City lays off almost half of department.

[rm1524]

This hits pretty close to home for me. These guys are in my thoughts and prayers.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1936222266/Neosho-to-lay-off-up-to-22-police-firemen

[Dickey]

God I hate to be hearing this. Where are the cuts in the parks and rec. department or city hall fat??

[nmfire]

God I hate to be hearing this. Where are the cuts in the parks and rec. department or city hall fat??

If you read the article, they did cut those departments as well. It sounds like they simply have no money and the VOTERS said no. I don't know what the solution to this is, the alternative is to not lay off staff and have 22 bounced paychecks every two weeks.

I'm not advocating firing ourselves here, I'm just saying it's hard to come up with an alternative when the voters have spoken.

[hwoods]

Well.........

Absolutely Incredible. I'm thinking that they work a 3 shift system for a 56 hour work week. WITHOUT any Cuts, they only had 8 People per shift, now they're down to Four??..... I have 5 at my Station, on a 8 hour day/5 days a week schedule, but I also have 46 Volunteers. With 2in/2out the entire Department will have to be on scene at every call. Crazy.......



Edit to add: I went back and read the Story again, then hit the "Home" tab on the Newspaper's page. I then read another story in Today's edition which explained a lot more. This seems to be a problem where Former (Now Fired) Management misdirected City spending, using "Restricted" Funds that now have to be repaid, FROM THE ACCOUNTS WHERE THEY WERE SPENT FROM. Payroll was the Biggie, and it looks like it may get worse. I also "Commented" on the Story, but my Comments have not been published.

Edit To Add: My comments have been added to the Pile. It won't be hard to figure out who I am......

[MemphisE34a]

Harve,

They aren't worried about 2 in / 2 out. The politicians don't even care if there is 0 in.

Everyone will go home so all will be good.....remember?

Hopefully those laid off while find a way to make do.

[nmfire]

Until the politician's house is on fire....

[rm1524]

It’s a long story on how they got here, but the former city manager played a large part in getting them in a deep as they are today. The city has taken out a loan to get them through the rest of the year.

At the first of the year the fire department took a pay cut to try and save jobs. About a month ago they eliminated the training officer and the deputy chief positions. The chief decided to retire and the deputy chief was promoted to chief. From what we are now being told is that there will be four on a shift with two guys floating to cover vacation and sick time. The guys are asking to take another pay cut to save at least one guy so they could have five a shift.

The department also provides protection to about 80 (I think) square miles around the city. They also provide a lot of mutual aid to the surrounding volunteer departments. They also house and respond the county wide air unit to any structure fire in the county.

[rm1524]

Harve,

They aren't worried about 2 in / 2 out. The politicians don't even care if there is 0 in.

Everyone will go home so all will be good.....remember?

Hopefully those laid off while find a way to make do.

One of the firefighters that will most likley be laid off was taking the physcial agility test today to be put back on the list to be hired by any of the area fire departments that are part of the testing alliance. It would put him on the list for nine departments in Missouri and two in Kansas. There was 14 that tested today and 20 some last week as well as any from the January test. He was the only one from Neosho that was there to test.

I was his proctor today and he told me he just hoped that someone was hiring.

I have been told that some of the guys that have good part-time jobs or own a small business have asked to be laided of so that some of the young guys can stay on the job.

[nmfire]

I have been told that some of the guys that have good part-time jobs or own a small business have asked to be laided of so that some of the young guys can stay on the job.

And people think firefighters are selfish lazy couch potatoes.

[LaFireEducator]

What are the demographics of the community?

Is there enough population to draw a 20-25 man volunteer or reserve force. At a minimum, they could be fairly quickly trained to drive and pump the apparatus as well as perform exterior support operations such as laddering and exterior fire attack. They could also be trained very quickly to assist with rehab and clean-up operations.

Again, the days are gone that a small community can reasonably support an all-career department without a volunteer component.

[rm1524]

What are the demographics of the community?

Is there enough population to draw a 20-25 man volunteer or reserve force. At a minimum, they could be fairly quickly trained to drive and pump the apparatus as well as perform exterior support operations such as laddering and exterior fire attack. They could also be trained very quickly to assist with rehab and clean-up operations.

Again, the days are gone that a small community can reasonably support an all-career department without a volunteer component.

Years ago they was combo with a large volunteer base. As time has went on the volunteer base has gotten smaller and smaller. They have two volunteer/paid by call guys now. They as well as about everyone is this part of the country have a hard time getting and retaining volunteers.

[LaFireEducator]

Years ago they was combo with a large volunteer base. As time has went on the volunteer base has gotten smaller and smaller. They have two volunteer/paid by call guys now. They as well as about everyone is this part of the country have a hard time getting and retaining volunteers.

Sounds like what is happening here, where as more career members are hired, the roles of the volunteers are diminished, and because of that, fewer of them volunteer.

There are several combo departments here where the career staff is openly rude, and in a couple of cases hostile, to their volunteer force, and management does nothing about it. In at least one case, the Chief openly states that he wants to get rid of all his volunteers even though he currently has only 5 men a shift covering almost 2 square miles from 8 stations.

Bottom line, I still contend that if a volunteer is compensated, to a limited extent, given the same training opportunities as the career staff, respected, and utilized as a first-line member of the team, a combo department can flourish and retain a solid group of volunteers.

For most small and medium sized communities a strong call force is no longer an option. The funds simply do not exist to operate a department without such a force.

[rm1524]

LA-
I think that they tried to keep the volunteer ranks it just that they could not get people to join because of the normal reasons.

[MemphisE34a]

Again, the days are gone that a small community can reasonably support an all-career department without a volunteer component.

Not in places where public safety is taken seriously.

Do these cities you reference solicit volunteers for the road department, the City Attorney, office staff, etc.? Wonder why they don't? And these are all jobs where the chances of getting hurt or injured at work are nearly nill.

[MBarnes]

Bottom line, I still contend that if a volunteer is compensated, to a limited extent, given the same training opportunities as the career staff, respected, and utilized as a first-line member of the team, a combo department can flourish and retain a solid group of volunteers.

If they are compensated then they are not volunteers, just cheap paid staff. That is a problem.