Murphy made 'provisional' fire chief

By Jill Harmacinski jharmacinski@eagletribune.com

LAWRENCE — For now, 31-year veteran Brian Murphy will remain the city's fire chief.

After serving as "acting" fire chief since January, Murphy yesterday was named the city's "provisional" fire chief by Mayor William Lantigua.

Also yesterday, Lantigua asked the state's Civil Service Commission to administer another fire chief exam in Lawrence. Depending on who takes the test and how they score, the test could give Lantigua a new list of fire chief applicants to choose from.

In the meantime, Lantigua wants the fire chief job stripped of civil service protection. Doing so allows the city to cast a wider net for the next chief.

Lantigua's decision on the chief's job, announced yesterday, comply with a civil service order handed down this month. Civil service law doesn't recognize an "acting" chief's job. The commission told the city to appoint a permanent chief. Under the law, the mayor also is allowed to appoint a provisional chief and ask for a new round of testing.

Murphy learned of Lantigua's decision from an Eagle-Tribune reporter yesterday afternoon. He declined to comment until he heard from City Hall, he said.

The Lawrence firefighters union is staunch in its support of Murphy, who, in his three decades as a firefighter, climbed the ranks and earned his colleagues' respect, said Patrick Driscoll, union president.

Driscoll said ordering another fire chief exam will take a year. He said he believes Lantigua's latest move "is just appeasing civil service and biding his time to take the position out of civil service."

"Brian Murphy is the most experienced guy in the Fire Department. He should be given the job," Driscoll said.

In recent months, Murphy has been outspoken about layoffs and cutbacks he believes have left both the city and firefighters in danger. Adding to the layoffs, three of six firehouses are now closed to balance the $72 million municipal budget.

The last fire chief exam was administered in March 2009 as former fire Chief Peter Takvorian prepared to retire in January 2010. Deputy Chief John McInnis scored the highest, with Murphy the runner-up. Both of their names appeared on a "short list" for the chief's job.

Under civil service guidelines, because just two names were on the list, the mayor is allowed to ask for another fire chief exam and list.

McInnis, in January, signed paperwork saying he would not accept the fire chief's job if it was offered to him.

The recent civil service order was triggered by an appeal filed by Deputy Chief Jack Bergeron in June. He said he filed the appeal because he wanted the city to act responsibly and comply with the law.

The Civil Service Commission is a quasi-judicial agency that ensures the state's public employees receive fair and impartial treatment.

The Lawrence fire chief job has been under civil service for 70 years, which has protected the city's top firefighter from political corruption and interference, Driscoll had said.

Removing the fire chief position from civil service will require both City Council approval and that the item be sent to the state Legislature as a home rule petition.

Chief says fire understaffing a city danger

By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff  |  July 22, 2010

The recent layoff of 23 firefighters in Lawrence has led the city’s acting fire chief to declare that residents are in “imminent danger,’’ with surrounding communities revising how they provide mutual aid to the city.

Acting Chief Brian J. Murphy said that in the span of a year, three of six firehouses have closed and, including retirements, 29 positions have been lost in the department, leaving this tightly packed city with a minimum of 13 firefighters on duty per shift.

The current maximum is 18 firefighters, which was the minimum staffing level per shift less than a year ago, Murphy said.

At 7 square miles and an estimated population of 72,000 to 80,000 people, Lawrence should have a minimum of 24 firefighters per shift, Murphy said.

“We have a significant history of fire,’’ said Murphy, a 31-year veteran and acting chief since January. “The residents of Lawrence are in imminent danger.’’

To close a $25 million budget deficit this year, the city passed a $72 million budget with deep personnel cuts. In March, state lawmakers passed a bill allowing the then nearly bankrupt city to borrow up to $35 million, under state supervision.

In anticipation of the layoffs in Lawrence, the Essex County Fire Chiefs Association formed a task force to address the effect the depleted department would have on mutual aid response agreements, said Andover Fire Chief Michael B. Mansfield, who chairs the group.

Mutual aid is an agreement entered into by fire departments pledging to share services between communities when needed.

The cuts in Lawrence in the past year have forced the city’s Fire Department to rely on mutual aid more frequently, Murphy said.

Whereas in years past Lawrence was able to handle a two-alarm fire on its own, now, under the revised mutual-aid-response agreement, two alarms would trigger a response to the scene from Andover, North Andover, and Lowell, Murphy said.

