Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Tensions related to the city’s financial issues – particularly between the Common Council and some Lockport firefighters – boiled over Wednesday night to the point Council members now have an option for a police escort when leaving City Hall.
During Wednesday’s meeting, a handful of city firefighters took to the podium to express their dislike of shifting city ambulance service to Twin City Ambulance and other recent changes to the Lockport Fire Department.
Firefighter Jim Scapelliti expressed concern about the department having to operate at a basic life support level, which is a lower level of care than the paramedic level almost all firefighters were working at.
“We went to school to get to that (paramedic) level,” he said. “We’re in this business to help people and it’s very uncomfortable to not be able to use your training and your skills that you worked so hard to obtain.”
He used an example of a call that came in last week when the proper ambulance responded, then, one minute later, a second critical call came in and an ambulance was sent from Transit and Maple in Amherst to Lockport.
“Thirteen minutes and 14 seconds later they arrived on scene,” Scapelliti said. “Our guys, the entire time on scene are operating at a basic level, though two paramedics were on that truck. I just believe the citizens are being shortchanged with the level of care they are receiving. In 13 minutes there is a lot of advanced procedures that can be practiced and performed on a critical patient and it can be extremely detrimental to the outcome of that patient if they don’t receive that treatment as soon as possible. I don’t know the percentage or the frequency ... it occurs. In my opinion to the family it happens to, one time is too many.”
Firefighter Doug Nicholson spoke about the emergency medical services Lockport had developed since the 70s.
“We’ve built this system to where it was working and only getting better,” he said. “Until now, with one strike of a pen, we’re back to 1970 or worse. We’re back in systems where our men are responding to calls and can not perform the job they did.”
He said on the call Scapelliti spoke of, one of the two paramedics on the truck was a former combat medic but because of legalities, was unable to help.
“It’s frustrating beyond words,” he said.
Nicholson also spoke about collective bargaining, saying he asked Mayor Anne McCaffrey at the last meeting if she had met with the firefighters union and he didn’t get an answer.
“Then I found out you still haven’t met,” he said. “To me, you aren’t leading, you’re fooling people.”
Kevin Pratt, Lockport Professional Firefighters Association president, said the state comptroller’s reports only mention police and fire overtime as being underestimated by city officials.
“Only our city officials point the fire department overtime as the main source of the problem, yet no other overtime figures are available for any other city department,” he said. “It makes one wonder why elected officials insist that fire department ambulance decisions be made by a fire chief who was cut out of the 2014 preliminary budget and an inept fire board made up of appointed members that know nothing about fire or EMS. What promises have been made to these people.”
Firefighter Kevin Watier claimed the ambulance service losing money is an incorrect statement.
“Those men are there as firefighters,” he said. “The ambulance service was always extra. It has always been done by firefighters, working as fire fighter, getting paid as firefighter.”
He said the actual cost of the ambulance to run was approximately $200,000 a year and by cutting the service, the city lost $600,000 in revenue.
“This is mismanagement,” Watier said. “This is the same mismanagement that led to the budget crisis. The city exists to provide services to its citizens. Since when is the standard for providing a service profitability? Since when is public safety cut to make an overtime number less with no actual fiscal savings? Now there are talks of more job cuts. That’s just going to return to the cycle of excess overtime that is necessitates further service cuts. When does it end?”
When Wednesday’s meeting ended, the discussion continued outside of the Council chambers at City Hall.
As one man exited the building, an argument arose between him and one of the city firefighters present. They debated city services and the number of city firefighters who do not live in the city or pay city taxes.
As the man exited the building, the firefighter followed, leading this altercation in to the parking lot where yells were exchanged. The firefighter was overheard screaming, “all volunteer firefighters are pieces of (expletive).”
When members of the Common Council were leaving, some were also met with a similar situation.
Common Council President Joseph Kibler said as he went to leave Wednesday, the firefighters were waiting in the hall to talk to him. During the meeting he had asked for Watier, a Town of Lockport resident, for his address and asked if that was in the city. Sharing a speaker’s address is a requirement for those who wish to speak at Council meetings.
Watier said to Kibler, “I don’t see why that matters, Joe.”
When Kibler tried to go around the group after the meeting, he said they wouldn’t let him out of the door. He was able to push through them and made his way to his car.
“They found me outside,” Kibler said.
Kibler said the group stood out in the parking lot for 30 minutes going back and forth.
Thursday, members of the Common Council received a memo from Corporation Counsel John Ottaviano that said a police escort would now be available for members to walk to their car, if they would like. Ottaviano also suggested to Kibler that he press harassment charges.
Kibler said he is not going to do that because, “it’s my fault for staying and talking.”
Kibler said he wasn’t willing to back down from the comments and “lies” that were being made about the city and he could have chosen to get in his vehicle and drive away, but did not.
Despite concerns from firefighters, McCaffrey spoke during the meeting about the successful transition from a city run service to Twin City. She said the average response times for calls average between five and six minutes from their location near City Hall.
Since Twin City has taken over ambulance services Sept. 15, there has been no additional overtime accumulated by fire department, officials said.
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