A growing number of
firefighters are now receiving more than $100,000 in overtime each year. Nothing will change as long as the mayor and a
majority of city council members continue to seek and benefit from the fire
union’s endorsement during reelection campaigns. The mayor and council’s quid pro quo protects
them from the kind of fiscal scrutiny taxpayers are demanding. Public safety unions are acting no
differently than corporate executives who profit from city contracts and then
grease the palms of the city council.
The justification the fire
union and management uses for these massive staffing costs is found in a guide
that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) produces. This organization recommends that four
firefighters be staffed on engine and truck companies because, it argues, four
is safer and more efficient than three. Contradicting
that claim is the fact that the
Do the residents of the
affluent city of
I have conducted an audit of
the
Even though 90% of
The argument given by the
fire unions for mandatory staffing with four is the OSHA requirement that four firefighters make up an entry team to extinguish a
structure fire. It’s called the two in,
two out rule. OSHA, for safety measures, requires two firefighters remain
posted at the point of entry in order to be able to enter the burning structure
to rescue, if needed, the two firefighters entering with the attack hose. Using simple math, that adds up to four
firefighters. So the fire unions argue
that in order to make a rapid assault on a structure fire they need four on the
first arriving engine company.
But what has been
conveniently withheld is the factual detail found in the NFPA guidelines. Rule 1710 requires that the engineer, who is
responsible for water flow to the attack hose, must remain fixed at his
position at the pump controls on the engine. This assignment is for the safety of the
firefighters making entry because they must be assured of a constant and steady
flow of water. There are numerous ways
the water pressure can be compromised and it is extremely important that the
engineer remain at this critical post. This
fixed position obviously negates the engineers’ role in the two in, two out
team. Another firefighter has to remain
at the hydrant and secure the hose and wait for instructions to open the water
flow.
The bottom line is that it
takes two engine companies to mount an interior attack on a structure fire,
whether the engines are staffed with three or four. Even though Glendale fire union and
management officials claim they can enter a structure on fire with a four
person engine company, an audit of Glendale’s structure fires over the last two
years reveals that at least two engine companies and one truck company were on
scene prior to making entry in every incident.
Imposing staffing reforms
from four to three are taking place in city after city across the state and
country as tax revenues continue to diminish. Cities now realize they must bring
expenditures in line with revenues and avoid long-term borrowing to make up the
shortfall in attempting to balance their annual budgets.
Having studied this issue
for years, I am convinced that enormous cost savings can be found in safe and
prudent fire staffing and by building reserve programs that are more commonly
found in police departments. Staffing of
fire resources cannot be set solely by the fire department because both
management and the union have vested financial interests. What is needed now and more than ever is to
have a citizens group examine the issues based upon actual data and report back
their findings and recommendations. The
process must be completely free of fire department and union influence. I strongly suspect that a citizen’s committee
could identify more than $150 million in annual savings for the city of
I am encouraged by the
recent turnout of
I am as proud of the
Respectfully,
Bruce Philpott,
retired Pasadena Police Chief
818.240.8949