Previously, those communities would not respond to a fire in Lawrence until a third alarm was sounded.

Before the July 7 layoffs, on Lawrence’s second alarm, Andover and North Andover would instead cover the firehouses left empty by Lawrence firefighters.

“With our lack of manpower, we’re going to rely on mutual aid instead in fires that we would’ve been able to handle on our own in the past,’’ Murphy said. “Fires that were single alarms will have more alarms now.’’

Lawrence, an old mill city with many wooden structures, relies on mutual aid more often than it provides it, but with its current staffing, its reliance on the service could financially drain the communities that assist it most often, Andover Chief Mansfield said.

The community of a fire department responding to a mutual aid call is not only responsible for regular salary pay, but also for overtime, injury, and equipment damage costs.

“We tried to make the best decision based upon being able to provide the best assistance we can to all communities in the system, and not drain two or three communities,’’ Mansfield said. “We’re trying to strike a balance and make a difficult situation better.’’

Mansfield said the task force will continue to monitor the mutual aid situation in Lawrence monthly and make adjustments.

In the meantime, the changes have created a negative domino effect throughout the mutual aid response chain.

Lawrence can no longer send a ladder truck to assist other communities because it only has one in operation.

Lowell, one of the communities that had relied on Lawrence’s ladder truck for a third-alarm fire, had to alter its own mutual aid agreement, having Nashua taking over Lawrence’s role, said Lowell Fire Chief Edward Pitta.

North Andover Fire Chief Andrew V. Melnikas said if North Andover is helping out in Lawrence and a fire were to break out in his town, it would be up to the Fire Department in Middleton to respond to that.

Despite the ripple effect, Melnikas said the point of the changes is to make sure Lawrence continues to get the help it needs.

“Mutual aid is an ethical and moral responsibility,’’ he said. “We’re all working together with Chief Murphy.’’

Topsfield Fire Chief Ronald P. Giovannacci, who is president of the Essex County Fire Chiefs Association, said a heavy reliance on mutual aid will translate to longer response times to emergencies in Lawrence.

“A relatively small fire could be catastrophic if the response is inadequate. [Lawrence] is not as safe as it was a month ago,’’ Giovannacci said. “Mutual aid is supposed to be for the extraordinary, not the ordinary.’’

As part of the March legislation allowing Lawrence to borrow up to $35 million, the city was assigned a state overseer, Robert Nunes, who was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick.

In a July 5 letter to Nunes, Murphy stated that the citizens of Lawrence “face a severe crisis that poses an imminent danger to their safety and their property.’’ Murphy also sent a copy to Patrick and other federal and state officials.

Murphy was relying on language written into the state loan legislation that states that if the fiscal overseer appointed to the city concludes that Lawrence “faces a fiscal crisis that poses an imminent danger to the safety of the citizens of the city and their property,’’ then the overseer shall report that to the state’s administration and finance secretary, who would then abolish the overseer and appoint a finance control board to the city.

But in a response received July 19, Nunes stated that the language regarding “imminent danger’’ is only meant for matters of revenue, and that the mayor and City Council are working to raise revenue in the city, Murphy said.

Neither Nunes nor Mayor William Lantigua returned calls for comment.

“I was pretty surprised,’’ Murphy said. “I’m not sure I can do anything else. It’s up to these elected officials to take a stance on this. I’ve given it every shot that I think is possible.’’

Katheleen Conti can be reached at kconti@globe.com  

Lantigua ordered to appoint next fire chief

By Jill Harmacinski
jharmacinski@eagletribune.com

—

LAWRENCE — Still reeling from last week's 23 layoffs, the Lawrence Fire Department now could see a change in leadership.

The city has been ordered to comply with civil service law and appoint a fire chief.

It's unclear if Brian Murphy, the acting fire chief since Jan. 4, will keep the job he's held for seven months since former Chief Peter Takvorian retired.

A 31-year Fire Department veteran, Murphy has been outspoken about layoffs and cutbacks he said he believes have left both the city and firefighters in danger. Adding to the layoffs, three of six firehouses are now closed to balance the $72 million municipal budget.

Mayor William Lantigua has a meeting planned today to discuss the civil service decision, which was handed down after an appeal was filed by fire Deputy Chief Jack Bergeron in June.

