Staffing problems-This should make some bean counters think

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From USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-1...ges-cover_x.htm

Police, fire departments see shortages across USA

By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

CLEVELAND — Mayor Jane Campbell calls police and firefighters part of the nation's "domestic army" — the troops who will be called upon to respond to the next terrorist attack. But in Cleveland and many other financially troubled cities, the ranks of those first responders are thinning. 

 

  Staffing problems in police and fire departments could leave citizens unprotected during a terrorist attack, officials say. 

AP file 

At least two-thirds of the nation's fire departments are understaffed, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which sets firefighting codes and standards. The shortage is worst in rural volunteer departments that have trouble recruiting new members. But many big and medium-size cities that are more likely to be terrorist targets are also short-handed.

Some, including New York, have had to close fire stations; others, such as Houston, have had temporary closures. In many cities, response times are slower, and trucks go out with too few firefighters.

That can have a real impact. Investigators cited many factors that contributed to the deaths of 100 people in a West Warwick, R.I., nightclub fire last year. But a report commissioned by the state noted that the five firetrucks at the scene arrived with only two firefighters each — half the number recommended by the NFPA — and video showed delays in getting hoses turned on.

"While staffing companies to nationally recognized standards is desirable," the report said, "it is beyond the reach of many financially strapped communities."

Many big-city police departments such as Cleveland also are bleeding officers. Nationally, the number of police has remained stagnant in recent years, despite federal help from the Clinton-era COPS community-policing program, which spent $9 billion to help put 118,000 more officers on the streets. The Bush administration, which has emphasized training and says staffing levels should be largely a local responsibility, is phasing out the program.

Staffing problems are being felt coast to coast. New York City, with 23,000 police officers, has lost 1,000 a year for the past three years. Minneapolis cut 38 positions from its police force last year. The Oregon State Police laid off 129 troopers from its 600-member force. "It's almost completely budget-driven," says Gene Voegtlin of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. 

There also are staffing problems at 911 emergency centers. National figures are not available for 911 call-takers and dispatchers, sometimes called the first of the first responders. 

But Steve Souder, director of the Montgomery County, Md., 911 Emergency Communications Center, says staff shortages are at a crisis point nationwide. In his county, 25% of 911 jobs turn over each year as employees burn out from the stress and hectic schedule and take better-paying jobs with private companies.

In many cities, police and fire chiefs say, layoffs and attrition are leading to dangerously low staffing levels that could leave emergency workers unprepared and citizens unprotected during future terrorist attacks. The call-up of reservists and National Guard members for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also is taxing police and fire departments. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the National Guard has called up 4,153 police officers and 451 firefighters.

After the 2001 attacks, "politicians wanted nothing but to stand by us and tell us what heroes we were and talk about all they were going to do for us," says Bob Fisher, president of the firefighters union in Cleveland. But with 7% of the city's firefighters laid off this year and little time for training, he says, "the capabilities of this department have been reduced since 9/11."

Smaller staffs, higher standards

Emergency preparedness officials are most concerned about the shortage of firefighters, who would be the first to respond to a catastrophic attack. In the past 20 years, the number of firefighters nationwide has declined, despite a 25% increase in the nation's population. 

The fire protection association estimates that to combat terrorism, the nation needs 75,000 to 85,000 new paid firefighters in its cities. In the last major assessment of the nation's fire service in 2002, the association and the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that only 13% of departments were trained and equipped to handle a chemical or biological incident with at least 10 people injured. Only 11% could handle the collapse of a building with 50 or more occupants. 

"If you can't even tackle a structural fire, how are you going to handle a mass-casualty event?" asks Tim Raducha-Grace of New York University's Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response.

Kansas City Fire Chief Richard "Smokey" Dyer, past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, says his city is the only one in the country where voters approved a sales tax to pump money into the fire department. Despite the approval of that 2001 ballot measure, ongoing staffing problems mean that a third of his city's firetrucks are still sent out with fewer than four firefighters — an NFPA safety standard that allows for two firefighters to enter a burning building while two remain outside to handle equipment and, if necessary, rescue their colleagues.

Thanks to the local tax increase, Dyer is slowly building up his staff. But elsewhere, he says, staffing shortages are getting worse — and at a terrible time. "As the threat has risen for our cities, and as additional tasks have been assigned to our fire departments, the resources for the fire service have gone down," he says. "Most big-city fire departments are in the process of reducing staffing."

