Pencil Pushers Have Gone 3 Years Without a Raise

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, CITY MANAGER Troy Schulte presented his proposed budget to the City Council members on Tuesday.  His $1.3 billion proposal includes a lot of cutbacks in several city services, but the one measure that has raised eyebrows is his suggestion to lay off 105 firefighters.  He told the Kansas City Star, as Kansas City’s economy remains stubbornly sluggish, firefighters should no longer be untouchable. "We have to make strategic reductions in public safety," he said.

City Manager Schulte  (K.C. Star)

In a most absurd justification, he is also quoted by the Star:

His budget letter to (Mayor) James recommended reducing the Fire Department by 105 positions because fire calls have dropped by more than 60 percent in the past 10 years. He said he believes the reductions can be made without jeopardizing public safety.

So there you have it.  The number of firefighters and fire stations is to be determined by how many fires you get, not what you need when get a fire.  By his logic, all the firehouses will then be clustered around the high-activity neighborhoods leaving those slow residential areas to stand in the front yard and watch as their rare house fires consume all they own.  As for the airport… well, a hot-line phone box will do.  How often does a plane crash out there, anyway?

But as the late Ron Popeil used to say, Wait, there's more!  Again from The Star:

Those personnel cuts would help free up about $7.6 million — money that could go toward raises for other city employees. Many of them haven’t had a pay increase in three years.

No raise in three years, but at least they'll still have a job.  This is budgetary Russian roulette.

Note:   He earmarked $5 million for police raises and the balance for other management-level employees.

The City Council at its regular session today  (Wednesday) publicly reviewed the proposed budget.  The Local had exactly 105 firefighters in the council chambers this morning making their presence obvious.  KSHB-TV Ch. 41 had their video crew there too, and filed this report earlier today:

Local 42 President Mike Cambiano believes that this just might be some sort of dance and preening on the part othe city manager leading up to contract negotiations with the FF's that begin in April.  In addition, the fire chief was never consulted by the city manager on these proposed reductions.

Later this afternoon, following the above video report, Fire Chief Smokey Dyer addressed the Council.  The Star reported this afternoon:

Dyer told the city council’s Public Safety Committee that Chicago, Memphis, Louisville, Dallas and Houston are among major U.S. cities that require at least four firefighters per pumper, in compliance with national fire protection standards. That staffing allows two people in the first pumper on the scene to begin spraying water on a fire, while two others can begin attacking the fire within a building and rescuing any victims.

Chief Dyer  (KCUR)

Kansas City began increasing its firefighting ranks and staffed up its pumpers ten years ago to meet that standard. But City Manager Troy Schulte has recommended cutting 105 firefighters, saying the city has far fewer fires now and can save $7.5 million without compromising public safety.

Such a reduction would force deployment changes and reductions to the pumpers, Dyer said.

Mayor James will present his response to Schulte's plan tomorrow.  However one councilman didn't wait to voice his opinion:

Committee Chair John Sharp said the city made a conscious decision in 2001 to beef up its pumper staffing and he opposes any change. He said the fire department has to accept cuts like all other departments, but not this way.

“I can’t imagine a worse way to make cuts in the budget,” he said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3417307/fire-officials-warn-cutbacks-could.html#storylink=cpy

The City Council will approve whatever budget is decided on in late March for the fiscal year that begins on May 1.

Read the earlier referenced story from the Kansas City Star HERE.
Read a more in-depth report on the city manager's plans HERE.

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What Are Your Expectations?

I served as fire chief of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department from August 1991 to January 1999. I recently spent a few moments going through a few old articles and directives I drafted during my tenure. This article was published in our department newsletter and I believe it has value as much today as it did in August 1992.

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Every successful manager ensures that the people who are a part of the organization are aware of what is expected of them. Each employee must understand their specific role and responsibilities in their position in the organism.

I believe that firefighters through the chain of command to the chief of our department must possess the desire and drive to do their absolute best to serve our citizens. Ours is an honorable profession. There is no greater privilege than to have the opportunity to have a positive effect in another person's life when they are in personal peril. Senior officers, who are visible to both the public and our political leaders, are expected to be ethical, moral and possess both leadership and extraordinary communication skills. However, to the customers we serve, the company officer or E.M.T. who answers a call for assistance in their personal time of need they are the fire and rescue department, not the chief or a member of senior staff.

I do not know the Postmaster General. To me the post office is the man who delivers mail to my home and occasionally stops to talk to me or a member of my family. This just a small example of how all of us play an important role in our organization.