Civil service law does not recognize Murphy's "acting" appointment and Bergeron said he filed the appeal because he believes the "city should obey the law and act responsibly."

"It's important this is done according to the law," said Bergeron, noting a part of the Fire Department's role is to enforce laws.

"The mayor is no different. ... He is not above the law," he said.

In May, Lantigua said he wanted to strip the fire chief's job of civil service protection and asked city councilors to support him in doing so. With that matter pending, the civil service decision now essentially forces the mayor's hand when it comes to appointing the next chief.

Lantigua has until the end of the month to make the appointment.

The Civil Service Commission is a quasi-judicial agency that ensures that the state's public employees receive fair and impartial treatment.

Murphy said he was previously told he'd be the next fire chief and signed civil service paperwork agreeing to that in January. However, his title remains "acting" and he has not spoken with Lantigua about the July 2 civil service decision.

"There are civil service requirements that really should have been met," Murphy said.

Leonard Degnan, Lantigua's chief of staff, said the mayor "is going to evaluate the whole issue ... all of this" at today's meeting. He said the mayor plans "to act quickly."

In January, when Takvorian retired, just Murphy and Deputy Chief John McInnis appeared on a "short list" for the chief's job. Under civil service guidelines, because just two names were on the list, the mayor can ask for another fire chief's exam and list, Degnan said.

McInnis signed paperwork in January saying he would not accept the fire chief's job if it was offered to him, Bergeron said.

If civil service protection is removed, the city can cast a wider net in the fire chief search.

Murphy, at a City Council meeting in May, said Lantigua's move to strip the fire chief's job of civil service protection was retribution for him speaking out against potential layoffs.

At that time, Degnan said Murphy was "personalizing" the issue and pointed to area communities that do not have civil service fire chiefs. Also, Degnan said Murphy might "ultimately" be the most qualified for the job.

The Lawrence fire chief job has had civil service protection for 70 years, which has protected the city's top firefighter from political corruption and interference, Patrick Driscoll, president of the firefighters union, has said.

The union supports Murphy's appointment as chief. In his three decades on the job, Murphy has held every position in the city. He knows the history of the city, its danger spots and layout without fail.

In the future, if the City Council does vote to remove the chief's job from civil service, the item will then be sent to the state Legislature as a home rule petition.

Laid Off Firefighters Seek State's Help

Group Says Public Safety At Risk

At a midday rally Friday, Lawrence firefighters called on Gov. Deval Patrick to declare a public safety state of emergency.

That declaration would make the city eligible for state and federal aid to rehire 23 firefighters who were laid off Tuesday as the city struggles to balance the budget.

"It's time for the governor to step up, take over Lawrence. Give us what we need in the fire service, and get our men back to work and get our stations back open, and we need that now," said Patrick Driscoll, of Lawrence Firefighters Local 146.

Lawrence firefighters came to Boston to meet with Patrick, but he wasn't available. Instead, they held a rally on the roof of a building that overlooks the Statehouse, hoping that the message they shout will be heard loud and clear inside the governor's office.

"Governor, I demand a meeting as soon as possible. The buck stops with you," said Bob McCarthy, of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. "Public safety shouldn't be a political issue."

"Both the interests in public safety and the interest in fiscal stability are interests that are very important to me, and I think they can be balanced. I think they have been balanced. And obviously, I want to hear what the firefighters have to say," Patrick said.

Even before laying off 24 percent of the Fire Department, Lawrence had closed some stations because of previous rounds of layoffs. The firefighters are frustrated with what they call an impasse with the city, so they're seeking money from the state for the short-term to help until the next round of federal stimulus money is available.

"Not only have I lost my job, my income, everything I've worked for my entire life -- I'm a college graduate. I have two college degrees. I worked very hard to get where I'm at. I feel as though the rug's been taken out from underneath me," laid off firefighter Ryan Lavallee said.

Copyright 2010 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

Lawrence lays off 23 firefighters; closes third station

By Yadira Betances and Mark E. Vogler
Staff Writers

—

LAWRENCE — The city laid off 23 firefighters yesterday in the latest move by Mayor William Lantigua to balance the budget.

In addition to the layoffs, several high-ranking fire officials were demoted and the Engine 9 firehouse at 161 Bailey St., was closed — the third fire station in the city that has been shut down due to the city's financial crisis.

