DETROIT — Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says he’s laying off 164 city firefighters by the end of July.
The mayor made the announcement Monday, but also said he expects the city will get a federal grant to fund and restore 108 of the positions.
And Bing says many of the remaining 56 firefighters will be recalled through attrition.
According to figures provided by the mayor’s office, the number of firefighters being laid off represents about 18 percent of the 881 firefighters currently with the department.
The announcement came after Detroit fire crews responded to a string of about 16 building fires on the city’s east side. Arson was a possibility in the blazes late Sunday and early Monday.
Bing says “fiscal realities” have made protecting police and fire jobs “untenable.”
The announcement came after Detroit fire crews responded to a string of about 16 building fires on the city’s east side. Arson was a possibility in the blazes late Sunday and early Monday.
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DAVE BING ON DETROIT FIRE DEPARTMENT LAYOFFS
Since I became Mayor, I’ve made public safety my top priority and I’ve said I would protect the jobs of police and firefighters, but fiscal realities have made this untenable.
With my administration continuing to work to fiscally stabilize the City and with recent cuts to the City’s budget, we’re announcing the layoffs of 164 Detroit Fire Department firefighters by the end of July. But my administration has every expectation of being awarded a federal grant to fund and restore 108 of those positions. And many, if not most, of the remaining 56 firefighters are expected to be recalled to the fire department through attrition.
The current 2012-2013 budget also allows for the hiring of Emergency Medical Technicians to bolster the number of EMS staff who responded to 135,000 calls each year, or 81% of the calls to Fire Department.
Until the Fire Department receives the grant, Commissioner Don Austin and his staff have developed a plan to effectively and efficiently maintain the highest levels of fire service for the city’s citizens.
Among the components of the plan:
- Better deploying engines from adjacent sectors and using newly installed GPS systems in the engines and rigs to best dispatch fire department personnel;
- Conducting thorough risks/gain analysis of interior versus exterior fire suppression;
- Increase the use of CERT & Fire Corps to support our firefighters;
- And continuing our community fire prevention education.
Again, laying off any of our courageous and dedicated public safety personnel is the last thing I want to do at this point, but I have to face this hard reality. I have every confidence in Commissioner Austin and the men and woman of the Fire Department to maintain their highest standards of fire services and public safety for our citizens.
Republished with permission from My Fox Detroit