News

March 6, 2010

W-B firefighter staffing to be cut

A union president blames the city and says overtime costs aren’t managed properly.

WILKES-BARRE – The city has plans to cut the number of firefighters staffed due to a lack of overtime funds.

As of Friday, the fire department has expended 70 percent of the budgeted manning overtime allocation, according to a memo from Chief Jay Delaney to assistant fire chiefs.

No additional overtime funds will be allotted to the fire department and the minimum on duty staffing will be 12 firefighters, instead of 14.

Thomas Makar, president of Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the fire department is understaffed and staffing is already at an unsafe level.

The city never hired and properly budgeted overtime funds, he said.

“Because of their inability to accurately do a budget they’re going to cut staff,” Makar said.

On top of that, 19 men have retired; two firefighters are on active military duty in Iraq. At least four are off on job-related injuries. The city currently has 75 firefighters, including the fire chief.

The city used to budget anywhere between $200,000 to $500,000 in overtime in the 1990s and early 2000s, Makar said.

Overtime in the budget was cut to $120,000 in 2004, and since then 19 men have retired and no corresponding increase in overtime allotment to cover their absence.

Makar said the firefighters union went to council in 2004 after the reduction in overtime because of cutting of manpower.

The department is down 19 firefighters from 2002.

“Never once did they increase the allotment for overtime,” he said.

Mayor Thomas M. Leighton could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

A fire protection study conducted by the city in 1995 recommended no fewer than 17 firefighters on duty. An international study recommends an even higher number, Makar said.

“The combination of both studies should prove that the minimum staffing level in Wilkes-Barre is unsafe,” he said.

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