"Lawrence is a busy city for fire and police," acting fire Chief Brian Murphy said yesterday. "We know it and we've told them, but it fell on deaf ears."

Members of the firefighters union met with city officials Tuesday afternoon, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on concessions to keep firefighters working.

"We were hoping to get some movement to avoid layoffs," said Lenny Degnan, Mayor Lantigua's chief of staff. "To be able to get people back, the union needs to make concessions."

"We don't want to lay off people, but we can't afford it in the financial situation we're in," Degnan said.

The layoffs went into effect at 8 a.m. Some high-ranking officials were demoted, including one captain to lieutenant and two lieutenants to firefighters.

The closure of the Engine 9 firehouse on Bailey Street was the department's third since last August, when Engine 6 at 480 Howard St. (Prospect Hill) and Engine 8 at 298 Ames St. (Tower Hill) were closed. Fire apparatus will be moved from Bailey Street to South Broadway.

"Clearly, moving the fire station out of my neighborhood is going to increase the response time to any emergency," said City Councilor Marc Laplante, who represents residents of the District F South Lawrence East neighborhood — which includes Bailey Street.

"Whether it be police or fire, we want to keep things at the same level that it was two weeks ago. We need to do all we can to ensure those numbers don't drop, and that's one of the main reasons why I voted against the budget two weeks ago," Laplante said.

"I'm hoping that it doesn't take a tragedy for the city to move in the direction to beef up the fire and police services. Right now, we're beyond a skeleton. For a city of our population and our complexity, we need to have the kind of fire protection we had before these cuts," he said.

Laplante worried the station closure and layoffs could have serious consequences for an urban fire department that has many mills with wooden floors soaked with oil from the height of the city's textile days.

The councilor said he also wonders about the risk of the city becoming too dependent on out-of-town help to fight fires.

"My concern is that we're relying on mutual aid to provide for core services, and I'm not sure that our neighboring communities are going to continue providing us mutual aid when we're not doing all we should be doing to provide our own fire safety," Laplante said.

The closure of the Bailey Street firehouse has sparked fears in the neighborhood about public safety and the future of the city, according to Mark Pettengill, president of the South Common Central Neighborhood Association.

"These are the first responders and these are the guys who everybody kind of takes for granted being there — and now they're not going to be there," said Pettengill, whose group represents about 40 families in the area.

"This is also the fire company that does the river watch, which is also a great concern to the people in the neighborhood. People are getting afraid about the loss of public safety. They're also concerned about losing business because of this," Pettengill said.

He said it's unrealistic to think the city can fix its fiscal problems by cutting back on public safety.

About a year ago, the city had close to 130 firefighters before it closed two fire stations.

Murphy said the city now has 72 firefighters — including captains, lieutenants and firefighters — barely enough for a city with half of Lawrence's 80,000 residents.

All firefighters and officers on duty yesterday responded to the fire at a single-family home on Kingston Street.

On the scene were three fire engines, a ladder truck and a rescue truck manned by a lieutenant and firefighters.

In addition to the shortage of personnel, Murphy said there are several areas in the city with little water pressure.

"We don't have adequate pressure because the water mains have not been maintained through the years," Murphy said.

If there had been a second call while fighting the Kingston Street blaze, Murphy said Lawrence would have had to call for mutual aid from Andover, North Andover and Lowell.

In his 31 years with the Fire Department, Murphy said he has watched it gradually become smaller.

"It has been dismantled to the level which is totally inadequate today," Murphy said.

Firefighter union President Patrick Driscoll, did not return repeated telephone calls.

Those laid off yesterday include (least seniority first and the most seniority last): Gary Poulin, David Amero, Estaban Arias, Joseph Carberry, Steven Lefebvre, Matthew Nadeau, Wayne Leduc, Mark Aliberti, Ian McDermott, Miguel Baez, Timothy Boutin, James Driscoll, Roger Jamesom, Ryan Lavallee, Deborah Nickerson, Brian Raineri, Tara Reardon, Michael Swarbrick, Mark Verville, Jason Belkus, Jay Flores, Rodney Rivera and Matthew McInnis.

Those demoted include Capt. John Meaney to lieutenant; acting Capt. Paul Maccarone to lieutenant; Lt. Mark Aliberti to firefighter/laid off; Lt. Tara Reardon to firefighter/laid off; and acting Lt. T. Kennedy to firefighter.

