Staffing in Roanoke Part III
This post is just for a little clarification as well as some "case and point" examples for the nay-sayers and those who wanted examples.
First of all, Jay at Firefighter Hourly.com has talked about the two part (now three) post on staffing in Roanoke. Check out the post here and the podcast here. FireGeezer also covered the story here.
I believe that Jay understood me exactly, and in talking to many firefighters I believe that I got the point across. However, there are plenty of firefighters who still don't think it is a big deal to simply mark trucks out of service for long periods of time for any reason at all.
I did not realize that my point would be proven so quickly, but yesterday was a perfect example of what I meant. Yesterday, Engine 2, Engine 3, Quint 7, and Medic 7 were reported to be out of service from 0800 - 1700 hours (8am til 5pm). That meant that at station 2 we were left with ladder 2 and medic 2, at station 13 we were left with ladder 13, and at station 7 we were left with NOTHING.
The interesting thing is that the neighborhood groups around station 7 were told that their service would not be changed (to which there was a collective laugh by the firefighters). If indeed engine 7 was still in service, one of the trucks would have remained in service (I should hope).
I can't make this stuff up.
As for solutions. Well I have been working on solutions for all of this including the medic thingy. Sure, they are my ideas or that of the firefighters which I believe will work. Of course, all of it costs money. If it didn't cost money, we wouldn't be working the way we do.
First of all, Jay at Firefighter Hourly.com has talked about the two part (now three) post on staffing in Roanoke. Check out the post here and the podcast here. FireGeezer also covered the story here.
I believe that Jay understood me exactly, and in talking to many firefighters I believe that I got the point across. However, there are plenty of firefighters who still don't think it is a big deal to simply mark trucks out of service for long periods of time for any reason at all.
I did not realize that my point would be proven so quickly, but yesterday was a perfect example of what I meant. Yesterday, Engine 2, Engine 3, Quint 7, and Medic 7 were reported to be out of service from 0800 - 1700 hours (8am til 5pm). That meant that at station 2 we were left with ladder 2 and medic 2, at station 13 we were left with ladder 13, and at station 7 we were left with NOTHING.
The interesting thing is that the neighborhood groups around station 7 were told that their service would not be changed (to which there was a collective laugh by the firefighters). If indeed engine 7 was still in service, one of the trucks would have remained in service (I should hope).
I can't make this stuff up.
As for solutions. Well I have been working on solutions for all of this including the medic thingy. Sure, they are my ideas or that of the firefighters which I believe will work. Of course, all of it costs money. If it didn't cost money, we wouldn't be working the way we do.
8 comments:
Just another day in the great city where so many trucks are marked out of service. You know I was always told you can only push your luck so far, and I hope when the citys luck runs out that no one is hurt.
You wrote Engine 3 instead of Engine 13.
While they were out, three differant fire alarms came in at the same time. On the third call Engine 14 was sent to deep NW and Co. Ladder 5 was dispatched, because all of the Ladder trucks were out.
Actually station 11 was out all day with no one there till 5. What was left of their crew and what was left of 7's ran an old resreve truck out of station 7 till pump class was over.
And that old reserve will not pass state inspection. Now admin. is putting firefighters lives in danger. Hope they have good liability insurance.
Yall should keep the hearsay to a minimum. The inspection information hasn't been proven.
Engine 2 spends more time out of service than in service. That is not hearsay it is a fact. If the uninon wants to persue a worthwhile cause why not compile an official list of dates and times (based on dispatch logs) that apparatus is OOS then present it to city council and the city residents. I'm sure that it will open some eyes.
How about we take a little responsability and each day someone from each station send Rhett an email with the times their apparatus is out of service ??? I would be willing to do that for my station and shift.
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