            Lockport Fire Department’s IAFF Local 963 response to overtime issues

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The Mayor is quoted as saying that only 2 years since 1988 has Fire Department overtime been under $100,000. He should show the paperwork provided to him by the Union showing the years of overtime usage, the circumstances surrounding overtime usage, and the actions the City took to alleviate the overtime situations. Take budget amounts with a grain of salt. When Department Heads submit budgets requests, Finance Committee members approve or alter these amounts. This is sometimes done as a way to keep overall budget numbers down. An example would be not funding retirement buyouts.

Here is a Quick history lesson: Turbulent times between Union and management resulted in layoffs around 1982. That coupled with numerous retirements lead to a spike in Fire Department overtime. A change in Administration resulted in the hiring of Fire Fighters in 1986 and 1987. This action dampened Fire Department overtime thru the late 1980’s. A steady run of retirements during 1990–1993, along with a Christmas layoff of Fire Fighters in 1992 created an extreme jump in overtime during 1992–1993. Common Council action to hire Fire Fighters, as noted in Council minutes dated 2/15/95, lowered overtime, as mentioned by Mayor Tucker. After 6 years of controlled overtime cost, the Fire Department has seen 11 retirements and 1 position deleted with only 2 hires.

The Fire Department has always had a minimum staffing level be it written or not. At one time minimum manning was 12 men, then 11 men, now 10 men. Only for a 6 month period in 2002 was minimum manning less then 10. It was only after a series of unfortunate incidents; a house fire, a business fire, then a less than acceptable response to the largest employer in WNY, did the Common Council figure out that Fire Fighters were not able to get all needed equipment to the scene of a fire call. Thus the 10 Man Minimum Manning Agreement.

Phyllis Green stated shortly after her election in 2002 that all City employees will have to do more with less. The Fire Department now offers more services than in the past, offers higher levels of services then in the past and we do it with a working strength that is 20% less then in 2001. Manpower levels are 49% below the manpower levels from the 1970’s. Yet call volume continues to show slight increases year to year.

Joe Kibler wants people to believe that all Fire Fighters work second jobs and call in sick to work these second jobs. Truth is, few Fire Fighters work second jobs anymore. He wants people to believe that Fire Fighters abuse sick time by calling in to create more overtime. When asked to provide proof of this, he was unable to. Reason being could be that sick time use is down. The Fire Department used 508 sick days in 2002, 422 sick days in 2003, and sick days used in 2004 dropped to 345. This is a sick time use decrease of 47% over 3 years. Sure the Department staffing is down, but give credit where credit is due! This is an area covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If this is such an issue, why was it not addressed in the recent negotiations? Fire Department members have banked a total of over 7000 sick days. As a matter of fact, dollars spent on overtime in the Fire Department in 2004 was less than in 2003. And the Department worked with 2 fewer men.

Residency was an issue. Then Council members figured out that only 5 members live outside the City. And one of these owns City property. You no longer hear residency being an issue.

The truth is that nearly all areas of Fire Fighter time off are down except 2 areas. Compensatory time is one area. More Fire Fighters are exercising their contractual right to take time off, rather than take pay, under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This is no surprise as some Fire Fighters are working over 400 additional hours a year in overtime. The second area that is up is Workers Compensation. This is lost work time due to on the job injury. Workers Compensation days have increased from a low of 160 days in 2001 to a high of 338 days in 2004. This is an increase of 111%. Along with this increase in days lost is an increase in Worker Compensation Insurance cost to the City, and overtime cost.

Yet City Officials are not willing to stand by their own words that "It is cheaper to pay overtime then hire Fire Fighters." OR IS IT?

During the year 2002 the Lockport Fire Department saw 5 men retire. The City paid members a total of $161,774 in overtime money and enacted a hiring freeze. Probably a good cost saving move.

The year 2003 saw 4 more men retire. Now down 9 men, the City hired 2 Fire Fighters leaving the Department 7 men short of the previous Department manning level of 59. These unfilled positions lead the way to an overtime budget cost of $367,305.

Another retirement in year 2004 put the Fire Department at 51 men. Last year the City paid a total overtime cost of $ 351,868.

That’s a total of 10 retirements, 2 hires and 2 men out on long term injury for a working strength number of 49 men.

That is a 3 year overtime total cost of $880,947!

During the years of 2002-2004, your City leaders decided that it was best to pay top paid Fire Fighters an overtime base pay rate of $32.88/hr. Hiring Fire Fighters at a starting pay base rate of $17.31 did not make sense.

