Is NRFD Next?

[Lucifer 6]

Attention all New Rochelle Residents

Despite what city management is telling its residents, the City of New Rochelle has once again threatened to eliminate firefighter positions. This threat puts in danger the vital services we provide to you, the citizens of New Rochelle

Today, the city is in the process of preparing its 2010 budget. The City has made it clear that layoffs are a distinct possibility. In fact, it has been brought to the Firefighters’ attention that The City of New Rochelle is seriously contemplating eliminating 16 firefighter positions. That amount is equal to 10% of our current work force.

Presently, the NRFD has 8 positions that remain unfilled due to a hiring freeze unilaterally imposed by the City of New Rochelle. This hiring freeze forces us to operate BELOW recommended staffing levels. Apparently, that sacrifice is not enough for the City of New Rochelle. Instead, the City has threatened to lay-off and eliminate 8 more firefighter positions, on top of the 8 already unfilled.

Our Department

Over the last thirty (30) years, The New Rochelle Fire Department, made up solely of professional firefighters, has evolved into a full-service emergency response department. The services that we provide far exceed the services of other surrounding departments. In addition to firefighting, we also provide

-Emergency Medical Services

-Vehicle Extrication

-Hazardous Material Response (HAZMAT)

-Oil and fuel spills

-Trench Rescue and Building Collapse

-Water and Ice Rescue

-Natural Gas Leaks

-Carbon Monoxide Emergencies

-Fire Prevention and Education

-Fire Inspections

Today we perform these services with far fewer firefighters. Did you know that in 1973, there were approximately 200 firefighters on The NRFD? During that time, our department responded to approximately three thousand (3000) calls per year. Today, in 2009, we are currently staffed at 160 members with the City threatening to reduce this overall number to approximately 152. Yet, despite the significantly lower number of firefighters, the NRFD responds to approximately 8,000 EMERGENCIES per year, an increase of 350% from 1973.

Understand that the Firefighter’s Union does not make staffing level recommendations. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends that departments such as New Rochelle’s maintain a certain number of firefighters on each piece of equipment in order to:

1. effectively and aggressively respond to an incident within a certain time frame and

2. respond to a scene in such time frame with a required minimum number of firefighters

The NFPA recognizes that there is a direct correlation of increased firefighter injury, increased civilian death and injury, and increased property damage when a fire department deviates from their recommendations. The New Rochelle Fire Department is presently operating with fewer firefighters than recommended under the NFPA guidelines.

Yet, despite this fact, your New Rochelle Firefighters are not pressuring the city to hire additional personnel. In fact, it would be reasonable for the firefighters to request more personnel especially in light of new construction within the city and the fact that multiple high rise buildings dot the landscape of downtown New Rochelle.

What we ARE vigorously fighting for is to maintain the current staffing levels, which are at the bare minimum. In truth, any further cut in personnel amounts to a gamble on the part of the City of New Rochelle that a significant tragedy can be averted.

What Firefighters are Doing

The Firefighter’s Union has met on several occasions with city officials in an effort to find common ground to avert layoffs. We are cognizant of the current fiscal restraints caused by the economy. The City clearly identified the year 2010, and its accompanying budget, to be problematic. The City asked the Firefighter’s Union to be creative by coming up with a way to assist the city in order to avoid layoffs.

In good faith, the Firefighters did exactly what the City requested. The Firefighters came forward with a proposal that would save the city significant monies for 2010. Yet, despite doing exactly what the City asked, the proposal was dismissed out of hand and not given any consideration.

The Firefighter’s proposal was a mutually beneficial one and did the following:

-addressed the current fiscal situation by increasing the city’s 2010 cash flow by about 1.2 million in the form of an interest free loan. Again, the City has identified 2010 as a “lean” year during which belts must be tightened and sacrifices made.

-included an agreement by all New Rochelle Firefighters to defer their entire 2010 salary increase until future years, giving the city breathing room and allowing them the chance to address their fiscal issues.