Here in Cleveland, Fire Station 13 no longer has a hook-and-ladder truck. There aren't enough firefighters to keep up safety inspections they used to do at local metal-plating plants and chemical companies that store thousands of gallons of deadly toxins. They can't spare the people to take time out for special weapons-of-mass-destruction training offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The city's fire training academy, with its three-story practice tower, is like a "ghost town" now, says Dean Murad, a member of the station's rescue squad. At least half the classes have been cut, he says, and instead of regularly scheduled training sessions for firefighters, training is now "haphazard."

After 70 layoffs since January, the city's fire department would struggle "to do what they're counting on us to do" if a terrorist attack or other disaster caused mass casualties, Fire Chief Paul Stubbs says. Even if there were a few house fires at once, "I don't know if this city could handle it," says Station 13 firefighter Roy Bruder, a 23-year veteran.

The situation at the police department, where 250 officers were laid off this year, is no better. Special units for the harbor, street crimes, auto thefts, narcotics, youth gangs and community policing are among those eliminated since January as part of an effort to close the city's $60 million budget deficit.

Among the pieces of equipment now lying idle are two $1.1 million helicopters, bought with grant money from Washington for an eight-person police aviation unit that's now defunct. The helicopters were used to patrol the city for security breaches along the waterfront and at power plants and high-rises whenever the nation's terror alert level was raised.

To keep enough patrolmen on the streets, Police Chief Edward Lohn says he had to cut the department's more specialized units.

The result, police spokesman Wayne Drummond says, "is that we're more of a reactive department now than a pro-active department."

When he eliminated 15% of the department's 1,826 officers, Lohn says, he also had to recall 10 of the 15 officers he had assigned to work with the FBI on area terrorism task forces. "I feel bad when I get a call from the agent in charge at the FBI," Lohn says, because he can no longer offer to help. The cuts "have been very painful."

Problems nationwide

Staffing problems are showing up across the nation:

• Three years ago, the Springfield, Mass., fire department had 395 members, 10 open fire stations, 76 firefighters on duty at any given time and four firefighters per truck. By this summer, the department had 256 members, seven open fire stations, 39 firefighters on duty at a time and only three firefighters per truck — the result of budget cuts. Local union chief David Wells says the city is engaged in "Russian roulette" when it comes to the safety of its citizens.

• In Richmond, Calif., which has an oil refinery and a deep-water port, the city has laid off 18 firefighters since January, bringing the department down to 60. Ten years ago, it had 110. To compensate, the department occasionally closes stations and runs trucks with fewer than four firefighters on board. "It's a dangerous situation," says Lou Paulson, president of California Professional Firefighters. 

• In Ohio, there are roughly the same number of state troopers today — 1,500 — as there were in the mid-1970s, "even though we have 20 times the amount of work," says Jim Roberts, director of the Ohio State Troopers Association. He said post-9/11 demands have driven up overtime costs and overtaxed troopers.

• In Seattle, firefighters are protesting a decision by the mayor to address a shortage of 911 dispatchers by reassigning firefighters to that job. The move means the number of firefighters at one of the city's stations will be cut to three per firetruck. In a letter to members last month, union president Paul Atwater said the move creates "unsafe working conditions."

• In Boston, the number of police officers has dropped from 1,800 in the late 1990s to fewer than 1,400 today. "It's been a gradual deterioration of the force," says Michael O'Hara of the International Union of Police Associations. He says the department is also strained by the need for officers to go through more extensive training for biological and chemical attacks and by military operations abroad. About 40 officers now serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SAFER Act money is a start

Officially acknowledging the problem for the first time this year, Congress approved $65 million for a new federal program to help cities pay for more firefighters.

The SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Act was authorized at $7.6 billion over seven years in November 2003. But President Bush didn't request any money for the program in his 2005 budget, and it was finally approved by Congress with less than 1% of the authorized amount.

Bush administration officials say the federal government shouldn't be in the business of paying salaries for state and local employees.

"We believe that every mayor and governor has a responsibility to ensure that there are adequate public safety professionals in their states and communities," says Marc Short of the Homeland Security Department. "It is our job to make sure that they're best trained and equipped to prevent terrorism and respond if need be."

