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Monday, September 29, 2008

Clearbrook Agreement to end June 30, 2009

Where do I start? Much like the rest of the FD I am losing my hair from scratching my head.


Ok, accept this as as much of an apology as I am willing to give. The information I posted earlier was a little less than the complete truth. However, that is not entirely my fault. The majority of blame is actually in the hands of the people calling the shots but only giving us the cliffnotes minutes before action.

Let me say this, from what I am hearing since the document was published (which can be viewed on Local1132.org) is that there will be a Medic 8 and Engine 13 will stay in service as well (according to Admin). The Clearbrook guys will come back to the City. How, What, and When all depends.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I spoke with a paid county fire Captain @ Hollins and he told me that the county's administration is pulling their second medic truck out of Hollins in the next couple of months to staff a unit at Read Mountain. City still suffers a loss, Medic 10 will cover their territory while the county truck is covering Blue Ridge. the whole area is going to hell together, at least we are all consistent.

Anonymous said...

Hoback hasnt any sense at all and Darlene, well, you've seen what she's done with the City of Roanoke. Why on earth would a secratary have any business sense, fire fighting sense, or even any EMS sense since he really has never ridden an ambulance or fire truck. Yet, the citizens of Roanoke may have to pay so their own firefighters will be paid to work in Botetourt/Roanoke County jurisdiction??
As a Roanoke City taxpayer I am a bit confused as to how Bonsack even comes into the equation???? I understand Clearbrook somewhat because Im sure that there are a fair amount of calls that come into that station that are City calls.....but Bonsack??
Was he even a good secratary? Just curious.

-Sol Rosenberg

Anonymous said...

sale the ambulances..

Anonymous said...

Wonder what the long term is for the staffing of Roanoke County Station #1 on Plantation Rd? It's going to wind up just like #9 is with Richfield. #1 will go to Friendship Manor constantly.

So when is the opening date for City Station #3 on Birchlawn? Curiosity for my neighborhood. What is the plan for staffing it? Where will the FF/Trucks etc come from?

Anonymous said...

Well we finally have something positive coming out of the city managers office. Thats a first huh. Getting our guys back from Clearbrook is something we've been wanting for a long time now. What happens after that I dont know. I'd say there will be a medic truck at 14 in the future staffed with the personell from E2 after they cut it out. You know when new #3 is up and running E2 is on the chopping block. Thats just my opinion, who really knows?

Anonymous said...

you are right, engine 2 could be next because they have a swiss army knife of the fire service there. The QUINT. see what the quints have done for us so far? Well they have put almost a half million dollars in repairs so far. We have lost 1 engine compnay and maybe a second one in 13???? maybe. and they are geting ready to order another one. If they can only put a quint at station 1 we can send engine 1 packing!!!! then we can put anohter medic unit at 13 so we can run more county calls. Does anyone think this smells that read mtn is going down the drain and can not run their calls and Hoback is a member and lives in that area?? you be the judge.

Anonymous said...

Just to clarify, the county is not pulling the secound medic truck out of Hollins to staff a unit at Read Mountain. The county is having the part time EMS employees take the third medic truck at Hollins (that is run by the volunteers at night) to cover Read Mountain calls two to three days a week. Which will hopefully ease work load and call volume for Vinton and Hollins. Thus keeping Medic 10 and even Medic 6 out of the county.
Also the last day for city employees in Clearbrook is June 30th 2009.

Anonymous said...

They already have the personel to man Medic 14. Engine 13 goes out of service for good at the first of the year. Six positions lost, and the other six were to go to Medic 8, now Medic 14. The big problem is coming up with Medics for the Medic Truck.

I wonder where they will look for Medics?

Anonymous said...

Maybe they will start shitting them?

Maybe they are in Al Gore's Lockbox?

Maybe we need to start recruiting them?

Anonymous said...

Thats the problem. they will start "recruiting" fresh young medics, and they will be medic/firefighters. While the recruit will be a good strong medic, and the firefighter part, o well..

Anonymous said...

Ask Sarah Palin.... She might find you some Medics up there in AlASka. That is unless they are attached to a border patrol squadron.

Anonymous said...

If I were a Lt getting medic money, I would be getting a little worried.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, where are they gonna come up with all these medics?? Hell, it takes up to 2 years for a FF/EMT to become an Intermediate with the way the EMT I class at the training center works. And that is only if the person passes all of the series of state tests and become cleared.
This whole thing stinks to beat hell and all of the current medics will pay for it Im sure.
How about recruiting medics that are not firefighters and keep them exclusively on the medic trucks?
Dept is really screwed when this whole EMT-I goes away in 2010, or is it 2011, or is it 2012. Nobody really knows that either.

Anonymous said...

