Call-offs close two Warren fire stations
By BILL RODGERS Tribune ChronicleWARREN - For the first time in the city's recent budget crisis, two secondary fire stations were shut down for an entire day Friday.
After vacation time, calls-off for sick leave and a call-off for bereavement leave, the Warren City Fire Department was left with about 12 firefighters and one dispatcher, less than the 17 needed to keep all three stations open.
City administration officials did not approve the use of overtime, a call they said saved the city about $3,600.
Secondary stations on Atlantic Street and Parkman Road are the first dispatched to fires on the northeast and southwest areas of the city respectively. They are the first to close if the number of firefighters drops below minimum staffing.
Until about 7 a.m. today, the remaining 24-hour shift firefighters will stay at the downtown fire station.
There is a general ban against using overtime in the city in an effort to make up an expected $1.75 million budget shortfall, but members of the Fire Department said they have already made attrition cuts in their department.
They worried that there could be injuries because of the staffing. Union president Marc Titus said the safety service levy passed in 2007 was to keep the departments staffed.
"We're outraged about it," Titus said. "We're upset that we just passed a tax."
Titus said that the city was saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by not replacing four firemen.
"It's not the Fire Department causing the deficit. We already made our cuts," he said.
Fire Capt. Dan Suttles said he called Mayor Michael J. O'Brien and Safety Service Director Doug Franklin at 6:50 a.m. They asked about the department's manpower and about the call-offs.
"They were all legitimate," he said of the call-offs.
Suttles said he could call for overtime in the event of a fire, but the lack of firefighters at the other two stations would increase response time. He said if needed, a firefighter would have to be reached by phone, then would have to go to one of the stations to get into their turnout gear.
"My rough guess is about 40 minutes for me to get someone else to help," Suttles said.
Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the department has mutual aid agreements with Warren Township and Howland Township, which he thinks he may use more often.
"It's no one's fault. It's a lack of funding," the chief said.
But Nussle worried about the safety of his crews and said that the department's tactics of fighting vacant home fires has changed in part because of staffing. He believed that the layoffs of 17 fire fighters in 2000 led to two firefighters being seriously burned in a fire on New Year's Eve that year.
"It took an entire year, but when you close stations you're rolling the dice," Nussle said.
The chief said that his crews - unless they think someone is inside the home - will take a defensive approach to fighting a vacant house fire opposed to an offensive approach. He said firefighters will stand outside the burning home and prevent other structures from catching fire.
Nussle did not comment when he was asked if the city could be held liable for injuries, but Titus said "absolutely."
O'Brien called the call-offs legitimate and said the administration was trying to keep "one eye on the budget and the other eye on the services" for the city.
"We're attempting to work the rest of the year without overtime so we don't have massive cuts throughout the entire city," O'Brien said.
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moonbeam
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08-31-08 6:27 PM
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Unbelievable. Mayor O'Brien, you should be ashamed of yourself for not using the levy money (which we passed last year..remember?) in the way in which it was promised. You'll have a hard time getting another safety services levy passed in this city.
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goat13
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08-31-08 1:19 PM
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I can only hope that o'brien and the angelo's burn in hell.
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NorwoodNW
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08-31-08 10:34 AM
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"To Protect and Serve?" Whomever we want whenever we want and what we want IS overtime to do it; we don't care if the city is broke, We want the right to live outside of the city limits because we know the City is not safe "Honor and Duty" We honor our duty and commitment to increasing the position and power or our Union and other City workers Union at the expense of the City of Warren and its citizens We Thank you for passing the Safety Levy out of Fear and we are reminding you through FEAR why you Need us Yes We Know the City is Broke, But we are so selfish we would rather see the City go into receivership rather than Serve you the Citizens of Warren That's How I see It, NO NEW TAXES Mayor O'Brien and Council soon will need an Emergency Levy Passed to make up for the deficit caused by the Passage of the Safety Levy. $700,000.00 in back pay to the Police and Fire Department an 11% Pay raise over the life of the contract and this is how they..."Protect
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Jo29574
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08-30-08 7:29 PM
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Does anyone really care about warren anymore? I'm glad I left. There is too much dirty politics and crime there.