Firefighters say the money is a start, even though it is likely to pay for only a few hundred firefighters nationwide this year. That's a far cry from the 100,000 that Democrat John Kerry said he would add to the ranks if elected president.

Jim Shannon, president of the National Fire Protection Association, says the shortfall in personnel and resources "troubles me a lot."

But Frank Cilluffo, a former top homeland security adviser to Bush, says fire and police departments don't need more bodies, just better training and equipment.

"Let's not create armies of homeland defense warriors, but rather build on existing capabilities and leverage those," says Cilluffo, now director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute. "The key is to be heavy on training and exercises."

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The SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Act was authorized at $7.6 billion over seven years in November 2003. But President Bush didn't request any money for the program in his 2005 budget, and it was finally approved by Congress with less than 1% of the authorized amount.

Hmm :-k well isn't that interesting. Got to help finish daddy's war by dumping money into Iraq but why help the guys at home.

[Pyroinvestigator 0]

and now you wonder why they hell this guy was just elected into office again....cut the cops and fireman...not the job of the government....well isn't that EXACTLY the job of the gov.....to protect its people...

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i am not a very political person but i think that anyone knows that there are three things you NEVER cut 1) Schools 2) Fire 3)Police. these are the back bone of the community and the country. these politicans have no clue what the hell their doing. they think well i need to cut money so i can cover you something that a company that gives me money did. it is sad but true. they think hey firemen just sit around and do nothing all day. what do they need man power for when there are no fires? the point it we need it when there is a fire. yes it is strange that you pay someone to sit around when normal thinking in Business is lazy guy gets fired. well this aint Business, this is Protection. we wait and when called on we act fast. same as with cops. it is a waiting game. we wait for bad stuff to happen. it is just a shame how these people who are not firemen try and act like they know what it good for us

[Guest alsfirefighter]

It also was the principle of this country to not have the federal government get overly involved in local affairs. Its not the federal governments job to hire firefighters and cops, it should be left to local municipalities whom if were series about what they were doing would find the funding to staff their emergency services and find good and creative ways to recoup some funding for the services you provide. Some of our attitudes, petty arguments and lack of standards that stops us from killing ourselves, injuring ourselves or looking like where the sun don't shine costs us local funding. Sure I believe that grants to assist with up to date technology is great. But staffing funding is a long term commitment and federal money is not the answer. Resourceful tax funding, like that that fire districts get, which is funny being organized cities are required for paid personnel but have to scratch for tax base, and getting the public to understand that tax funding doesn't cover everything. False calls, you should be fined. Service calls, you should have to pay a fee for response and materials. Fire Zone and hydrant parking tickets, funding goes to local FD, 2% money, stop using it as recreation and everything else and lobby it can be used for staffing reimbursment and equipment. The same things that we look for from state and federal government is what pisses me off about yonkers schools every year. They have to cut cut cut because of lack of funding. You should run your district based on your tax income and then be glad funding is even there.

As far as the comments, I was gonna hold off, but being the person that I am I'll add a few. It wasn't daddy's war. Another country was invaded and pilfered, we are and have been the police force of the world for decades. History offers lessons if we pay attention, every time we've had some president that didn't want to get involved, to mind our businesses, it costs thousands of american lives more then it may have been if we got involved quickly. The War in Iraq, which had nothing to do with Desert Storm in the long run will protect us and our interests in the area. Hundreds of American soliders, airman and marines have lost their lives, ask them if it was daddy's war. He's in office for several reasons that the American people who voted for him clearly stated. We are tired of being attacked by Liberals whom say they want more rights but give them to undesirables and limit protecting us. I enjoy the pledge of allegiance, would like to toss the ACLU out the window. And I want to know that I will be protected while working, my kids protected when we feel we need to, not based on Europe or the UN. And that my brothers in arms will get the things they need to get the job done. Which is more then I can say for myself and several friends including 3 who lost their lives in a country called Somalia based on Bill Clintons tax raising budget cutting, touchy feely approach to everything. 1 of those 3 was my roommate in 29 palms who bled to death because we were denied armored vehicles as to "not enflame the situation" and was left waiting for Pakistani vehicles whom turned around halfway there because they were receiving small arms fire. IN AN ARMORED VEHICLE. So we all know where my political preference lies and whom I voted for. I voted for the guy whom I think will best protect me, my family, my brothers both you and the military and what views I most believe in. No candidate is perfect, but he had more then what the other guy had. I went through ammunition shortages, stripping 1 humvee to fix 3 others. CLINTON SLEPT and got hummers while we were being plotted to be attacked. He had 8 years after WTC 93'. "W" was in office for not even 10 months. hmmmm

[mfc2257 464]

Amen to alsfirefighter... A little emergency services and political commentary....