In addition, two lieutenant positions have been eliminated.

June 4, 2010

Firefighters vote 'no confidence' on mayor and his budget

By Bill Kirk
bkirk@eagletribune.com

—

LAWRENCE — A group of 55 firefighters — 30 of whom got layoff notices this week — have cast a vote of "no confidence" against Mayor William Lantigua's administration for his handling of the city budget.

"We believe the mayor and his administration don't have a real concern with the safety of the people of Lawrence or the safety of the firefighters," said fire union President Patrick Driscoll about the Wednesday night vote. "With these cuts, we will have a balanced budget, but the city is in danger."

Lantigua, backed by a financial overseer appointed by the state to help write a balanced budget, has proposed a spending package of $72 million for municipal government and $135.6 million for the School Department for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

But the budget comes with significant cuts in services and staff, including 32 firefighters, 38 police officers, 15 public works employees and 32 teachers. In all, the budget proposes 190 layoffs.

City officials said the no confidence shows that the firefighters "don't get it."

"We hope these are not the final (layoff) numbers," said Lantigua's chief of staff, Leonard Degnan. "We are willing to meet with the Fire Department through our labor negotiators to come up with a solution on how to prevent the layoffs. But it has to be a partnership. The city can't keep borrowing money to solve its problems."

Degnan said the administration has a menu of cuts and giveback options to which he hopes the union agrees to prevent layoffs.

"Everything's on the table," he said.

He added that the vote of no confidence by the union against the mayor and his staff, as well as against the state-appointed overseer, Bob Nunes, is "foolish."

"I don't think anybody's happy with the way things are going," he said. "We agree, services will be affected with reductions in the budget."

But, he said, "this day of reckoning was going to come. It was either cuts by the mayor, a control board, or the overseer. The good news is that we have a balanced budget. We are at a baseline."

Driscoll said the firefighters who took the votes of no confidence are "frustrated" that the administration would propose laying off firefighters and other personnel while giving raises to some City Hall managers and keeping other salaries at existing levels.

"We were promised a 3.5 percent increase Jan. 1," he said. "And the mayor put his nose up in the air. Meanwhile, the city has money to give Degnan a 9 percent increase."

Further, he said, there are no proposed cuts to the salaries of the mayor or the Community Development director.

Nonetheless, he said, the union is willing to negotiate and that firefighter negotiators are sitting down with city negotiators in the next few days.

"We wouldn't be sitting down with the city unless we were willing to help," he said.

Patrick Blanchette, the interim community development director, said it was "unfortunate (the union) was able to gather in a room and come up with a vote of no confidence, when they should be coming up with concessions and ideas to help the city solve this mess."

He added, "The city's broke. There's no free cash. There's no wink-wink, nod-nod. Those days are over. Everybody's getting cut. Public safety and schools. This isn't against the Fire Department. Taking a vote of no confidence doesn't benefit anybody. It doesn't help the situation."

Neither Lantigua nor Nunes could be reached for comment

Lawrence Fire Department told to prepare for 25 to 30 layoffs

By Jill Harmacinski jharmacinski@eagletribune.com

LAWRENCE — Acting fire Chief Brian Murphy said last night he has been told to prepare for 25 to 30 firefighters being laid off next month.

"These numbers are totally absurd," said Murphy, saying the department is already working with shifts smaller than national fire prevention guidelines. With such severe cuts, the city would be left with shifts of 13 firefighters to cover a 7-square-mile city of roughly 77,000 people.

"I understand we need to balance the budget. But we have to take into account the safety of the citizens and the firefighters. It's unbelievable," Murphy said.

At a meeting Friday, Murphy said he was told to "plan on between 25 to 30 firefighters being let go" in the next fiscal year. The pink slips will be handed out on June 1 and take effect July 1, the official start of fiscal year 2011.

Murphy said he attended the meeting with Leonard Degnan, Mayor William Lantigua's chief of staff, and Bob Nunes, the city's state-appointed financial overseer.

Attempts to reach Nunes and Lantigua for comment last night were unsuccessful.

Degnan said an official layoff number hasn't been finalized.

"We have no idea," he said.

In the Police Department, any cut to the budget will result in layoffs.

"We were told to prepare for a reduced budget, but to what degree has still not been determined. Right now we are simply waiting to see what the numbers are going to be," Chief John Romero.

