By FireRescue1 Staff
CLEVELAND — After three firefighters were injured while battling a house fire Sunday, the East Cleveland chief said the department does not have enough staff to safely do its job.
East Cleveland Chief Rick Wilcox told News Net 5 that three out of five total firefighters on duty sustained concussions and neck injuries while fighting the fire. Another firefighter tore a ligament.
When asked if the department’s firefighters were responding to fires safely, Wilcox said, “No. I would never say that as a fire chief with the current staffing level as it sits.”
Wilcox said the department normally has between four and seven firefighters on duty at any given time, and received over 6,000 calls last year.
A recent FEMA grant of $1.7 million will allow the department to hire up to 18 new firefighters. However, with budget cuts looming over the next fiscal year, the city has yet to decide how it wants to take the firefighter grant.
In line with the firefighters’ contracts, the city pays the department $1,250 in fines for each day the low staffing levels persist.