It is not the federal governments job to hire or fire local emergency personnel. The federal government has supplied MORE than enough money to bolster the service. HOWEVER, the municipalities have been spending so much money on special interests and other nonsense that there is no room to grow the emergency service as the community grows. There are too many aimless programs out there that filter billions to special interests and it all comes from our pockets. There are way to many sub divisions of the governement that men like Ronald Reagan and Bush's 41 and 43 seek to streamline and make smaller more effecient form of government. It is men like Jimmy Carter, Clinton and Johnson who have spent more money on garbage programs that only make the poor more dependant on the government instead of helping themselves (don't take this as me saying there should be no assistance for the poor... Just not so much that they never have to work for themselves). If municipalities got serious and figured out that the local FD or PD is more important than building a new monument, or having free classes for housewives to learn about accupuncture or whatever other nonsense they are spending money on this week, we would not have a lot (not all) of the problems that we have today.

With regard to "daddy's war", Bush 43 isn't cleaning up after Bush 41. Bush 41 didn't take over the Iraqi capital or go after Sadaam for a reason. Because of the big project that we are forced to undertake today. Sadaam although a tyrant, also prevented civil war in that country. Bush 41 went to the UN and we all stepped back and watched the UN drop the ball with 14+ resolutions demanding that Iraq disarm and reveal their WMD technology. They didn't. Regardless of whether or not we ever find WMD in Iraq (which we have in the form of gas and bio just no nukes) Sadaam had the technology and was waiting to use it or sell it. He wouldn't give up any of his technology or labs etc and we had reason to believe he was in or near production of nukes. The UN was too blind to see it as is almost all of Europe so we acted. Had the UN done their job with policing him or had Koffi Annan not allowed Sadaam to spend billions on weapons research through the food for oil (read nuke technology money for oil) program we wouldn't have had to do what we did.

If we really want to trace the problems in the middle east back to one person in the USA, more blame should be placed on Jimmy Carter for backstabbing the Shaw of Iran and allowing the militant culture that spread through out the region than anyone else. It's no surprise that Jimmy Carter was a better peanut farmer than President. He also did a great job of undermining the multi national approach to squashing North Korea's nuke program. Then his boy Clinton rewarded Kim Jong by lifting the trade embargo's against N.K. all the while they were manufacturing nukes while Slick Willy's mind was under his desk.

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well i am for protecting the guys who protect me. i think that the soldier bleeding to death is crap. no man should be denied the tools he needs to do his job, whether it be a rifle and armored car, or a engine that runs reliable and is not older then the guys running it. I think the local guys could try and get there budgets straight. there is one department in westchester that has a '76 Mack that is rusting through. just paint over it, it will be fine. this kinda stuff just is not the way we should all be working. i know some department have good gov who helps them out so it is not everyone and i am not saying lets all get new engine every 5 yrs but i think that they should try and keep up somewhat up to date on technology and stuff.

And ALS, when i said daddy's war i guess i ment he didn't really look over there till s*** happened and then it seemed like a " hey while were hear, might as well mop this up. i know you have to risk and lose lives to save lives, that just the way it is. i didn't really mean to upset those who have been out there and defended this country over the years

[Guest alsfirefighter]

E,

You didn't offend me at all brother. Just giving my side. You deserve and I respect yours as well. Keep it up bro! We need good conversation on here when it gets stagnant. Your post was your thoughts very well laid out, those are the ones I respect and love to answer when I disagree because it was intelligent, not just some rant and rave with no facts.

Only one chief in that article hit the nail on the head...."IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE A STRUCTURE FIRE, HOW CAN YOU HANDLE A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT?"

This is where we cannot get or $hit together, especially when there are depts. that kid themselves they have no problems, will cook numbers to make it look like they are holding the fort and even worse cry when training requirements are upped to better train and equip firefighters to work. Often just to keep the good ol' boy network or to spite other types of firefighters out of the mix because of sensless competative pride.