Deja Vu....all over again. Seems like we read this headline in city after city after city....
DETROIT (AP) - Faced with a steep deficit and a strained
overtime budget for firefighters, the Detroit Fire Department will
deactivate up to five fire companies per day.
The move comes as the department has faced $1.4 million in
overtime costs for firefighters over the past six months.
"These five companies were identified because there was a
certain level of duplication" of services, Jamaine Dickens, Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick's spokesman, told The Detroit News for a Thursday
story.
Union officials expressed disappointment with the move.
"We are really upset that this is going on," Daniel McNamara,
president of the Detroit Firefighters Association, Local 344, told
the Detroit Free Press for a Friday story. "We're leaving holes.
Those fire companies were put there for a reason."
Three companies were closed Thursday.
Dickens said the daily deactivation stems from an arbitration
ruling requiring four firefighters on every engine and ladder truck
and comes at a time when a large number of the city's firefighters
are on vacation, calling in sick or are on disability.
With the city facing a $196 million budget deficit, replacing
the firefighters in accordance with the arbitration ruling is a
drain on the department's overtime budget, Dickens said.
City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel also said the arbitration
leaves the city with few options.
"If four-person crews are mandated, the city can either cut
back or find more money," Cockrel said. "And everybody knows
we're in an extremely tight budget cycle."
The deactivation plan, developed after Fire Commissioner Tyrone
Scott divided Detroit into nine battalion areas, would save the
city about $30,000 per 24 hour shift.
The deactivations are to be implemented on a day-to-day basis,
with certain days requiring only one company to close, Dickens
said.
"It's on an as needed basis," he said. "During the summer
months, this is something that will kick in more. Come fall, there
may be less call-ins (people calling in sick)," meaning that there
would be less deactivations.
Union officials complained that other city departments are
securing hefty overtime.
"Firefighters historically never got overtime and just did with
what we had," McNamara said. "I understand the city is hurting
for money, but there are basic services they are supposed to
provide and they are not doing it."
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

DETROIT (AP) - Faced with a steep deficit and a strained
overtime budget for firefighters, the Detroit Fire Department will
deactivate up to five fire companies per day.
The move comes as the department has faced $1.4 million in
overtime costs for firefighters over the past six months.
"These five companies were identified because there was a
certain level of duplication" of services, Jamaine Dickens, Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick's spokesman, told The Detroit News for a Thursday
story.
Union officials expressed disappointment with the move.
"We are really upset that this is going on," Daniel McNamara,
president of the Detroit Firefighters Association, Local 344, told
the Detroit Free Press for a Friday story. "We're leaving holes.
Those fire companies were put there for a reason."
Three companies were closed Thursday.
Dickens said the daily deactivation stems from an arbitration
ruling requiring four firefighters on every engine and ladder truck
and comes at a time when a large number of the city's firefighters
are on vacation, calling in sick or are on disability.
With the city facing a $196 million budget deficit, replacing
the firefighters in accordance with the arbitration ruling is a
drain on the department's overtime budget, Dickens said.
City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel also said the arbitration
leaves the city with few options.
"If four-person crews are mandated, the city can either cut
back or find more money," Cockrel said. "And everybody knows
we're in an extremely tight budget cycle."
The deactivation plan, developed after Fire Commissioner Tyrone
Scott divided Detroit into nine battalion areas, would save the
city about $30,000 per 24 hour shift.
The deactivations are to be implemented on a day-to-day basis,
with certain days requiring only one company to close, Dickens
said.
"It's on an as needed basis," he said. "During the summer
months, this is something that will kick in more. Come fall, there
may be less call-ins (people calling in sick)," meaning that there
would be less deactivations.
Union officials complained that other city departments are
securing hefty overtime.
"Firefighters historically never got overtime and just did with
what we had," McNamara said. "I understand the city is hurting
for money, but there are basic services they are supposed to
provide and they are not doing it."
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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