I think the most appropriate place to begin my list of expectations for the members of or department is to begin with my own position as chief. The following is a list of expectations that I have developed for the position of chief of our department:

• Maintain and improve the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the position of chief.
• Be approachable and available to members of the organization, the citizens we serve and to others outside the organization.
• Ensure that the members of the organization are provided with safe, healthy, and efficient facilities and equipment.
• Ensure that members are treated in a fair and equitable manner and provided a non-hostile work environment.
• Set a good example for others to follow.
• Be a good citizen.
• Represent the organization in a professional manner to the governing body.
• Ensure that the governing body is cognizant of the needs and value of the services we provide.
• Plan and prepare the organization for the future.
• Ensure that our citizens are receiving appropriate, cost effective services.
• Provide decisive, timely, sound and well formulated decisions and direction.
• Allow others in the organization to reach their potential through delegation, equal opportunity and trust in them.
• Recognize that every member in the organization is important and the role they play is vital to the over all success of the department.

These expectations were separate from my job description, although some may be found there. Included in these expectations are core values that I believe are required to ensure that we have a viable, responsive, and proactive department of which we can all be proud.

Glenn A. Gaines
Deputy U. S. Fire Administrator

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The American Fire Service
Where We Stand – What We Stand For

The Fire Service has always been looked upon as the pinnacle of service to society. In this country it began when Ben Franklin set the fire service in motion after a huge fire in Philadelphia in 1736, Ben created a fire brigade called The Union Fire Company with 30 volunteers.

Some famous Americans who served as volunteer firefighters were: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Benedict Arnold, James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore and yes, Doctor Kirby Kiefer. Accordingly, the fire service has been and continues to be held in very high regard by our citizens.

Firefighter Ben Franklin

However, in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001 and in the recent economic downturn, the fire service faces pressures that could not have been imagined in years past.  "Well the fire chief said he needs it, so we better provide it for him," just doesn’t work today.  In today’s environment, what we do, what we are comfortable doing, and everything we say we need, is questioned by political leaders, budget staff and the citizens we serve.

But we have great leverage. Our business address is located in our customers’ neighborhood. No other public service enjoys such a unique opportunity to become a part of the fabric of the community.  No other public sector service has a better opportunity to garner citizen support than the local fire station.

Local fire and EMS personnel are always among the first to respond to events and the last to leave. Occasionally they are asked to perform during a period when they and their families are also victims of the disasters. We consider it a failure if we arrive 6 minutes after we receive the call for help. No other government service offers this unique line of business and high performance standard.  We are, in fact, critical infrastructure and the tip of the spear for homeland security.

The Fire Service is, and will continue to be, on the front line and depended upon every day by our citizens. We are depended upon when citizen’s lives or their personal property are in peril from fire, accidents, life threatening health conditions or major disasters. Firefighters must perform at maximum efficiency at these critical times. We know they cannot afford to fail. Honestly, citizens have no one else to turn to in these circumstances.  "Please hurry my house is on fire," is a call that no other agency -local, state or Federal – can answer; not in the way we do.

I am reminded of the grandfather providing some sound advice to his granddaughter. It goes something like this: "Listen honey, if you are ever lost or need help in a strange place, go to a firehouse, the firefighters well help you."  We cannot allow that respect, that confidence, that trust to erode. It is our responsibility to protect our good standing. We do indeed stand on the shoulders of the giants of our profession. If nothing else we owe it to them to continue to insist on high professional, ethical and moral standards. And maintain zero tolerance for those who violate these values.

Youngest Witnesses

But under these economic times, the Fire Service will be asked to operate with reduced resources while maintaining the same high level of service. A daunting undertaking.  We should not, however, believe that citizens will expect less from us because we have less to protect them. It is up to us, as a profession, to find ways to ensure our safety and the safety of our citizens now and into the future.

There is an old axiom that seems to be especially appropriate for today’s business and public service leaders. "Ask for what you need, but do the best with what you have."  I would add that we must identify, quantify, justify and communicate the true impact of reductions in financial, human and material resources on our communities so that our political leaders can make informed decisions based on sound, rational facts.  It is also incumbent upon the American fire service to enhance our efforts as advocates for life, health, fire prevention and mitigation with public outreach and code enforcement every day.