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jamesbresslerjr
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08-30-08 4:44 PM
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Police and Firemen do not want to work, fire them. Politicians need to be fired over this. What is next? Doctors don't want to go to work? Warren is jacked up in thier city politics. Fire all of them, and start over. Cleaning house is the term I am familiar with.
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bruskii
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08-30-08 4:21 PM
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Union runs the town
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WillyWonka
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08-30-08 4:01 PM
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Being a cop and a fireman in warren sounds like an easy job.
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WillyWonka
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08-30-08 4:00 PM
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Since the cops and firemen want to stay home, do we get some of our tax money back. Since they won't have to pay them can I have some of my money back to purchase a gun and a new garden hose?
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kenneth1963
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08-30-08 2:26 PM
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What is being done to the policemen and firemen who are doing this protesting? If nothing is done to stop this form of protesting it will continue. Since the Chief of police didn't do anything to them, don't expect anything from the fire department. Can't they say "no" to requests for vacation that reduce manpower below minimum levels. Who is running this city - the workers or management?
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neversummer
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08-30-08 12:17 PM
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Just let it all burn down. It'll be ok. Start at 0 South St.
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bruskii
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08-30-08 9:19 AM
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They use the taxes is how i drink my beer. get alot. drink alot. p i s s a lot. you always want more beer.
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OldManGrump2
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08-30-08 9:04 AM
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Putting the citizens of Warren at safety risk falls squarely on O'Brien. Warren passed a special levy for safety forces and now he's using it to close the shortfall for the entire city. That's not what was promised and that's not what should be happening. The total of that levy should be used for police and fire citizen safety including overtime when needed. Make the employee cuts of your friends and family in the other departments now Mayor O'Brien, and let the citizens of Warren be safe.
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phbluk
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08-30-08 6:17 AM
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If the firemens is opposed to closed fire stations then why does some of thems want them closed? Firemans safety - how safe are firemans if a fire truck driver starts drinkin and then drives? If you live next door to a station and the house is on fire that station is no secondery to you.You people have the most dangerous job in the whole world.People do care about you and your courage. The city is broke. Ant suggestions how to make up the lost money and provide safety to everybody?
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FlashGordon
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08-30-08 3:11 AM
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Here's a couple questions and thoughts. What do you people think? Since we're talking about the budget here. 1)How about we quit footing the bill for the Packard Museum and let the Packard family pick that one up. Does that place even make the city any money?? 2) How about the city get someone to book some concerts that someone in there say late 20's through the 50's might like to see.Not that there is anything wrong with Vicki Lawrence and John Davidson and Tommy Cash. The Packard Music Hall (and this has all been said before) is a Ca$h Cow but if you don't feed that Ca$h Cow, it won't give you any milk. Next.... 3) What's the deal with that plant that turns my poop into fertilizer? Does that thing make the city any money?? I've been donating to that (sorry, I had to say that)for some time now and I never hear anything about it. Is it still operational? Are we footing the bill for a massive money sink hole? Anyone know any anwers to these questions?
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FlashGordon
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08-30-08 2:47 AM
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Gee, you know that in the real world, not everyone can call off, be off on vacation at the same time. Where I work, in my group, we are manned onsite 24/7. If I am sick and noone will work for me, guess what, I have to go in. If someone in my group has an unscheduled bereavement (as they usually are) someone from the group HAS to cover that spot. This just seems to coincidental. Are the Police and Fire forces trying to send a message? If so,then fine, we got it!! We will not renew the next levy. If you're not there when you are suppose to be after a levy renewal then what's the difference if you're not there after a levy renewal failure. Got me on this one!! Message received here loud and clear. Oh yeah, city officials, you're to blame too!!
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smokey
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08-30-08 2:32 AM
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get out your hoses warren residents ya might need them!! some things just shouldn't be cut like fire,police etc. hey mayor how about taking a pay cut for a little while maybe making cuts in things we don't need as much,??? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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