FMBA: 'Luck' Keeping Firefighters, Residents Safe
Firefighters call for increase in manpower at department.
The debate over minimum staffing levels in the Fire Department continued Tuesday night; with firefighter advocates saying “luck” saved a life during the Hamilton House Apartment fire earlier this month.
FMBA Vice President James Ryan Jr. told the Town Council that the Council’s decision to cut minimum staffing levels has placed firefighters and residents in jeopardy. Town officials have said the cut, from nine to seven, was done to prevent layoffs in the department.
“We accept risk when we choose this profession, what we don’t accept is the gross understaffing,” Ryan said.
Ryan said that the four-alarm fire at the Mountain Avenue apartment complex on April 4 had two Westfield fire trucks with three firefighters each responding at the start. He indicated that Westfield’s ladder truck was unable to respond due to the lack of firefighters on duty.
Ryan said that two firefighters had to go into save Roy Rentrop from the burning building early on and that the injury list could have been worse. The fire originated in Rentrop’s apartment and he was found on the living floor with smoke inhalation and burns. Rentrop was flown to St. Barnabas in Livingston where he was admitted to the burn ICU.
“Instead of operating using industry best practices, the Westfield Fire Department has been relaying on luck for far too long,” Ryan said.
Ryan said that if victims had been on higher floors – the building is only two stories – or there were higher floors with flames above Rentrop, it would have been impossible to make rescues. Ryan said using the town’s ladder truck would have made it easier to combat the fire and to make rescues if it were a larger building.
Ryan said the ladder truck has not responded to seven out of the eight last big fires, noting that three of the counties 21 towns do not use a ladder truck on a regular basis. In addition to Westfield, Ryan said Garwood and Winfield, the counties two smallest towns, are the others. He said the first ladder truck, from Mountainside, was the first to respond half an hour after Westfield arrived.
“We did not need to lose the entire building,” Ryan said. “There was one guy on the roof. We were taught on the first day of firefighter school to work in pairs. If someone was on the third or fourth floor, we did not have a ladder long enough. We don’t want to watch someone jump to their death.”
Ryan criticized town officials for comparing Westfield to Summit in making staffing decisions. He said that Westfield’s size is larger than Summit and Summit has a long-standing relationship with the Millburn fire department to provide mutual assistance at fires. He said if the Hamilton House fire had occurred in Summit, trucks from both towns would have responding quickly.
“Westfield is the fifth largest municipality in the county. Did you think on how we compare to the fourth largest or the fifth? You choose the ninth. That is arbitrary and capricious,” Ryan said. “You have made a conscious choice not to provide us with the resources.”
Ryan also cited the town being cited by the state labor department several years ago for dropping minimum manpower in the fire department, along with a soon to be released report from the state fire insurance office which downgrades the town’s fire insurance rating. Ryan said the insurance downgrade will cause insurance premiums to rise town wide.
Councilman Mark Ciarrocca, who has been involved in fire policy decisions in his role as finance committee chairman and public safety committee chairman, said he and Mayor Andy Skibitsky have enjoyed a good relationship with the FMBA and have worked with them on fire contracts. He said the key has been to prevent layoffs in the department and to not move the town to a volunteer fire department.
Ciarrocca said Summit was chosen due to the Hill City having a fulltime fire department and many major companies and Overlook are located in the city limits. He said this places the fire department in a unique position in Summit.
Town Administrator Jim Gildea stressed that he and other town officials have a good relationship with Ryan and FMBA President Mike Sawicki. He said the insurance rating downgrade does not relate to the manpower issue, but rather to water issues in town. He said that residents will not see a rise in insurance premiums.
“No one gave up more than the FMBA,” Gildea said in referring to contract negotiations between the town and the various bargaining units.
Carleton Road resident John Blake criticized the town for the fire staffing levels, saying that the town could find the money to hire more firefighters. He questioned the town’s ongoing hiring freeze and noted that five vacancies have occurred in the fire department over the last year. These include three retirements and the deaths of firefighters Jim Pfeiffer and Danny Maglione. Pfeiffer died following a freak accident while off duty and Maglione died of a rare form of cancer.
Blake said he has found other ways the town has found money to spend on projects.
“You have a traffic expert hired to go to a public school and you paid him hourly to listen to where junior can park his BMW,” Blake said, citing the town hall meeting on high school parking last month.