The EMT-I program isn't going away, Virginia is going to continue to recognize it after 2012. But back on topic, have you noticed that this story hasn't been in the news? Why haven't the union jumped on this to call out administration? This is a perfect example of the poorly managed City of Roanoke. It's time to stop talking and do something. If we won't stand up then nobodies going to do it for us. NO CONFIDENCE

Anonymous said...

What are you talking about. Correct me if I'm wrong or if this is what you are referring to the union doing something about but we asked to bring the guys back from CLearbrook when 90 plus of us went to council,and Engine 13 is not going to be put out of service as originally thought.

FireFleitz said...

You are absolutely right. The Union Brothers fought hard to get the guys back from Clearbrook as well as keeping Engine 13 in service. What exactly will happen will not be known until it is done. However, it is a shame that even with these occurrences, our own can't even realize that we might have had something to do with it.

Thanks for pointing it out though, at least someone is paying attention!

Anonymous said...

Did you hear the rumor about 3 captains being investigated by administration for seperate issues?
What's that about?

Anonymous said...

What if those at Clearbrook are completely happy? The "Union" was not fighting to get the guys back from Clearbrook, we were simply making a statement because we have no power or say in this whole deal.

Someone may want to ask the guys at Clearbrook if they even want to come back to this scum pond. Hmmmmm, sleep all night and go on legit calls or come back to running calls all night for someone who hurt their toe. Sure the city fights more fire (or should I say signifigant fire) but the city also had a LOT more B.S. to deal with.

Anonymous said...

They work for the city of Roanoke!! Not the county of Roanoke,If they want to they can apply for the county. The union did the right thing to fight to save Engine 13.They needed 6 postions for the budget cut,The union fought to get the clearbrook people back and not shut down engine 13.We may have won a small battle and you want to bitch about it! Sleep all night and run real calls???? you got to be kidding, its your job to run calls you idiot!! stop your crying and get back to the city and do your job for the people that are paying you!!!The tax payers of ROANOKE CITY!

Anonymous said...

Legit calls!?! they sat on their ass 95 percent of the time. Oh yeah I forgot they were the transport service for Phesant Ridge.. sounds like real legit calls to me.

Anonymous said...

The Union was fighting to save Engine 13 but I believe in the long term it will be gone. And yes, Clearbrook is a transport for Pheasant Ridge but at least they are not running thier guys to death like the City is. C'mon, there are plenty of medics out there that are sick and tired of running B.S. calls all night. I believe I have earned the right to bitch because I've had way too many sleepless nights babysitting idiots who abuse the 911 system.

How about when I get treated fairly by the administration then I will shut up and do my job. When they give us more than a 2% raise Ill do my job. When they stop making up the rules as they go then Ill do my job. When they stop rewarding kiss-asses Ill do my job.

Disgruntled.

Anonymous said...

In your own words Rhett you said that we "might" have had something to do with this, but it doesn't matter because nothing was said about it. Once again the union was shown in the media as being weak when the approved the budget as is. And now the city manager places a timeline on the removal of our people from cleaarbrook and it doesn't matter if they realized they were wrong or that our points were right because NOBODY KNOWS. People are paying attention and they see the way that administration is walking over us, how the city manager and her assistant grigsbo get their way without resistance, how we support council members who don't hold true to their promises to us, and they see how weak our union is. We talk a big talk but we don't follow through, and there are people tired of hearing that if you and rodney can't do it all yourself but you won't put any responsibilities on other officers in the union and when someone steps up you don't even keep them informed. So lets do what we always do, nothing.

Anonymous said...

half the old medics are cry babies. The other half are quiet and do thier job, mainly because they got promoted and still get paid the money,plus very seldom ride the medic truck and for all you new medics,shut up ride the truck, go to the hospital, and keep smooching,rubbing and screwing the nurses. Because I dont hear you complaining about that part of your job, but I do remember you signing a contract, now take the job and do it or keep moving, but please just shut-up. We know you have long nights but most of us have been there to and we got through it. PS- Please dont slam the door as you leave or drop your boots when you get back, IM TRYING TO SLEEP!

Anonymous said...

I hate to say it guys, but this arguement is null and void. Mr. "Then I'll do my job..." Like it or not, you're doing your job anyway. As shitty as it sounds with all of the NON-perks to this job-when you show up on shift, you're going to do your job. You cna sit here and say that for whatever reason you don't feel like doing your job. Got news for ya...You still are working here. The day you stop "doing your job"-whether it be due to lack of pay, unfair working conditions, or the inability to realize that running calls (ligit or not) is what firefighters and medics and police officers do- I'm sure adminstration would gladly accept your resignation (they're looking to downsize anyway, right?). I'm not saying that what's going on here is right, by any stretch of the imagination. However, you cannot sit there and say that only if things change will you then do your job. Because, that's the nature of things. I'm sure you're a good ff/emt/medic and you would not refuse to leave on a call because you're pissy.

Anonymous said...

Amen Bother