It is right to be out front in selling the value of preventing tragedies that may befall families. It is the purest demonstration that we care for our citizens as a profession and we have simple solutions to ensure their health and safety. It is in fact good business to demonstrate a proactive approach to fire and life safety.  We must think more critically, work more efficiently and demonstrate that we are indeed partners in seeking opportunities to reduce the cost of public sector services, while maintaining a high degree of care and service.

So I encourage you to continue your desire to:

· Learn something you do not know;
· Seek out big problems, for that is where big opportunities live;
· Do something good that has never been done before; and
· Do something good successfully no one else has been successful in doing.

May God bless the American Firefighters and keep you safe. And May God bless the United States of America.

Glenn A. Gaines
Deputy U. S. Fire Administrator

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Or Any Other Supervisors?

ONE OF OUR READERS SENT A CURIOUS EMAIL the other day and asked me to share it with you because he is looking  for some feedback on it.  He asks:

 I have been looking on the internet everywhere for information regarding the pros and cons of a single rank structure department. I am unable to find anything. My department is looking at going to this type of rank structure and I am not real excited about it. Currently we have Lt. and Capt. and I would prefer that we keep it that way. I was wondering if you had any information regarding this subject or if you would be willing to post something to your site so that I could get people's opinions. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Personally I have never heard of such a thing, have you?  My first thought was to wonder what this department thinks supervisors are supposed to do, and how can they function effectively without layers of responsibility.  My guess is that they are looking for a gimmick to reduce wages as a budget-cutter, but that would lead to new problems eventually.

Let's look at the basic reason for having supervisors in the first place.  As soon as you have at least two people assigned to perform a task, one of them has to be a decision-maker and be responsible for the outcome of the work.  And with responsibility comes the expectation of greater rewards (wages) for having more than the people who are only doing the work.  If you have several groups of people, each with a leader, doing several separate tasks, then the group leaders need to have somebody responsible for their work.  A division leader, if you will. 

Now just how many supervisors do you need?  The short but not definitive answer is, it depends on what you are doing, and  that brings us to the managerial concept known as "span of control."  In other words, how many people can one supervisor effectively supervise is determined by what kind of work is being accomplished.  A supervisor over an office typing pool can watch over and make assignments for 20 or more typists clacking out emails and letters.  On the other hand, a bomb disposal squad might need a super for every two technicians who are a breath away from cashing it all in.

It is an axiom of managerial theory that in the fire department the span of control is five subordinates.  Taking in to account just about all of the things that need to be done in firefighting tasks, one officer can be expected to oversee and be responsible for about five firefighters.  So each engine company has an officer who makes more money than the firefighters, because he has more responsibility on his shoulders plus the added work of preparing reports on their actions, etc.  Now if you add a ladder co. in your station, the size of your workforce increases to 8 or more, beyond the accepted span of control.  So the solution is to assign another officer to lead the ladder crew.  Now you have two work groups and two leaders.  Who is responsible for them?  The normal practice is to give one of the officers that additional responsibility of overseeing the other officer and we do that my giving one of them higher wages and a higher-level title, such as "captain." 

Has the captain's span of control jumped to eight firefighters?  No, he over sees the other three on his engine and the ladder officer for a total of four.  And the progression goes on up depending on the size of the department.  Somebody has to be in charge of the station captains, such as a battalion or deputy chief.  And in a properly organized department there will be one of those chief officers overseeing 5 or 6 stations.  Key words here are "properly organized."  There are probably some loopy city/county managers out there who want to re-invent the wheel and change our span of control to 10 or more, but that will lead to a real mess, both on the fireground and in the firehouse.

You probably already know all of that, but are not used to thinking about it in those terms.  It brings me back to this request for information about a so-called single-rank structure.  Just how can that work efficiently?  An officer will not be responsible for another who is of equal rank and pay, not without conflicts and consequences.   So I'm tossing this out to you now: 

Do any of you have any experience with a single-rank structure department?  Or heard of such a thing?  Even if you haven't, tell us your opinion on this concept by either sharing in the Comments or send us an email.  I am curious also.

Update:  A point of clarification is needed.  This refers to a single rank above firefighter.  Mostly firefighters with just one rank above that.

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Only the Taxpayers Are Being Fooled on This One

The Braun Ambulance company (a manufacturer) has this photo of Volusia County, Florida's new rigs on their Facebook page:

Yes, those are fire engine-ambulances. They have 500gpm pumps and 300-gallon tanks. Oh, and CAFS, of course. Because what would a "forward thinking" fire department Public Protection Fire Service be without CAFS. The "forward thinking" quote is from the company rep defending these apparatus from Facebook commenters who aren't so easily duped as the public whose services are being being cut in half. Like any good stooge, he says the citizens will face no reduction in service.

