After a Fireman Dies, Questions About Staffing and Equipment (White Plains LODD 1993)

[LineCapt 134]

 

Quote

 

WHITE PLAINS— It was just a matter of time, firefighters said, because there were too few men to do the job and substandard equipment to work with. Warren Ogburn, 39, a professional firefighter here, died Feb. 24 in an elevator in a burning high-rise apartment building. As fellow firefighters mourned his loss at a funeral last Monday, they also expressed feelings of outrage, saying that their comrade perished because government leaders had failed to take their concerns seriously.

 

"How far can government keep cutting us back before the system cracks?" asked Duncan MacRae, president of the 170-member White Plains Professional Firefighters Association. "Morale was bad before this, but now it's worse than ever."

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/07/nyregion/after-a-fireman-dies-questions-about-staffing-and-equipment.html?pagewanted=all

[x635 4,066]

Wow. NOTHING has changed since that article was written!

[dwcfireman 656]

170?  So, over 22 years WP has cut 36 positions? (The current number was found here)  That equates to 12 firefighters per shift, assuming a 24 on/48 off schedule.  I know this would probable cost about $5 million per year to cover these firefighters (pay/benefits/overtime), but wouldn't the end result be worth it?  The article stated that the LODD (in 1993) was the first since 1954.  Why should there be any?  Yes, we can train harder and learn more about how to do our jobs, but you still need manpower on the scene to safely conduct our jobs.

[x635 4,066]

Here's another article about WPFD on LoHud today:

 

"White Plains mayoral candidate: Fire department at 'breaking point'"

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/white-plains/2017/02/25/milagros-lecuona-white-plains-mayor-fire-department/98398806/

[SECTMB 612]

2 hours ago, x635 said:

Here's another article about WPFD on LoHud today:

 

"White Plains mayoral candidate: Fire department at 'breaking point'"

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/white-plains/2017/02/25/milagros-lecuona-white-plains-mayor-fire-department/98398806/

 

She seems to get it.

[16fire5 693]

On 2/24/2017 at 8:48 PM, dwcfireman said:

 That equates to 12 firefighters per shift, assuming a 24 on/48 off schedule. 

 

 

No one to my knowledge in New York does that schedule.  Firefighters in NYS work a 40 hour week.  With OT for anything more.  

[dwcfireman 656]

3 hours ago, 16fire5 said:

 

No one to my knowledge in New York does that schedule.  Firefighters in NYS work a 40 hour week.  With OT for anything more.  

 

I've talked to WP firefighters many times over the years, and they've all told me they work 24's.

 

[Newburgher 241]

Newburgh works 24s also, but it's 72 off.  I know Kingston and Poughkeepsie do also, but I don't know for a fact what their time off is

[provfd 49]

On 2/26/2017 at 3:26 PM, 16fire5 said:

 

No one to my knowledge in New York does that schedule.  Firefighters in NYS work a 40 hour week.  With OT for anything more.  

 Now you know of 4 departments that do. 

[Specter328 1]

1 hour ago, provfd said:

 Now you know of 4 departments that do. 

Many departments do a 24 hour schedule in NY but not a 24/48 as you talked about.  They do a 24/72 4 group schedule, working roughly 40 hours a week.

[dwcfireman 656]

1 hour ago, Specter328 said:

Many departments do a 24 hour schedule in NY but not a 24/48 as you talked about.  They do a 24/72 4 group schedule, working roughly 40 hours a week.

 

I couldn't remember if the norm in NYS was 48 off or 72 off.  Thank you for clarifying that.

 

The only thing that would change from my original post is that it would be 9 FF/shift extra

[x635 4,066]

And some departments work 10 and 14's, with some guys having "mutual partners:, swapping shifts so they can essentially work a 24 oe 36 and have several consecutive days off.

 

New Rochelle is comparable to White Plains in several ways. How many firefighters does New Rochelle have on a shift? @Bnechis

 

 

[Bnechis 3,961]

2 hours ago, x635 said:

And some departments work 10 and 14's, with some guys having "mutual partners:, swapping shifts so they can essentially work a 24 oe 36 and have several consecutive days off.

 

New Rochelle is comparable to White Plains in several ways. How many firefighters does New Rochelle have on a shift? @Bnechis

 

 

As of January 1st it is 30. It was 27 for the last 15-20 years

[16fire5 693]

On 2/27/2017 at 4:29 PM, provfd said:

 Now you know of 4 departments that do. 

I still maintain that no fire department in NYS works a 3 platoon system.  All work a 4.  The hours of their shifts get them to 40 or somewhere near.  So no I don't know any departments doing 24 on/48 off in NYS.    

[gamewell45 258]

On 2/24/2017 at 8:48 PM, dwcfireman said:

170?  So, over 22 years WP has cut 36 positions? (The current number was found here)  That equates to 12 firefighters per shift, assuming a 24 on/48 off schedule.  I know this would probable cost about $5 million per year to cover these firefighters (pay/benefits/overtime), but wouldn't the end result be worth it?  The article stated that the LODD (in 1993) was the first since 1954.  Why should there be any?  Yes, we can train harder and learn more about how to do our jobs, but you still need manpower on the scene to safely conduct our jobs.

I would explain to the mayor and residents that the firefighters will do the possible; the impossible will just have to wait like it or not.