Officials said previously that between 100 and 115 citywide layoffs are planned in the next fiscal year. Half of the staff cuts might be made to the School Department, which is grappling with a $2.8 million budget deficit.

On the municipal side, however, officials are now struggling to plug an anticipated $15 million revenue shortfall next fiscal year. This comes on the heels of a $24 million deficit from the past three fiscal years. The state Legislature allowed the city to borrow up to $39 million to plug the deficits. Gov. Deval Patrick appointed Nunes as a condition of the legislation.

Firefighters themselves also are upset about the layoff plans, particularly after union officials attended an April 30 meeting where Nunes and Lantigua said they wanted to work with the unions to find solutions.

"Why would you come out with a number like that if you were still going to try to work with the unions. Unless it's a scare tactic," Patrick Driscoll, fire union president, said last night.

Lawrence reeling after fire layoffs

August 15, 2009
By Vivian Nereim, Globe Correspondent
LAWRENCE - Officials in this cash-strapped city have tried to stay within the shrinking confines of their budget this year, but their efforts broke down yesterday when the fire department laid off 10 people and closed two of its six firehouses, leaving the department with barely enough firefighters to cover the city, said Deputy Chief Jack Bergeron.

“We don’t have enough men to cover just one of the firehouses,’’ he said.

The closings have enveloped the city government in a cloud of uncertainty. City Council president Patrick J. Blanchette called an emergency meeting Thursday night to discuss the Fire Department changes, but some officials, such as planning director Michael Sweeney, questioned the legality of calling the session on such short notice.

Meanwhile, neither Mayor Michael Sullivan’s office nor the Fire Department seemed to know where the authority to close the firehouses lay.

“I don’t think anybody has a definitive answer to that,’’ said Bergeron.

“There’s just confusion on their part, and maybe ours, too,’’ said Nora Carroll, the mayor’s chief of staff.

The confusion originally stemmed from a meeting on June 30, when city councilors approved a budget with cuts to many programs and departments.

Blanchette and council vice president Nicholas J. Kolofoles said they approved the budget because they were led to believe that an appropriation would be made for the Fire Department to prevent layoffs.

Blanchette said there was “pretty much a verbal agreement,’’ but the appropriation never materialized.

“That money was never there,’’ said Kolofoles.

Carroll said the mayor’s office did not want to close fire stations. “I know the stations closing creates a sense of alarm in the neighborhoods that are nearby,’’ she said.

But Carroll said all municipal departments have taken a financial hit. “We are lucky in that we have other stations in the area,’’ she added.

Bergeron, however, said the closings were the “culmination of a long series of events,’’ and that the Fire Department has long been understaffed.

The department, which has about 105 firefighters, has not hired a new firefighter in five years, he said, despite losing more than 25, including eight to disability and one to military service.

A sign in English and Spanish on the Ames Street station, one of the firehouses closed, read, “Engine house temporarily closed,’’ but Bergeron said the closing was indefinite.

Lieutenant Paul Hamel said the department had been “cut past the point of no return.’’

“We have antiquated equipment, we’re short-staffed, we have a heavy fire load,’’ he said. He said he was worried about the layoffs, which eliminated nine firefighters, including one dispatcher, and one electrician.

“It’s going to affect us any time we go into a building, and you need someone behind you . . . and they’re not there,’’ said Hamel.

Bergeron said the department responded to 136 structure fires in 2008.

“A lot of those were not serious fires, but they weren’t serious because we were able to get people on the scene in a short period of time,’’ he said.

Phil Bruneau, who lives near the Ames Street firehouse, said he did not realize that it had already been closed. “I know they’ll respond,’’ he said. “But it won’t be as quick as before.’’

Vivian Nereim can be reached at vnereim@globe.com.

