Fire-ology firegeezer on 07 Sep 2008 12:32 pm
Don’t Get Sick In Warren
WARREN, MICHIGAN’S 3rd-LARGEST CITY, is following the path of so many other cities in that state and laying off firefighters while maintaining roller hockey rinks and water parks.
In 2004 the city laid off 35 of their 175 uniformed firefighters and lost another 20 through attrition while maintaining a hiring freeze. Three years ago the city ceased providing emergency ambulance transportation to the hospital, forcing the sick and injured to rely on private ambulances and paying up to $800 for the call.
Warren, Michigan’s
low-mileage rescue squad.
Steve Neavling of the Detroit Free Press writes:
A troubling trend that particularly affects baby boomers and seniors is emerging in Warren: As the city’s aging population demands more medical attention, the city’s emergency responders are disappearing.
What once was considered a well-staffed fire department a decade ago — about 175 people who responded to heart attacks, strokes, assaults, car crashes and fires — is now down to 120 people and falling.
He goes on to report that the firefighters have gone five years without a pay increase and their labor contract expired 14 months ago. The city is offering 2.5% raise for this year and 2% for the second year of a 3-year contract with no raise during the last year. That would be a total of 4.5% wage increase - approx. the cost-of-living increase for one year - over an eight-year span.
Scott Halleck, president of Local 1383, says, ”You can’t do more with less. We are close to taking fire trucks out of service because we don’t have the personnel for them. People are going to feel the impact.”
Even though the city is reducing emergency medical services for its rapidly-growing aging population, they maintain in the official city website: The City of Warren Parks & Recreation Department provides Warren residents of all ages with quality positive, and productive leisure time experiences. The department strives to make these activities convenient, affordable and numerous in order to enhance the physical and social well being of all residents.
