|
City
of Clifton plans for fire
layoffs and station closure |
|
|
|
|
By TODD HOLLRITT
|
|
|
|
|
1st Responder
Network |
Story Number
021909119 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
By
Todd
Hollritt |
|
The
Clifton
city
council
heard
arguments
to
save
firefighter
jobs,
and
a
local
fire
station
Tuesday
night. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
By
Todd
Hollritt |
|
Station
2 on
Dumont
Avenue
in
the
northwest
part
of
the
city
would
close,
the
is
the
home
of
Engine
Company
2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
By
Todd
Hollritt |
|
Firefighters
packed
the
entrance
to
city
hall
as
they
arrived
prior
to
the
important
council
meeting. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
By
Todd
Hollritt |
|
Residents
sat
and
firefighters
lined
the
walls
of
the
crowded
council
chambers.
At
times
loud
responses
of
applause
and
cheering
supported
the
firemen
as
speakers
voiced
their
opposition
to
the
fire
service
cutbacks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
A
Clifton
firefighter
listens
and
looks
on
as
the
fate
of a
firehouse
and
his
brother
firemen
are
discussed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
By
Todd
Hollritt |
|
Only
time
will
tell
if a
firehouse
and
firemen
will
be
saved,
these
firemen
are
used
to
helping
others,
now
their
fate
may
be
in
the
hands
of
those
they
protect
every
day. |
|
|
|
|
|
CLIFTON, NJ - The economic
issues that face the nation
are now affecting the local
firehouse. On Tuesday,
February 17, 2009 two
hundred firefighters from
the City of Clifton and
their supporters attended
the City Council meeting to
protest a plan that would
eliminate 16 firefighters
and a deputy chief in March.
In addition to the loss of
firefighters, many with
years of experience, a
Captain and three
Lieutenants would be
demoted.
This action would also
result in the deactivation
of an engine company at Fire
Station 2 located on Dumont
Avenue on March 6. This
engine company closure would
mean that residents in the
neighborhoods that the
firehouse has served for
decades, will have to wait
longer for a response from
the fire department, one
that is already
understaffed, with most
engines now operating with a
three man crew already. The
closest firehouse to respond
would be Engine Co. 5
located at Broad Street and
Van Houten Avenue, if they
are in quarters when the
alarm comes in.
The City of Clifton Fire
Department serves a
population of almost 79.000
residents located in an area
of 11.4 square miles, they
provide both fire and EMS
services, utilizing six fire
stations located throughout
the area, long response
times due to distance and
congestion are a common
problem that the
firefighters deal with on
each response every day.
At the council meeting
several residents spoke
about their experiences with
the fire department, recent
fires in the area that
Engine 2 protects brought
some emotional outcries by
people who have been
directly effected by
tragedy, and who’s only hope
has been the fire
departments quick response.
They saw first hand how the
firefighters have risen time
and time again to save
property and lives. Their
stories were met with loud
applause in the standing
room only crowd gathered at
city hall.
Robert DeLuca, president of
the Clifton Firemen's Mutual
Benevolent Association said
before the meeting that he
understands that the city
needs to find ways to save
money. "But no one's safety
should suffer because of
it," he said. About 60
firefighters handed out 7000
fliers protesting the
closure of Station 2, “It’s
going to jeopardize the
safety of the residents, and
negatively affect homeowners
insurance rates” Deluca
said. “This would reduce the
department to just 5
firehouses”
Today the department does
not meet NFPA 1710 standards
as set forth in the
guidelines. This sets the
minimum amount of personnel
needed in a fire company to
provide adequate response
time in an emergency. One
option proposed by the city
is to privatize the EMS
services, today two
ambulances, and a third if
staffing permits are
available for medical calls.
The department staffs six
engine and two ladder
companies.
The city has requested that
employees belonging to the
several unions located in
Clifton agree to work at the
rate of their 2008 salaries,
deferring any raises. The
proposed layoffs of FMBA
Local 21 members are part of
a citywide layoff plan
adopted in December that
would save the city about $4
million annually. Under this
plan, 60 people would be
laid off, including the
seventeen Clifton firemen.
This would trim about
$600,000 from the 2009
budget. The firefighters
union has suggested salary
deferrals and contractual
concessions that would
remove $600,000 from the
budget in an attempt to save
the jobs and keep the
threatened firehouse in
service. Just how many lives
this action may save only
time would tell. Nobody in
the fire service wants to
think about the alternative.
A sad fact is the city’s
response to such a plan,
“Thanks but, no thanks.”
The next few weeks will be a
difficult time for the
Clifton Fire Department but
this is nothing new for the
firefighters who are faced
each day with such things as
understaffed apparatus, a
growing fire load, fire
inspections, increased
responses to fires,
increased training, haz-mat,
mutual aid and ambulance
requests. They will yet
again rise the calling, and
do all they can to protect
the residents they serve.
And they just might have to
save their own in the
process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|