Staffing

Staffing Dispute

Staffing Issues #1:

Staffing Levels

(Amount of firefighters required to be on duty at all times)

What the City Wants:

Under the expired contract, 92 firefighters are required to be on duty at all times. The 13 rescue trucks were to be staffed with 4 firefighters each, 10 trucks with 3 firefighters each, and 5 rescue vehicles with 2 firefighters each.
The city of Providence has conducted studies that show the department is overstaffed and reductions would not diminish the department's ability to respond to calls.
The city points out that fire calls have flattened out of the past few years. In 2004, there were 26,000 rescue calls, only 11,000 of which were for fires. Calls per truck were down from previous years, which is an indication that staffing can be reduced.
Mayor Cicilline wanted to reduce mandatory staffing levels to 80 firefighters on duty at all times, resulting in 25% cuts in each neighborhood.

What Local 799 Wants:

Local 799 argues that they are currently understaffed, according to safety standards established by the independent National Fire Prevention Association. The NFPA suggests that each truck have a crew of 4 firefighters. Under these standards, the Providence Fire Department already has 10 trucks operating below recommended safety levels.
Local 799 only agreed to a low staffing level in the previous contract because of pressure applied by the city. Mr. Doughty has made it clear that he will not allow any further reduction in staffing levels.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

The rejected November contract proposal removed 2 additional firefighters, leaving only 11 trucks with the recommended 4 man crews. This proved to be the major reason that the younger firefighters voted the contract down.

Staffing Issue #2:

Privatization

(Selling city run departments to private owners, allowing the city to lessen its budget)

What the City Wants:

In current negotiations, the city has advocated a plan to separate the fire and rescue departments, and privatize the rescue portion.
Many other cities have used similar privatization plans, involving many traditional city jobs.
The city of Providence feels that privatization and separating the departments will reduce the level of firefighters needed on duty, as well as allow for more specialization within each department.

What Local 799 Wants:

Local 799 feels that any attempt to divide the fire and rescue department is a ploy to divide the fire and rescue unions.
Local 799 argues that separating the departments will lead to diminished service for the city. Having one unit makes rescues more successful because there is only one chain of command. Any attempt to separate the departments would lead to two chains of command at a rescue scene and would lead to conflicting orders.
When city employees' are cross-trained leads, it allows for greater staffing flexibility by the city of Providence.
Many cities that have used privatization for rescue departments are having trouble and are considering going back to city run rescue squads.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

There was no mention of privatization in the rejected November contract proposal.

Staffing Issue #3:

Additional Rescue Trucks

(The city is currently required to have 5 rescue trucks in operation at all times)

What the City Wants:

The city of Providence contends that additional rescue trucks do not improve rescue time to accidents. Generally, first responders are on the scene quickly, and the rescue vehicle arrives later.
The city voluntarily added a sixth rescue truck, and has seen no evidence that it improved rescue time. Therefore, the city sees no need to add a seventh truck and add further costs to the city budget.

What Local 799 Wants:

In Mayor Cicilline's endorsement request to Local 799, he stated, "I will also provide this department with critically needed and long overdue rescue vehicles...for the welfare of our people and of the personnel responsible for rescue runs, it is essential that we have additional rescue vehicles."
Mayor Cicilline promised Local 799 in an endorsement interview that, if elected, he would provide the fire department with 2 additional rescue trucks.
One rescue truck was added by the city, and is staffed with firefighters certified as emergency medical technicians who are working on overtime.
Local 799 points to studies that show each additional truck can reduce response time, currently at 15 to 20 minutes in Providence, by 10%.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

There was a stipulation in the rejected November contract proposal to provide the fire department with 7 rescue trucks.

What the City Wants:

Under the expired contract, 92 firefighters are required to be on duty at all times. The 13 rescue trucks were to be staffed with 4 firefighters each, 10 trucks with 3 firefighters each, and 5 rescue vehicles with 2 firefighters each.

The city of Providence has conducted studies that show the department is overstaffed and reductions would not diminish the department's ability to respond to calls.

The city points out that fire calls have flattened out of the past few years. In 2004, there were 26,000 rescue calls, only 11,000 of which were for fires. Calls per truck were down from previous years, which is an indication that staffing can be reduced.

Mayor Cicilline wanted to reduce mandatory staffing levels to 80 firefighters on duty at all times, resulting in 25% cuts in each neighborhood.

What Local 799 Wants:

Local 799 only agreed to a low staffing level in the previous contract because of pressure applied by the city. Mr. Doughty has made it clear that he will not allow any further reduction in staffing levels.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

The rejected November contract proposal removed 2 additional firefighters, leaving only 11 trucks with the recommended 4 man crews. This proved to be the major reason that the younger firefighters voted the contract down.

What the City Wants:

In current negotiations, the city has advocated a plan to separate the fire and rescue departments, and privatize the rescue portion.

Many other cities have used similar privatization plans, involving many traditional city jobs.

The city of Providence feels that privatization and separating the departments will reduce the level of firefighters needed on duty, as well as allow for more specialization within each department.

What Local 799 Wants:

Local 799 feels that any attempt to divide the fire and rescue department is a ploy to divide the fire and rescue unions.

When city employees' are cross-trained leads, it allows for greater staffing flexibility by the city of Providence.

Many cities that have used privatization for rescue departments are having trouble and are considering going back to city run rescue squads.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

There was no mention of privatization in the rejected November contract proposal.

What the City Wants:

The city of Providence contends that additional rescue trucks do not improve rescue time to accidents. Generally, first responders are on the scene quickly, and the rescue vehicle arrives later.

The city voluntarily added a sixth rescue truck, and has seen no evidence that it improved rescue time. Therefore, the city sees no need to add a seventh truck and add further costs to the city budget.

What Local 799 Wants:

In Mayor Cicilline's endorsement request to Local 799, he stated, "I will also provide this department with critically needed and long overdue rescue vehicles...for the welfare of our people and of the personnel responsible for rescue runs, it is essential that we have additional rescue vehicles."

Mayor Cicilline promised Local 799 in an endorsement interview that, if elected, he would provide the fire department with 2 additional rescue trucks.

One rescue truck was added by the city, and is staffed with firefighters certified as emergency medical technicians who are working on overtime.

Local 799 points to studies that show each additional truck can reduce response time, currently at 15 to 20 minutes in Providence, by 10%.

How it was addressed in the November 2005 rejected contract proposal:

There was a stipulation in the rejected November contract proposal to provide the fire department with 7 rescue trucks.