniority, that is the amount of time you have been on a civil service department from most senior to junior in time. When a department requests cards be sent out those senior in time get cards first, over residents, vets, minorities, and anyone else. You could live in Lynn and get a card for West Springfield. It does not matter where you live, for any departments hiring you get a card.

As for me, getting laid off was actually a really good thing. Though I miss riding the big red trucks, I have been able to work for a private service as a Paramedic and get good experience while going to school full time to advance myself towards another career. If I had stayed at my department, I would probably be nowhere near where I am right now to achieving my goal (At least a year behind) with a lower GPA because of the schedule. While I still enjoy firefighting and miss it, I will play on the side for a volunteer or call department after I complete my Master's degree.

[cfdeng3]

Were you guys hired from the State Civil Service list? It may just be rumor or wishful thinking but I heard the other day the some of the guys laid off from New Bedford may be picked up by Newton.

[DaSharkie]

You never can figure people out can you. I got whacked last year in Mass. as well. A good friend of mine is one of eight let go in Fitchburg, with a probable four more after July. A co-worker of mine could be laid off in June if the override fails there. In Ashburnham, they want to lay off a full timer and a bunch of CALL FIREFIGHTERS so you only have 12 - 14 firefighters, 3 full time, for a town that is growing rapidly. Makes no sense to me.

Nothing wrong with venting at all bud. Keep the chin up and keep looking. Southborough just posted in the Telegram this week - if you're a medic. If not, call the NH fire academy, the should be getting ready to begin the process for their state exam soon.

I never could understand the school thing. They get like 60 - 80 percent of the town budget and are not accountable. All the money in their budget is for salaries just like ours but they are never accountable and never see layoffs, everyone else does though. What is even funnier is that when these town vote down an override of 2 1/2 and firefighters get let go, like what happened to me, their ISO rating goes through the roof and you pay more for house insurance than if you had voted for the override. They won't listen to you on this either and then act surprised when it does happen.