This is simply not true. That the citizens will receive the same level of service is not true. That the apparatus are just as capable as any other ambulance or Class A pumper is not true. That these monstrosities show some special attention to the future is not true. These are nothing but gimmicks used by the penny-wise and pound foolish administrators of a local government abdicating its duty to provide for the public safety. I suppose it is true that these apparatus make for a more efficient use of resources than having separate ambulances and pumpers. There will be no lazy parasitic firemen lounging around waiting for a fire in this Public Protection department. There will also be no firefighters making aggressive and fast interior attacks (300 gallons is a lot less water than I have to work with on my quint!) or addressing your rescue or fire needs when your neighbor has a sniffle. Of course, we've recently been told that forward-thinking fire people shouldn't be making interior attacks anyway, so I guess this might be fine.

Don't get me wrong about EMS. I am 100% in favor of fire-based EMS and believe that we need to step up our EMS provision so it's as important as firefighting. But that means that I believe we should raise both to a level of excellence, not eliminate any semblance of respect for the exigencies of both. If fire protection matters and EMS matters then these apparatus represent a monstrous falsehood perpetrated against a public that is not getting what it thinks it is paying for.

And don't get me wrong about this question either: Why do we have fire services?

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Braun Ambulance Co. WEBSITE.
Volusia County Fire Services WEBSITE.

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Can Firefighting Be a Risk-Free Activity?

Someone from the USFA is pushing the end of interior firefighting. We all know there are winds blowing that way but it is a little bracing to see it stated so bluntly. You can sneer at the fact that he was talking to the Volunteer Chief Officers Section of the IAFC but that is really not the point. There is a battle for the soul of the fire service being fought between those who think any LODD is one too many and those who think that, in general, firefighters must die for the fire service to do what it should. Specifically, protecting lives and property.

I happen to be among the latter. I don't want to die, I don't want anyone on my crew or in my department to die, and I don't want any firefighter to die. And I will do everything I can to prepare and be very good at my job in the interest of preventing a LODD. But I know that property and lives are important and protecting those properly will require firefighters to do things that have a likelihood of causing so many injuries per thousand fires and so many fatalities per thousand fires. There is just no way around that.

The USFA official's statement that buildings are disposable is correct in the abstract but irrelevant in the specific. If you work in an affluent suburb then perhaps the buildings are more disposable than you might at first think. Insurance, savings, and tight social networks cushion any blows suffered by homeowners and residents. But in other areas the people have no safety net, no insurance, no savings, and live paycheck to paycheck. Losing houses and business in some areas is nothing short of catastrophic. It is both disrespectful and incorrect to say that those buildings and the property in them are disposable. The lives in them (which cannot be saved by exterior firefighting) are certainly not disposable.

So I say, stand up for property and for interior firefighting and saving lives, property, and livelihoods. If we decide these things are disposable then why do we exist?

………. Patrick Mahoney

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….. And Wait For Your Number To Be Called.

You may have seen this article about how neighborhood fire stations are to become health clinics in one California county. I guess a fire department in my county is a trendsetter then because they opened a new station last year with clinic space in it, but for a slightly different reason. It's a place the affluent of the community can come have their vitals checked in comfort by a friendly fireman. That department only makes five or six calls a day, protects one of the busiest stretches of interstate in the country, a couple of major petrochemical research labs, a hospital, and about half a dozen highrises. It's true that they don't have many fires, being an affluent bedroom community, but I guess that means they don't need to train on any of that other stuff or even be too terribly ready to respond.

Scott County Public Health Service

As usual, this is part of a trend that attempts to maintain relevance by broadening services. I think the real way to maintain relevance is not to broaden services, but to deepen them. We need to be better at the things we legitimately do and quit pretending like no one goes to fires anymore. We have plenty of emergency functions that most departments didn't have 30 years ago and we have plenty of action in the totality of them to warrant maintaining focus on emergency response. There is nothing we should be doing that should ever take precedence over emergency response. Except for emergency response, nothing should take priority over preparedness.

Too many people in the fire service act like every town was the South Bronx once upon a time and that now the firefighters are just barely holding down the wool over the eyes of the citizenry. Stop saying we just don't go to fires anymore! We do still go to fires, in many places we go to a lot more, and besides that, we go to rescues, hazmat calls, and major medical emergencies. The fire service seems to wallow in self-defeating rhetoric that the public will misperceive and absorb when making decisions about supporting their local fire departments. If you say things that downplay the importance of emergency response then you should not be surprised when your officers, city bureaucrats, and public opinion leaders favor things that have nothing to do with emergency response and your funding and strategic vision shift accordingly.