By Jill Harmacinski and Mark E. Vogler
jharmacinski@eagletribune.com, mvogler@eagletribune.com

August 12, 2009 LET

By Jill Harmacinski
jharmacinski@eagletribune.com

July 20^th, 2009

In response to the Letter to the Editor by Lawrence Mayor Michael J. Sullivan in the July 20^th editions of the Eagle Tribune, I would like to provide some facts on the issues that were stated. The membership of the Lawrence Firefighters Local 146 has always taken great pride in working with the city on any budget issues, and our membership has always been in the forefront in rallying support at City Council meetings. The Mayor states, that by the firefighter’s refusal to come to the table, we are jeopardizing the safety of the neighborhoods. The fact of the matter is, the Lawrence Fire Department over the last 5 years has lost 19 firefighter positions and hasn’t hired any new firefighters since November of 2004. These cuts alone have put the citizens and firefighter safety at risk. On top of that since April 1^st, 2009 we have been closing a fire station daily on a rotating basis, resulting in a savings of $10.000 to $12.000 thousand dollars per week, (according to Budget and Finance department calculations.) And the fiscal year 2010 budget continues that dangerous Russian roulette practice. Operating with one less station seriously affects public safety throughout the city with increased response times, to such simple everyday calls, as a baby choking or a heart attack victim. Do we need to put a price on life safety? Closing a neighborhood fire station may also increase homeowner insurance rates for citizens due to the lack of adequate fire protection.  We believe no other major city department has lost that number of positions over the same period of time. It is true that the membership of Local 146 is receiving a salary increase this fiscal year, but we are not receiving anything more than any other city union. The 11 other city unions all agreed to concessions with furlough plans, in which they will be compensated for in future years,  while still receiving a salary increase this year. This proposal was never offered to the membership of Local 146. The offer made was to defer the 2010 salary increase to 2011 with no compensation, as was given to other unions. The Lawrence Fire Department is one of the busiest departments within the state, and has always been looked upon has having the hardest working men and women on the job. We feel over the last 5 years we have been working with the city insuring the public safety while running short-staffed. The members of the Lawrence Fire Department will always give the citizens of Lawrence the proper protection they need. We are asking the citizens to contact the Mayor, and give the fire department the proper resources to provide the level of protection you all deserve.

Local 146 Executive Board

Patrick Driscoll                  Kirk Scanlon              Graeme Millar                Deborah Nickerson         Eric Zahn

President                            Vice-President          Secretary                        Treasurer                          Sgt at Arms    

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  Contact:  Name Patrick Driscoll

Date     July 16, 2009                                                                                     Phone #978-360-1916

LAWRENCE FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 146 TO LEAFLET NEIGHBORHOODS WHOSE FIRE STATION MIGHT CLOSE

Lawrence, MA – Lawrence Firefighters Local 146, I.A.F.F., announced a campaign to inform the public of the ongoing rotational closing of city firehouses. Beginning this weekend, firefighters will hit the streets to educate them of the dangers associated with closing their neighborhood fire stations. Flyers, with pictures of the four fire stations currently affected, proclaim “Lawrence Fire Fighters Support You – Now We Need Your Support.”

Engine 5 Lowell Street, Engine 6 Prospect Hill, Engine 8 Towerhill and Engine 7 Park St fire stations have been closing on a rotational basis since April when the number of firefighters working each day drops below a certain level. “Our members take great pride in providing a rapid, highly trained, professional response to the citizens of Lawrence,” said Patrick Driscoll, President of the Local Firefighter’s Union. “Continued station closings, or worse, permanently shutting one would greatly hamper our response time.” 

According to the firefighter’s union, this new scheme not only puts city residents at risk, but also impacts their own member’s safety. Citing national industry standards, initial responders must arrive within 4 minutes, with all responders arriving within 8 minutes. “When you reduce the number of firefighters and fire companies available to respond to emergencies” Driscoll said “firefighter safety becomes an issue as well. “Fires double every 60 seconds; medical calls require immediate action” he continued. “Small problems quickly become big problems without sufficient help from the outset.”

The firefighter’s union, like all city unions, was asked to consider concessions proposed by the city to help alleviate ongoing budget pressures. Several unions did accept concessions, including furloughs, but Driscoll said that approach wouldn’t work for the Fire Department. In fact, it might actually cost money to do so. “The department has lost 19 positions in the past five years, the result of the City not hiring any new firefighters since 2004” he said. “Trying to implement a furlough plan would likely require most, if not all furloughed positions to then be filled with overtime to maintain services.” According to Driscoll, the firefighters have been working cooperatively with the City, including accepting other concessions in past years in addition to a shrinking staff. “Our department has already been downsized. We have been doing more with less for years now.”

In addition to leafleting city neighborhoods, the firefighters are hoping that concerned citizens will call or talk with their elected councilors to express their concerns.