UPDATED – A must listen: Allentown FD’s staffing problems rather bluntly addressed in chief’s radio message to mayor’s staffer during four-alarm fire.
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Earlier coverage of four-alarm fire in Allentown, PA
Listen to the brief recording above that appears to be from yesterday’s four-alarm fire in Allenown, PA and read the information below. Is it a leap to assume they are connected?
In recent days the Allentown Fire Department has dealt with a reduction in minimum staffing and the loss of a ladder truck. The out of service truck was at the shop when yesterday’s fire was being fought. According to news reports Fire Chief Robert Scheirer orderded it brought to the scene by a mechanic.
Colin McEvoy at The Express-Times posted an article this afternoon looking at the possible impact of the staffing reductions on yesterday’s fire:
“Our job is a time-critical one; we can’t just sit around and wait, because the fire gets bigger and bigger,” (Union President John) Stribula said. “So every minute you lose in response time, that fire gets bigger and becomes more difficult to control.”
Fire Chief Robert Scheirer said having more manpower would have been helpful, but that given the size and nature of the fire, row homes would have been lost no matter how many firefighters were there.
Scheirer also noted that major fires are an exception for the city, and he said 98 percent of the fire calls in Allentown are handled by 12 men or less.Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski said staffing will be expanded to 28 per shift after the 16 men currently in academy are finished training. He said that would have happened sooner if the union had not dragged out the arbitration process.
“I think it’s atrocious that (Stribula) is using a tragedy like this to push forward his union negotiation stance,” Pawlowski said. “I think it’s just atrocious.”
Manuel Gamiz Jr., The Morning Call:
Stribula said firefighting efforts were hampered by a provision in the department’s new city contract that sets a staffing level of 25 firefighters per shift — below the 30 provided in the previous contract.
The staffing level is called “the minimum,” but because of budget constraints it’s generally the maximum staff allowed, he said.
Every firefighter on duty responded to the fire, and higher-ranking fire officials also had to assist, (Capt. John) Christopher said.
The firefighters initially were hampered in their efforts to fight the fire because of low manpower in the department, said Christopher, adding that new guidelines in their contract allow for only one ladder truck to respond to calls instead of two.The fire marshal and other department leaders were forced to join the ranks in fighting the fire, officials said.
