By Emily Devlin
The Sentinel & Enterprise
LEOMINSTER, Mass. — The Leominster Fire Department is spending an average of $21,000 per week to pay firefighters overtime, in the midst of a staffing shortage brought on by training requirements, injury, illness, and administrative leave, according to Chief Robert Sideleau.
“We’re down a lot of bodies, and the city has always found it cheaper to keep the bodies down with overtime, because you don’t have to pay for benefits. But right now, we’re in a really bad time; we’re spending a lot of money,” Sideleau said.
At any given time, there are between two and six firefighters receiving overtime pay for working hours beyond the normal work week, according to Sideleau.
Seven firefighters are being trained in the fire academy, but will graduate Dec. 17 and return to work the following week, which will cut down on overtime expenses significantly. But costs are expected to remain high with one firefighter out injured, another on extended sick leave, another on administrative leave, and two positions eliminated under budget cuts.
The overtime spending is necessary to keep a minimum of 17 firefighters on duty at all times, which is the level Sideleau said is required to adequately man all fire trucks and ladders.
It’s been about a year since anyone has died in a fire in Leominster, but Sideleau said that doesn’t mean the Fire Department doesn’t need as many firefighters.
“Our runs have increased tremendously,” Sideleau said. “I hear the comments all the time, but I don’t agree with them.”
This summer, for example, Sideleau said firefighters were able to extinguish a serious apartment fire on Princeton Street, before it spread to other units, because they had adequate manpower.
“Most of the public doesn’t see those types of fires we have,” Sideleau said.
Still, some question whether overtime spending is sustainable.
The Fire Department spent a little more than $1 million on overtime in fiscal year 2010, and has spent about $600,000 so far this fiscal year.
Ward 1 City Councilor David Rowlands said overtime for the Fire Department has averaged about $600,000 each of the seven years he’s been on the City Council.
While Rowlands said the practice of paying firefighters overtime, rather than hiring new firefighters who will require costly benefits, is logical to some extent, he believes there is a breaking point.
“There has to be a point where this is not the right financial way to go,” Rowlands said.
Rowlands would like an accounting that shows whether it’s actually more cost effective to continue the practice of paying overtime, rather than hire more firefighters, and to discuss how to use those the department already has more efficiently.
Councilor-at-large Claire Freda said while the seven new firefighters will slow the spending, the overtime practices should be reviewed.
“It’s a little excessive. I do understand why right now, but I do think it’s got to be watched,” Freda said.
The amount spent on overtime within the Fitchburg Fire Department really doesn’t compare to Leominster’s figures. Fitchburg Fire Chief Kevin Roy said his department currently spends about $6,100 per week to pay firefighters overtime, for a projected total of about $200,000 this year.
But Roy noted that Leominster employs more firefighters, with a minimum of 17 people on duty to Fitchburg’s 15. One Fitchburg ladder truck is running one man short right now, which Roy said is not ideal.
“If I was (staffing) two more people, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, my overtime would be considerably high also,” Roy said.
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