City’s Position

The sad reality is that firefighters and other city employees are simply part of a “mathematical equation” to the City of New Rochelle. It is simply all about numbers, not people.

The city is firm in its stance: We either (a) agree to defer our entire contractually negotiated raises for the year 2010 until the year 2012 and 2013 or ( the City will lay off an additional 8 firefighters and eliminate a total of 16 positions. Interestingly, the City would still NOT guarantee that no firefighters would be laid off even if we met their unilateral and one sided demands .

The city is giving no consideration to the negative impact layoffs would have:

.

- jeopardizing the safety of its citizens

- jeopardizing it firefighter safety

- destroying department morale

Furthermore

It is our contention that during the real estate boom, or so called “good times”, the City of New Rochelle did not adequately plan for the future. Because of this failure to plan, we are now faced with a threat of layoffs. It is the responsibility of the council and city management to budget for these vital services. It is not the responsibility of the firefighters to assist with this effort. Yet we willingly agreed to engage the City in an attempt to address their financial issues. This was done with the best interests of the City, its people, and the morale of the department in mind.

Surrounding Communities

No other surrounding communities are threatening layoffs of firefighters for 2010. In fact, multiple fire departments are looking to hire additional firefighters. Based on information that we received, Yonkers is currently hiring upwards of 35 firefighters, Larchmont is entertaining the hiring of 3-4 additional firefighters, Greenburg is putting on 3 new firefighters, and Eastchester is in the process of hiring 3 members. Surrounding cities including Mount Vernon have not even mentioned layoffs. So why is New Rochelle? That is a question our residents should ask their respective city council members.

Other Sources of Revenue

There are many other avenues the City can consider in order to raise the appropriate revenue to avoid cutting staffing levels in the fire department. For example, both Avalon projects, totaling 24 stories and 40 stories respectively, received and continue to receive generous tax reductions. They are not contributing what would be considered “their fair share”. These high rises, and other similarly situated high rises, utilize our services extensively.

In the event of a fire in one of these structures, our department would be depleted of all on-duty personnel to properly operate at the scene. If this should happen, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to properly respond to any other incident throughout the city.

There is quite simply is no room for any reduction in manpower today or in the future.

Perhaps a public safety fee on students at local colleges (which pay no property taxes) would also assist in generating revenue for the City.

In Summary

We ask the residents, citizens, and business owners of New Rochelle for their support by contacting their local city council leaders and telling them that “enough is enough”. The City is growing and the Fire Department is shrinking. We cannot afford to cut vital emergency service personnel any further.

[ems-buff 81]

I have to say, this is quite sad. As a resident and a recent victim of fire in New Rochelle. How can the cut 16 FF. I'm sure there are plenty of assistants that can be let go. Is the local planing on going to the public hearing and voicing there concerns... I'm sure you would get the public' s attention and support...

[gamewell45 258]

I wonder what impact it'll have on their ISO rating?

[LTNRFD 266]

I have to say, this is quite sad. As a resident and a recent victim of fire in New Rochelle. How can the cut 16 FF. I'm sure there are plenty of assistants that can be let go. Is the local planing on going to the public hearing and voicing there concerns... I'm sure you would get the public' s attention and support...

I have heard from city officials that it is not if, it's how many will have to be layed off. Unless the city can find moneis to pay the salaries and benefits, they will have to lay city workers off.

NRFD was a 2 'fire' department not that long ago. They could handle 2 house fires at the same time. And that was with 6 engine companies and 3 truck companies . Now it's down to 5 and 3 with 3 times the number of runs. Now at the first sign of flames they have to start a call back and many times start in mutual aid. If they lose more position, NRFD will go down to a 3/4 'fire' department.

[Bnechis 3,961]

I wonder what impact it'll have on their ISO rating?

It will drop from a 2 to a 4. The lowest rating we would have had since 1927. and it will cost the property owners of NR at least $12m in increased insurance premiums.

[sklov5949 23]

What's getting cut from the PD?