Blake questioned on who has been advising the Council on fire safety policy.
“The only expert you sought advice from is your accountant,” he said.
Blake also raised questions about the ladder truck’s usage.
“The only standard you use is money. You are playing with my house and my life. I will not let those items be put on the bargaining table,” Blake said. “You have a truck that sits impotent by your actions. You have an expensive piece of equipment and the only person tells you not to use it is your accountant.”
Ciarrocca engaged in a debate with Blake, noting the town is trying to keep the fire department a fulltime department and not move to an all-volunteer department like Mountainside or Scotch Plains. He said the town is working with in the state mandated two-percent property tax cap and that is causing issues in terms of what money can be spent.
Ciarrocca said that the traffic safety consultant, Gordon Meth, was paid $500 for the high school parking meeting and this would not fund the firefighters Blake is proposing to hire.
Blake said to the Council that he is worried about the lives of the firefighters.
“Like all good politicians, you’ll line up at the wake and give your condolences,” he said. “If you think I’m trying to put you on a guilt trip? I am.”
School Bus
1:29 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
As services goes down -- so does the town. Cant wait to see Westfield in 10 years... go to Cranford! As time goes on services go down, the education goes down...there goes a great town.. all for pennies on the dollar.
Chris
1:58 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
Threatening to make the Fire Department to become Volunteer = Bullying... arent there new laws on that?
Ian F
5:32 pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011
Councilman Mark Ciarrocca is up for re-election in November for the 4th ward (South side/Cranford side)
23024
9:28 am on Saturday, April 30, 2011
Yes, The WFD waas extremely lucky at the Hamilton House Apt. fire....A valiant rescue was made by the WFD Bravest! Yet the powers to be ALLOW 6 Firefighters on duty? Shame on them Kinda reminds me of Swayzack in Backdraft....How can you sleep at night knowing you have peoples lives at jeoaprdy Mr Mayor? Maybe the tones should go off in your house each time they go out on a run! Secondly they are responding to Rescue Squad calls also, again leaving them SHort on manpower..I personally don't have a problem with that because seconds count, and I fully understand the training demands of squad members and in the day and age people don't have the time to volunteer....It's not that they dont want to but the requirements and demands are too much.
23024
9:29 am on Saturday, April 30, 2011
Now if you think the town would ever go to a volunteer fire department, kindly do your home work and tell me how a volunteer fire department is going to handle over 1000 runs a year? How many volunteers are on the WFD now, to respond to working fires now..How many were there the night of Hamilton House? I am not putting down Mountainside at all by 30 minutes to respond? It would be interesting to see the time Mountainside was called for, the times the tones went out and arriving on location..Sounds like are we a little timid to call for help? The Township council needs to spend some time and actually see what our professionals do...I'm sure I will get alot of feed back about the "sleeptime" and they only work 24 hrs shifts etc...but dont you think training and recurrency training occur? As well as mainatining equipment as well as house chores..They dont have maids..some cleans the bathrooms, living quarters etc...and the are gone from family for 24 hrs..I know I know they chose their profession..But when you call 911 who always shows up?
FYI Yes I am a member of the fire service, No I am not from Westfield or Union County or Northern Jersey....
Attn: Town Council DO NOT JEOPARDIZE THE BRAVEST "We Risk our to Save Yours!
Brendan Galligan
4:43 am on Thursday, May 5, 2011
Lets play the numbers game.
The Westfield Fire Department has an operating budget of $3,907,375 a year (including salaries and benefits). If you want to be thorough, you can add $300 for that fire-hydrant within 250ft of your house; and we have about 1500 of them in town, totaling $507,400. Many of the members of the WFD are also trained as EMT's, assisting the Volunteer Rescue Squad at times when the Squad is working beyond capacity. Additionally, WFD is part of a mutal-aid compact, responding to other towns in return for assistance in Westfield. Also, when your sump-pump fails during a storm, the WFD will pump the water out of your basement. Total annual municipal expenditure on fire services is $4,414,775.
The Westfield Police Department has a total annual budget of $6,842,319 (about 54.9% higher than the WFD budget), including parking enforcement ($180,293) and school crossing guards ($412,000). The WPD, in addition to being responsible for preventing crime, is charged with the added responsibility of being medical first-responders, responding to every medical (and fire) 911 call in town. WPD also coordinates emergency dispatch for the town, serving the WFD, the Volunteer Rescue Squad, and the Department of Public Works (as needed).
