Firefighters facing budget cuts give back their raises to taxpayers. Martin County Firefighters Union voluntarily returned their 5% cost of living raise tonight to the county taxpayers. Martin County Commissioners say the firefighters giving back their raise is unprecedented.
"Voluntary contract concessions of this scale are unheard of in the public sector," union representative Todd Tucker told commissioners at the podium, "But as Martin County residents and taxpayers, we recognize the financial crisis is real."
It saves the county $1.5 million. It's enough to hire at least 3 more firefighters to cut down on swelling overtime costs hitting $200,000 a year.
"It is unprecedented and I thank them," said Commissioner Lee Weberman,"Overtime numbers are shocking and have increased astronomically in the past few years. Maybe this will help cut overtime by adding positions."
Returning the raise also keeps fire stations on the chopping block now open.
"I don't want to kid you--it hurts. 5 % hurts."said Cliff Williams\Martin Co. Firefighter, "We're talking about making my monthly bills, that is what it is. I mean, vacations, don't really plan to--it's definately money out of our pockets. It's not about the individual firefighter at this point, it is about the community."
The firefighter's union says in a tough economic times, they want to keep the level of service high and that means making a sacrifice to keep staffing levels up.
The Firefighter's union has tough words for Martin County administrators, saying if they'd listened to the union's recommendations last year--it would have saved taxpayers somewhere around $500,000 to 1 million dollars.
House Committee Restores First Responder Funds
June 11, 2008 – The Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved legislation to provide additional funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) and FIRE Act grant programs. As approved, the 2009 Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2009 includes $230 million for SAFER and $570 million for FIRE Act.
In his budget for 2009, the president proposed significant cuts to first responder grants, providing only $300 million for FIRE Act grants and eliminating the SAFER grant program altogether.
“I applaud Chairman David Price (D-NC) and the Subcommittee for restoring funding to SAFER and FIRE Act grants,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “The president’s proposal to cut these essential programs was ill-conceived from the start, and would prove incredibly foolish today as local fire department budgets face substantial strain in the weak economy."
The funding allocated by the Subcommittee provides an additional $40 million for SAFER and $10 million for FIRE Act grants over what was appropriated for Fiscal Year 2008.
The Appropriations bill also restores the president’s cuts to additional programs first responder grant programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Metropolitan Medical Response System and Interoperable Communications grants.
The Subcommittee’s action is only the first step in the federal budget process. The legislation will next be considered by the full Appropriations Committee the week of June 16.
PUBLIC SAFETY TAKES HIT AS DISPATCHERS ARE LAID OFF
There will be less police officers to patrol the streets of this town of 15,000 after the township committee announces their plans to lay off police dispatchers. The 3 full time and pool of 9 part time dispatchers will be laid off June 30th under the committee's plan. The committee alleges they can save $250,000 of the township's $12 million budget by switching dispatching services to the county.
Police administrators were taken by suprise when they were notified of the decision last Friday. They were never given any opportunity by the committee to explore alternatives or have any part in the planning of hwo the county would handle the town's police dispatch.
Lay offs of the dispatchers will have a serious, negative effect on how officers respond to calls. The committee's failure to meet with police administrators prior to their decision to lay off dispatchers is a complete disregard for public safety. What the committee failed to realize is that Cinnaminson's police dispatchers do more than just dispatch. They handle all of the day-to-day clerical work in the department. Laying off the dispatchers will leave one clerical person for the department. Officers will be required to take time from their patrol duties to handle clerical duties that were handled by the dispatchers. This means fewer officers on the street to handle service calls. This will also mean that the station once open 24/7 to serve the public will now be closed evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Police Administrators here also expect a delay responding to police calls based on the differences of how local dispatchers take calls versus the county dispatchers. The county has call takers who screen the calls prior to them being handed off to a radio dispatcher who handles several towns. The local dispatchers handle one town and routinely dispatch officers while they are still on the phone with the caller.
Police employees and administrators are calling the lay offs a slap in the face to dispatchers as well as the citizens by only giving two months notice while at the same time jeopardizing public safety and service. This issue has not been thought out, Township Committee should have worked with the police administration and the police association to come up with a solution that would keep these dispatchers employed and still keeping in mind the budget,said Danny Norman, president of the Cinnaminson Firefighters Union IAFF Local 4363.