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Next Meeting: Monday
March 1st @ 8:30am
Tuesday March 2nd @ 7pm
COLUMBIA FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION PRESS RELEASE:
The Columbia Firefighters Association is
asking for citizens to call on city leaders in an effort for City
Council to lay out their long term plans to fully fund public safety.
While we do not stand for or against either proposed Special Tax
District; the Columbia Firefighters Association however, cannot support
any project that further diverts sustained tax revenue away from
critical public safety needs.
As stated in the February 4th,
2010 Opinion Editorial of the State Paper; “The city can't afford to
establish special tax districts that would siphon money away from more
immediate, basic service needs to pay for projects aimed at
jump-starting development in two areas of town.” And further states,
“Yet, some on the council want to press on alone with this ill-timed tax
district, which would divert future tax dollars needed to shore up basic
services.” Each year the fire department must outline its $19.7 million
budget in detail, yet the looming creation of $190 Million tax district
has no definitive plans. There is now even a proposed tax increase to
replace the city’s deteriorating emergency vehicle fleet.
Twist no words; the Columbia Fire
Department’s resignation rate increased 45% last year with many of those
resignations coming just in the last 6 months. Additionally, over
the last three years the fire department alone has lost 95 firefighting
employees. When considering it costs over $400,000 to run a single
probationary fire recruit class for 24 new and
inexperienced
firefighters, the 3 year cost for
employees walking out the door is nearly $1.6 million dollars.
Drastic cuts have been made to employee benefits and pay, simply to turn
around and spend even more money on hiring inexperienced new
firefighters. Who can legitimately justify this expense as the
cost of doing business?
Our point is simple; we would like to see
how our City Council
plans to support current public safety
needs; as well as the long-term
strategic goals of keeping homeowner’s fire insurance rates affordable.
We fully agree with re-opening all closed engine companies on March 1st;
but sustained funding must be found or the city will continue to pour
funds in to a never-ending employee revolving door. Even when all closed
engine companies come back on line; the city as a whole is still two to
three fire stations short of decreasing fire response times to meet
nationally recognized acceptable levels. Continuing to use firefighter
benefits to open closed fire companies is not a long term solution.
Money will be spent on public safety one way or another. Furthermore,
once these districts are created, they must somehow be protected with a
greater police and firefighting force.
The real question
becomes, what level of Public Safety Service do the citizens deserve and
the leaders of Columbia and Richland County desire to have. Do not
be fooled; the choice is theirs.
Columbia
Firefighters Association
IAFF, Local 793
P.O. Box 210554
Columbia, South
Carolina 29221
ColumbiaFirefighters@gmail.com
Twitter.com/CFFA
ENGINE 9 OPEN with sacrifice from Columbia
Firefighters
The City of Columbia, under fire from citizens and candidates for
office, put Engine 9 back in service. The move will provide much
needed protection to Shandon, USC and other neighborhoods.
The Columbia Firefighters Association (CFFA Local 793) PIO, Travis
Carricato, stated the local is gratified the city is reopening engine 9.
He points out that using the money taken from firefighters, when the
city cut holidays, to pay for the reopened engine rather than the money
being sent into the general fund is an example of keeping the budgetary
dollars within the fire department.
The CFFA is now hopeful engine 8, also shut down, will reopen soon.
City council has come under increasing scrutiny for abandoning fire
protection. It's become especially bad since firefighters and interested
citizens have begun to explain the drastic effect the closings have on
the ability to deliver fire services to citizens.
Mayoral candidate Steve Benjamin scored a political coup when he
stood in front of the closed down engine 9 quarters a few weeks back.
Now, while others are entertaining at fundraisers, Benjamin has
delivered something tangible to citizens and public safety
professionals.
Much of the groundwork for the reopening was laid down by the CFFA.
Local 793 began working on the issue as soon as the engines were shut
down and have used factual data to support the reopening of the engines.
They are now focusing on maintaining staffing levels per NFPA 1710. If
cuts are made to staffing, especially as an "efficiency" move, the
results for Columbia residents would be disastrous.
Source:
http://www.firefighterhourly.com
A teen with a life–threatening illness gets the computer of his dreams with
a little help from Kids Wish Network. Hayes knew he was getting a computer, but he was still surprised when it
came. He was presented with his laptop by the generous members of the
Columbia Firefighters Association Local 793, who also completely sponsored
the teen’s wish. Click
HERE for the Full story
Support Public Safety. Support the Unified Fire Contract
between Richland County and the City of Columbia.
NFPA 1710
NFPA 1710 is a standard that sets minimum criteria for the effectiveness and efficiency
of emergency operations to protect the safety of the Public and Fire Department
employees. NFPA 1710 Fact Sheet
Green Oaks Apt Fire - February 28th, 2008
HOT SHOTS
We Can Make a Difference. Let your voice be
heard.
Call your senator TODAY and let them you want them to
support the Collective Bargaining Bill.
The Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Simply call this number
and ask to be transferred to your senator's office.
For more information about collective
bargaining rights and current congressional action, click here:
Collective Bargaining Fact Sheet
Learn more about the importance of
collective bargaining rights for public safety officers:
Key Points
House of Representatives Joe
Wilson, James Clyburn, and John Spratt are the SC
representative to vote YES for HR 980. We thank them for their Support.
UPDATED
STATIONS PAGE! Check out the new patches!
Columbia
is Hot when it comes to Fires! Actually, Columbia is just hot period!
Anyway, Visit our Fire Photos section and
check out
Columbia's Bravest in Action! If you have photos and would
like to share them please send them in via e-mail with location, date
and time if possible, and units responding to
photos@local793.com
I'd like to give a special thanks for photographers Robert Busbee and Pete
Rogers for their dedication and efforts and of course great pictures!
Thanks - The Columbia Firefighter's Association local793. |