Labor and Union Issues
The Columbia River Fire District and the firefighters’ union must rework salaries and wage scale information
Central County Fire and Rescue Firefighter David Horning was fired two years before his retirement while he was pursuing a light-duty assignment
The union for Wichita firefighters claims dispatchers did not relay information about where the victim was trapped
Many fire agencies have sought additional funding, but the requests are turning to demands as they struggle with rising costs and declines in donations and volunteers
The town’s insurance company said code violations made it unsafe to house fire equipment; officials said it’s going to add 11 minutes to their response times
Several firefighters, current and retired, said there were many issues that led to the decision to disband the 134-year-old organization
PennDOT told the department to remove their signs advertising the haunted house because they could pose a safety risk on state roads
Firefighters wait outside the station for parking enforcement and beg not to be ticketed
The firefighter was suspended with pay while police look into an account he had control over by a 94-year-old city resident
The fire captain, who is running for city council, had information about his eligibility for promotion to deputy chief posted; if a city employee posted it, that person could face misdemeanor charges
City officials said two separate incidents caused the upheaval; it did not involve monetary irregularities or problems with firefighter or equipment certification
The annual fundraiser seeks to take advantage of an increase in traffic during a city fair; volunteer firefighters were asked to leave the area last year
Firefighter Timothy Gay says a new department policy requiring short hair discriminates against males
The majority of the council vowed to adopt a fire assessment next month that would save 11 firefighter jobs
One mayor said allowing the department to redevelop its property would help the agency keep response times low as the surrounding population increases
Fire officials acknowledged that they tapped hydrants to fill three private pools, but did so as part of training exercises
City officials admit new trucks are needed and said they plan to buy more; they did not say how fast or how many
The firefighter, who has stage 4 colon cancer, battled for two years to have his illness classified as work-related
With the silly season in full dizzying swing, here’s a look at some head scratchers, head slappers and some ways to keep your head screwed on straight
Assistant Chief Clyde Thomas was found unresponsive in a department issued vehicle in a parking lot; the incident is under investigation
The repair shop owner says the department is responsible for a storage fee, on top of the time spent checking over the rig
Several firefighters said morale is at an all-time low and that if something doesn’t change they will resign
Almost $68,000 was classified as questionable expenses by the state auditor; hundreds went to alcohol, playing cards and food
Professor Rick Rosenfeld said since crime is up, firefighters should patrol the streets in their downtime to stem violent crime
Council president said the department has a pressing need for new equipment, which played a role in his decision
The district and union can’t agree on pay increases, insurance benefits, medical body scans and the continuation of a special-operations team
Ambulance association officials called the missed payroll a one-time incident due to lower-than-expected revenue
Officials said they want to reinstate the company, but only when leadership has been restructured and they can prove things will get better
The city said they can’t afford the current structure; firefighters are against the plan and said it will lengthen response times to fires
Fire chiefs should be on the tiller of the “good ship” fire service, with fire boards relegated to the daunting and underappreciated job of rowing
One firefighter said six or seven calls since their resignation have gone unanswered
Officials refused to identify the former chief or say how many firefighters resigned
Chief Bradley Phillips resigned after months of questions about his leadership from residents, city leaders and within the fire division
