Fulton Mayor Thinking of Quitting Fire Mutual Aid System

[Monty 35]

http://oswegocountytoday.com/?p=70526

Four times in the last year, Fulton city firefighters have been called to the Chateau West apartments just over the city line in Granby to help that town’s volunteers. Now, according to Mayor Ron Woodward, city firefighters are being called out of the city to help with accidents.

Enough is enough, said Woodward, who raised the possibility of quitting the county’s mutual aid system at a recent Common Council meeting.

“I’m certainly looking at it,” he said in an interview afterwards. “If you can’t get volunteers, why would you expect another municipality to fight your fires?”

At first glance, reading the article it might seen that the Mayor has a point.

Mutual aid calls could require the city to call in workers on overtime. As the firefighter’s workday is 24 hours, that equals 24 hours of overtime.

.... if true, the Union must have a great contract.

Then reading the comments, it seems that the city is getting mutual aid as well as giving it. Another half-baked idea, half-correct story?

[JohnnyOV 2]

Then reading the comments, it seems that the city is getting mutual aid as well as giving it. Another half-baked idea, half-correct story?

I'd wait until the actual run numbers come out detailing how many times each department was requested to the other... and filled a crew to respond.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Problem: The City of Fulton has numerous problems as evidenced by the article, and the comments from readers. The Mayor doesn't really know the ramifications of what he is saying. If he unwisely pulled the plug on mutual-aid, the first multi-fatality fire the department gets the lawsuits will put the City out of business. A Squad of 8 career firefighters cannot provide adequate fire protection without other avenues for assistance, period.

Possible Solution: I think I understand where he is coming from about possibly contracting with the surrounding volunteer department protected areas. Creative idea for a new revenue stream. If Fulton is getting the first due work because the volunteer companies are having difficulty fielding a crew, then maybe those areas COULD contract with Fulton.

This solves a couple of things; the unprotected areas get a faster attack crew on scene, then the volunteers get to the firehouses and respond with the rigs to the job. Nothing really changes except the outside areas sign a contract with Fulton, and presto they have automatic mutual aid BUT this should be for working fires only as confirmed by PD usually first on scene.

This could be for daytime hours only, working fires only..there are possibilities they could negotiate something.

Then they leave the mutual-aid system alone. The only change is Fulton gets a bigger first due area for fires during the day. Smells and Bells remain the responsibility of the home department. Got a fire and bang, there goes Fulton.

It could work out, but the problem with these situations is somebody won't be happy and will throw the wrench into the process. It will either be the volunteers who don't want auto-aid nor their districts paying Fulton, or the Fulton local will raise the alarm about something, or politicos get involved, or unhappy taxpayers in the outside areas getting involved...then it's truly dead.

Disclaimer: I don't know the area, have never been there. Have no idea if there are other career firefighters from these other areas; evidently there aren't. If there are, that's a different situation. Just throwing out an idea for possible discussion here based solely on what the article contains.

[INIT915 1,119]

Problem: The City of Fulton has numerous problems as evidenced by the article, and the comments from readers. The Mayor doesn't really know the ramifications of what he is saying. If he unwisely pulled the plug on mutual-aid, the first multi-fatality fire the department gets the lawsuits will put the City out of business. A Squad of 8 career firefighters cannot provide adequate fire protection without other avenues for assistance, period.

Possible Solution: I think I understand where he is coming from about possibly contracting with the surrounding volunteer department protected areas. Creative idea for a new revenue stream. If Fulton is getting the first due work because the volunteer companies are having difficulty fielding a crew, then maybe those areas COULD contract with Fulton.

This solves a couple of things; the unprotected areas get a faster attack crew on scene, then the volunteers get to the firehouses and respond with the rigs to the job. Nothing really changes except the outside areas sign a contract with Fulton, and presto they have automatic mutual aid BUT this should be for working fires only as confirmed by PD usually first on scene.

This could be for daytime hours only, working fires only..there are possibilities they could negotiate something.

Then they leave the mutual-aid system alone. The only change is Fulton gets a bigger first due area for fires during the day. Smells and Bells remain the responsibility of the home department. Got a fire and bang, there goes Fulton.

It could work out, but the problem with these situations is somebody won't be happy and will throw the wrench into the process. It will either be the volunteers who don't want auto-aid nor their districts paying Fulton, or the Fulton local will raise the alarm about something, or politicos get involved, or unhappy taxpayers in the outside areas getting involved...then it's truly dead.

Disclaimer: I don't know the area, have never been there. Have no idea if there are other career firefighters from these other areas; evidently there aren't. If there are, that's a different situation. Just throwing out an idea for possible discussion here based solely on what the article contains.

All makes sense efdcapt115. Seems everyday this storyline comes out, just a different city each time. As for the idea that backing out of the M/A system will lead to lawsuits, that's unlikely unless they use a subscriber system, which I'm not aware of anyone in NY using. If not that, the City generally has no obligation to its constitutes, from a civil tort perspective anyway, making them fairly untouchable in that respect.