Brendan Galligan
5:24 am on Thursday, May 5, 2011
Medical services in Westfield are primarily provided by the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad. The total municipal allocation for the Squad in the 2010 budget is the same as it has been every year since EMS separated from the WFD in 1951, $0.00. WVRS is staffed 24/7 by about 90 volunteers who respond to approximately 2,500 medical emergencies every year. This service is provided free of charge, and is only possible thanks to our donations.
According to US Census estimates, there are about 10,900 households in Westfield.
Looking at the annual municipal expenditure of $4,414,775, your family pays about $405 every year for a reliable, professional fire protection service. Thats about $1.10 a day.
For public-safety the town budgets $6,842,319 annually. Your family's share works out to $628, or about $1.72 a day.
For $2.82 a day, about the price of that latte at Starbucks, you and your family's life and property are protected. All day, every day.
The value of these services goes far beyond the obvious. Your premium for homeowners (or even renters) insurance is reduced by about 15% for living within 5 miles of a professional fire department, another 10% for being within 1,000 of a municipal fire-hydrant. You can shave another 15-20% for residing in a low crime area. And with the average home price in town hovering just under $700,000., saving 40-50% on your homeowners insurance premium can easily add up to $500. Remember total cost for these services is $1,030.
Brendan Galligan
6:08 am on Thursday, May 5, 2011
For comparison sake, we just voted in approval of a $91, 868,298 Board of Education budget. Which, despite further cuts in state & federal aid, includes a pre-guaranteed 3.3% salary increase for teachers (totals out to $1,901,671). The district employs 802 , of which 579 are professional, 223 are support staff. Westfield BOE operates 11 schools, serving 6,292 students, in about 4,000 households.
Your family's share of this year's school budget is $8,428.28, which works out to $702.36 a month, or $23.09 a day. You pay this whether you have children or not.
You may never use the schools, but even if you never call 911, you are benefiting every day from the small price you pay for the phenomenal emergency services in this wonderful town. At a mere 8% of the total town budget, be thankful you don't get stabbed while watching your home burn to the ground.
If you are concerned with the taxes, don't blindly approve the school budget. As for police and fire, these brave men and women deserve more than they are getting. We could cut costs by charging the volunteer FD towns that currently don't compensate us when our paid FD responds to mutual aid.
For the record: I am a 22 year resident of Westfield and I've member of the Rescue Squad for 4 years. While we've had our tiffs with the FD lately, I've never had a bad experience with the FD and enjoy working with them. I am writing on behalf of myself and in no way am representing an official view of the Westfield Rescue Squad.
NJ Taxpayer
10:39 pm on Thursday, May 5, 2011
Give me a break!! I applaud councilman Mark Ciarrocca for standing up to the true bullies!! The FMBA!!! This is the best job in the country!!! Big salaries and you work eight days a month and you get paid to sleep!! I've always heard the term the firemen use "Snoring For Dollars"!!! They won't say that in public!!
23024
9:00 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Sounds like your annoyed you dont have it....Volunteer if you'd like.....learn the job and apply if you think its that easy
NJD
10:31 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
NJ Taxpayer, you forgot to finish your sentence. "Big salaries and you work eight days a month and you get paid to sleep" "Then you get woken up by loud blaring sirens, put on about a hundred pounds of gear and, against all your instincts, run into a burning building with all of this equipment and save people's lives while risking your own."
I think I will keep my nice safe 9-5 job and continue to be grateful to the brave people who risk their lives to save others. And if they have some quiet nights in between fires I will choose to be thankful that no ones house or business is going up in flames that night and none of these brave peoples lives is at risk on that particular night.
Southide W
10:55 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Nj Taxpayor, wow! Lots of assumptions there about what it is like to be a fireman. I'll pay high salaries for emergency workers, firemen, and policemen any day. To me, if some are sleeping, then it's a safe day. I'll take the fire sirens waking me up, just like I can take the sound of church bells, occasional neighborhood celebrations and the train horns a mile away. By the way - Just how restful do you think is a sleep when one knows he/she can be awakened at any time and has to jump into action?
Southide W
10:56 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Or was your comment made "tongue in cheek" and I missed it?