Labor and Union Issues
Kansas City First Deputy Fire Chief Jack Andrade has been a focus in recent years of leadership failures presented by the firefighters’ union
Newark’s mayor and union president give differing views on staffing at the cargo ship fire during the ceremony for the newest firefighters
The 3-year agreement will address staffing shortages by increasing starting pay from $55,000 to $66,000
In November 90 percent of ambulances arrived within 12.7 minutes of dispatch; the goal is 10 minutes
Voters approved a referendum to shut the fire department; the city has a contract with a volunteer fire department
Rally organizer: “It kills me that 35 years of public service should be stained in such a horrible way.”
He allowed police to apply for and receive grants, while telling several fire departments they could not apply for the state money
Firefighters told council members it wasn’t a good idea to shut a station down and that they would be putting people’s lives in jeopardy
From the easy to the slightly outrageous, albeit needed, here’s a look at what to expect in the coming year
The union head says it is wrong to keep firefighters separated from the community
After tax increases failed twice, the Washington fire department is laying off firefighters and responding with unsafe staffing levels
Investigation showed he double-billed the city to spike his pension and earn a little extra money through overtime
Union officials have claimed firefighters who double hat put full-time colleagues at risk if not well rested
Chief Russell Brooks said they started putting the sign up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks
They haven’t been compensated under a propay system that established a lower pay grade but included a financial incentive for obtaining a paramedic certification
The judge said the provision doesn’t allow the city to prevent the union from seeking binding arbitration over a minimum manning cut
Acting Fire Chief Don Moore said right now there is very limited structure as far as people following the rules and regulations
Being denied coverage is frustrating for firefighters, especially if their injury prevents them from doing their day job
Critics call it sexist and go as far as connecting it to low number of female firefighters and attacks on the female chief
If a fire emergency flares up in the city, they’ll call for backup, take off their gun belts and step into the firefighting gear
Commissioner Daniel Nigro said they need to do a better job at recruiting female firefighters who have the physical ability and desire to do the job
The mayor and fire chief said the incident should be handled by the state instead of the town’s police department
The judge ruled there were too many inconsistencies with the testimonies to find the firefighter guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
Fire investigator Crystal Eschert was fired for violating the department’s social media policy after posting about Ferguson on her Facebook account
The lawsuit alleges a problematic work environment, one that not only put firefighters at risk but the people it serves as well
Former firefighter Todd Bruning claims he was fired after he complained about wasteful spending
As the career-volunteer fire department model gains popularity, here are some of the leadership pitfalls and how to avoid them
Hiring eight full-time positions would mean better shift coverage and save money by cutting down on overtime
The performance of the interim chiefs could convince them to revert back to having two chiefs
The new law would take away automatic indexation of their pensions
The chief was disciplined for not getting a council purchase order to buy turnout gear with all fire grant money
The issues center around the chief’s disciplining a firefighter and a grievance filed with the council
These stories show opposite behaviors by fire service leaders when offered a chance to be prejudice — and the results are encouraging