I spoke with a representative of the Franklin Firefighters Union about the upcoming 2010 budget and the situation the firefighters (and thus the residents of Franklin) are facing. According to the information provided, residents could be looking at longer response times and understaffed fire stations as a result of what's being (not) done with the budget.
Right now, Mayor Taylor has imposed a hiring freeze for every department in the City of Franklin, including the fire department.This freeze came just months after one of our (former) finest, Dan Mayer, was chosen to be the Fire Chief for the City of Cudahy. With no firefighter replacing his being in the department, the department is faced with a difficult situation.
With Mayer, the fire department barely was properly staffed. The count was as follows:
- 3 firefighters per shift for Fire Stations #2
- 2 firefighters per shift for Fire Station #3
- 6 firefighters per shift at the fire department HQ, which is located next to the Franklin Public Library.
Without Mayer, it has now turned into this:
- Fire Station #2 (the one next to the Franklin Business Park) now will have 2 firefighters per shift
- Fire Station #3 (the brand new one on Drexel): Still 2 firefighters per shift
- Fire Station #1 (HQ) still has 6 firefighters per shift
The reasoning behind having a majority of the firefighters at HQ is primarily due to equipment and logistical purposes.
With the hiring freeze in effect, it poses a risk for those living in 3rd, 4th, and 5th Aldermanic Districts. Due to an understaffed Fire Station #3, if anything significant occurs during that shift needing our finest from there, they're now going to need assistance from Station #2, and also possibly from HQ depending on the severity of the case.
In a worst case scenario, residents could have firefighters from two stations (not one) out trying to get one victim to the hospital during the time period thanks to understaffed Stations #2 & #3. Furthermore, with the high probability of firefighters getting injured on the job, or wives having their children, it could equal out deeper problems relative to staffing of our fire stations. I was told that these chances are relatively high by mid-2010. This could make fire/paramedic protection for the eastern half of the city less than effective and nowhere near efficient. The problem with Station #2 is directly linked to the budget cuts; Station #3 is indirectly affected.
Right now with the recent crime increase (also in the eastern half of the city), residents have been wondering if an additional police officer is needed to help tackle the criminal activity. I know several aldermen are looking into keeping the police budget as-is, with little-to-no cuts.The firefighter I spoke to had the following to say:
I think it important to make note of the fact that the Fire Department management staff had given up a management position (Deputy Chief) in order to have the ability to fund 2 additional fire/ EMT positions. By doing this it allowed us to staff at a minimum of 11 firefighter/EMT's per day. The budget cut forces our daily staffing to 10 per day.
My opinion is this: If my home is burglarized or my vehicle is broken into, at least I know I can pick up the pieces and continue to live my life. Another day will come and things will be fixed or get better. On the other hand, if I have a heart attack or a stroke there is a significant chance that I might not be able to see the next sunrise or sunset. With that in my mind, I would absolutely, with no doubts, ask to see improved and adequate staffing at our fire stations. When one's life could be decided in minutes, one wants to ensure that our finest in the fire department will be there in seconds. If two fire stations are understaffed, I don't see how this can be accomplished.