It’s now 2005. Fire Fighters are still faced with excessive overtime to fill minimum manning to keep needed equipment is service. This includes 2 Paramedic ambulances and the aerial truck. Work related injuries are up, the “burnout” factor is beginning to take hold. The Union negotiated longer terms to reach top pay as an incentive to hire. Yet the City leaders continue the practice of paying top paid Fire Fighters a 12 hour average of $428.16 to work a shift on overtime when they could be paying a starting Fire Fighter a 12 hour average of $214.56.

People have to ask questions. Elected Officials have to be responsible for their decisions. Remember, these same decision makers nearly depleted the 2.5 million dollar fund surplus, led the way to a worse bond rating, took away from our elderly, and insulted our minorities. Not all that is evil in Lockport wears a badge, as some elected officials want you to believe.

Kevin W. Pratt

This letter was submitted to the Buffalo News:

A lot of smoke, but little fire, more like, lots of fluff, but little circumstance.

“Everyone needs to be at the table to talk.”

“We all have to get on the same page.”

“We are not communicating.”

The Mayor announced in November of 2004 that he would form a City/Union committee approach to discuss the future of the Fire department. City participants are Mayor Tucker, attorney Tom DiMillo, Council President Lombardi, alderman / Fire Board member Schrader, alderman Blackley, and Fire Chief Passiute. Union representatives include attorney Stack, Union President Pete Richardson, Vice President Tom Lupo, and members Mark DeVine, Craig Butler and Tom Glenn.

1^st meeting held in March with only Mayor and Schrader from the City side. They wanted ideas from the “Union experts.” They also threatened 10 layoffs come Jan 06 if the Union couldn’t come up with cost savings ideas.

2^nd meeting, cancelled by City.

3^rd meeting, cancelled by Union.

4^th meeting, cancelled by City.

Council members want us to believe that Fire Department overtime and central dispatch are some of their most important financial concerns, yet this is an example of their “open lines of communication”.

In his obvious political stump for higher elective office, Scott Cercone says that “service providers in the City need to find ways to do things differently.” And that “these changes can be made without laying off Fire Fighters.” He also stated that Central Dispatch “makes good business sense”. We have been asking questions concerning central dispatch since 1998.We have yet to get any answers. Maybe Pat Schrader and Phyllis Green or any Council member for that matter could answer some of those questions. If central dispatch makes such good sense, tell us all how this will work, who will be responsible for what duties and place a dollar figure on all of this. Does North Tonawanda have a signed agreement with the County that they will never receive a charge for this service and that all Niagara County taxpayers will pay for this? Why have you elected Officials never pursued County funds to offset the cost of City dispatch for providing this service?

I have provided a list of services that the City of Lockport Fire Department is trained in and responds to. Please cross out what services you plan on cutting, address how the City residents should access those services when needed in the future and at what cost, and detail in dollar figures, how much cutting those services will save taxpayers and what the impact will be on the tax rate.

OUR MISSION:

The primary mission of the Lockport Fire Department is the preservation of human life through risk reduction and control. The department serves without prejudice or favoritism, all of the citizens of the City of Lockport by safeguarding collectively and individually, their lives against fatal effects of fires, explosions, hazardous material emergencies, and other emergencies including, but not limited to, traffic accidents, train wrecks, aircraft crashes, medical emergencies, floods, windstorms, earthquakes, structural collapses, and other natural disasters.

The second objective of the department's mission is the safeguarding of the general economy and welfare of the community by preventing major conflagrations and the destruction by fire of payroll producing, economically essential industries and businesses.

OUR SERVICES:

Fire Suppression
Hazardous Material Operations at Operations Level
Hazardous Condition Operations
Rescue Operations includes High Angle & Confined Space
Emergency Medical Services at Paramedic level
Communications & Information Systems
Administration
Public Safety Announcements
Training & Safety
Ambulance Revenue Recovery
Fire Safety Inspections
Fire Safety Education
Fire Department Tours

Scott Cercone seems very short sighted in terms of history. You see in the 1970’s the Fire department had a manpower level of 79 who proudly provided services that saved lives and protected property. Through the years the membership rolls have dropped 38% down to 49 active members, who now provide more services, many of which are highly advanced and technical.

Yes Phyllis, City population is roughly 22,500 people. We also know that the median income is just over $35,000, and that the average assessed value of a home in Lockport is just over $69,000.

Based on this information, the cost, including benefits, for a paid professional City of Lockport Fire Department is approximately $266.02 a year or .72 per day.

By comparison, the daily newsstand price of the U.S.& J. is $221.00/year or .60/day.

Verizon DSL online connection is $417.72/year or $1.14/day.

Adelphia Classic cable is $589.68/year or $1.61/day.

Kevin W. Pratt

434-6503