There will be a work-session on Monday at 5:30 in the 2nd floor conference room about the “SAFER” grant. The City Fire & Rescue department applied for this grant about a year ago and it will provide funding for 12 fire fighters/medics for 2 years. If the City accepts the grant, we are obligated to continue the employement of those folks for a further year.
The basis of the application (as I understand it) is that in our area most of the Fire companies are trying to move to 4 staff on each unit. The thought is that, on a real working fire, it is much safer to attack the fire and perform search and rescue with 4 guys instead of 3. I’m not an expert but I’d generally agree with that: more is better but there is also some practical limit.
I can probably get there from here but the staff is going to have to do some legwork on financial planning. That’ll cost about $800k in the third year and we really don’t know what our obligations are going to be in terms of new fire trucks, etc.
May 14, 2011 at 10:45 am
The four guys/gals on the engine falls out from Fire Standards, and based on my own past experiences, four is good. This SAFER grant makes me think of what occured as part of all the Stimulus packages – take Cincinnati Police Department in Ohio as an example. There was a special package to hire more police, so CPD went after it. The President even went there to speak claiming it was a great example – then the grant money ran out, bottom ran out of the economy, and the Police hired got laid off.
This one has great concern by me about sustainability….unless something also falls into place in the next year for Econ Devlopment, I don’t really see where the $800K will come from given all the other benchmarks in economics say the turning point “may be” in 2015.
Another issue is what volunteer recruiting efforts might be that would negate the need for the career? Staff can crunch the numbers for career and apparatus/equipment, but under that should also be a hard look at manpower and viability of a mixed department.
I really would appreciate it if some of the former career/current career or volunteer/or other jurisdiction fire folks would post on this….it is going to be a tough call for the Council.
May 14, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I believe the reason stated for the safer grant was safety isn’t that enough of a reason to except not only for the safety of the paid staff but also the volunteers and all the citizens of Manassas. I do believe the council wants what’s best for the citizens. I think you can budget for 800,000 in two years as a tax payer in the city and a voter and yes a firefighter in the city I would urge you to pass this. Mr beverage read up on the Camden new jersey fire departmen late last year they laid off almost half there staff thanks to a safer grant most got there jobs back and that city is beyond broke also the Fdny had a story out a month ago since the cut staffing on there units there fire fatalities have gone up 80% yes manassa is no new York but 1 fire fatality is to much. Fire fighting is not an easy job why does council want to make it harder.
May 15, 2011 at 4:33 pm
@Confused
I don’t think Council wants to make it harder – they try within the enviroment imposed on them to maintain the first of their sovereign powers & duties. That being Public Safety. I only put in my two cents above since the Council is taking a kick from some folks on adding two Police Officers above what was in the City Manager’s budget.
And that was only for the total of four officers $400K+….imagine what the voices in the wilderness and naysayers will do if you are talking a cost factor doubling the Police one.
Yes, the SAFER grant program is an excellent tool – there are lots of success stories. I only presented my first comments as one view looking at in fiscal terms; now I have added the political one. Also tough decision for the Council given there as been nothing of an action plan produced in response to the VFB Report in March.
May 15, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Comparative Expenditure on Public Safety is nicely detailed in the link Steve Randolph placed down in the Final Budget post. Folks should go out and look at the dollar amounts as it compares the Independent Cities in a nice spreadsheet. Grabbed the link from the other post:
http://www.apa.state.va.us/ComparativeReport.cfm
May 20, 2011 at 1:53 pm
asdf
June 21, 2011 at 7:03 pm
How about that hybrid system now?