labor & training firegeezer on 28 Aug 2008 08:48 am
Who Ya’ Gonna’ Call?
THE OAKLAND (MICHIGAN) COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPERATES A FIRE TRAINING CENTER that is used by many of the Detroit area FD’s to train their firefighters.
Oakland Community College photo
They were scheduled to begin a 10-week class Tuesday but 17 of the 20 instructors tendered their resignations at the last minute. The college is now scrambling to find enough replacements so that they can begin the class that has 39 students enrolled. The problem began when the small city of Harper Woods (pop. 14,200) decided to implement a dubious scheme of cross-training all of its firefighters and police officers to do each other’s jobs with the ultimate goal of using fewer people to carry the same work load.
All of the instructors that walked out are IAFF members and they say they are doing this as a measure of solidarity and support for the Harper Woods FF’s.
The Detroit Free Press reports:
Many of the state-certified instructors are firefighters and members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the union that represents full-time Harper Woods firefighters. Four city officers are among the 39 students who were to begin training. City officials are trying to form a public safety department to save money and have more cops.
Harper Woods offered the seven most-tenured firefighters the opportunity to remain in their posts. The other six firefighters would have three years to attend the police academy.
The IAFF area representative says that the voters have already rejected the scheme and it also violates the city charter. The police chief, meanwhile, says that if the college can’t make it go, then he has a secret plan to get the police officers their fire training.
Read the full story HERE.
Oakland Community College Fire Training Center WEBSITE.
Harper Woods FD WEBPAGE.
on 28 Aug 2008 at 10:40 pm 1.Michael said …
Regardless of what happens the instructors at OCC are great and some of the most talented in the region. The CREST facility at OCC has striven to provide some outstanding courses. You all know how hard it is to have good instructors, and the problem is the 20 other students who are going to miss out on this great instructors.
on 28 Aug 2008 at 11:58 pm 2.Patrick said …
I’m glad to see the brothers sticking it to the worthless mutts on council. We have got to do a better job of making the public understand why we need what we need! That means fire chiefs who put it on the line instead of saying “yeah, we’ll do that too!”
on 01 Sep 2008 at 11:36 pm 3.lil keek said …
Deny someone education due to their choice in a career, now that is very typical of weak minded firefighters, and many thought OCC was a good fire academy. I guess when the going gets tough, the FIREFIGHTERS do what most would do, bailout, instead of being unbiased instructors. Then again, according to most, there is no control by the state or any other governing board on how they teach, up to being a felon………..hey guess its just a freeforall when it comes to being a fire instructor. Thank heavens police instructors are held accountable for their actions.