………. Patrick Mahoney

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Keeping Millionaires Happy

The Minneapolis Fire Department has a manpower/revenue problem that is resulting in gimmickry and layoffs. Will the taxpayers be on the hook for a brand-new $600+ million football stadium? That is the question before the citizens of Minnesota. There is some pushback but it looks like some pols will give it their best shot.

One recent proposal  (AP)

Is there any good reason this is not a civil rights issue? I'd like to see this sort of reverse Robin Hood-ing generate as many comments on as many websites and blogs as some guy not wearing an air pack on a car fire does.

………. Patrick Mahoney

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Note:  Thursday night the Minneapolis City Council addresses (once again) a plan to shrink the fire department.  KSTP-TV reports on tonight's scheduled hearing:

Recent Firegeezer reports on Minneapolis smoke and mirrors HERE and HERE.

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Does Anybody Bother to Read the Thing?

Admiral Jonathan Greenert recently took over as chief of naval operations on September 23rd. Immediately thereafter he released his "sailing directions" for the Navy. I encourage you to go read this document (it's short). It's kind of like a mission statement, vision statement, or whatever other kind of touchy-feely management tool that people like to spend time writing so it can be put in a frame and ignored forevermore. The difference is that this one is plainly written, says something meaningful, and is formatted so as to actually be useful.

Have you ever seen one of these management tools that is actionable? And, if so, one that is actually used? I would venture to say they're almost always a pro forma attempt at management guidance that really has no bearing on the troops in the field. We could use a different kind of statement, one that is written in plain language (as opposed to management jargon du jour), is actionable, means something, and is actually used in decision making. Admiral Greenert has offered what looks like something that fits that bill for his organization.

I think this would be useful in a fire department. The chief can use it to let people know what his expectations are, the organization can use it as guidance in setting short-term priorities, and individual members can use it for modeling purposes. The document can be an opportunity to set or reset norms for our whole organization. If you were the chief, what would you write? Under guiding principles, is emergency response your primary mission or is prevention or even something else? Does your list mean anything to the guys in the field? Can it be understood at every level? This is a good daydreaming exercise for those who wonder what they'd do if they were chief.

………. Patrick Mahoney

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When The Aborigines Aren't

Alabama State Legislature image

Scott Beason, Alabama’s powerful state senator and chairman of their rules committee, has issued a mea culpa over his remarks concerning Blacks which were picked up on an FBI surveillance tape as part of the ubiquitous corruption cases that seem to plague any place where gambling is permissible. Beason was working for the FBI so he presumably knew he was being taped. Press reports indicate that the tape was played during a trial and Senator Beason has been confronted with his inflammatory remarks. Here they are:

"That's y'all's Indians," one Republican said.

"They're aborigines, but they're not Indians," Beason replied. (NYT)

His use of the term "aborigines" as an apparent stand-in for African-Americans is resulting in calls for him to step down from his leadership position, at least. The press has also called the term "racially charged."

Perhaps Scott Beason was assuming that all aborigines are black, since some are, including in Australia. Of course, aboriginal people are defined as the earliest known populations of a region, thus they may be of many other races, as they are in Canada and elsewhere.

Ironically, Native Americans (as in: "That's y'all's Indians") are American aborigines. Blacks are not only not originally from America, but were brought here forcefully and in bondage. They are the least aboriginal of peoples. Could they have gotten it more wrong?

A further irony is that in popular culture, aboriginal people, both Native Americans and Australians, are venerated for their wisdom and unique cultural folkways as in the Australian "walkabout." Thus, if the term was employed in a negative connotation, it backfired.

epress.anu.edu.au

It is true that racism properly turns on intent, but if this qualifies, it’s only by the skin of its (aboriginal) teeth. This is far more a case of ignorance run riot. Were he to be stripped of his leadership position it should be for the far more compelling reason of a desperately low IQ. (Though admittedly, if a low IQ becomes a bar to elective office, many chairs will be empty.)

In the end, the concern with the "head on a platter" approach to all charges of racism is that we will inevitably lose our sense of moral outrage at those acts of racial hatred that are truly borne of malice and premeditation.

That would be a tragedy.

………. Eric Lamar

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