Friday, September 26, 2008
The latest furlough plan. Last minutes changes.
Read furlough directive from Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department Chief Lawrence Sedgwick Jr.
Two important documents have been emailed from Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department headquarters in Largo, MD this afternoon. The first is Personnel Memo #08-22 - Departmental Furlough Plan from Chief Lawrence Sedgwick Jr. This outlines the personnel rules that will be followed in making sure all of the department's 800 or so employees are furloughed for 80 hours between now and next June. (Click above to read the 6-page document.)
The second is the email from Lt. Col. Tyrone Wells, Emergency Operations Command. This provides the specifics of the first round of furloughs to begin on Sunday. As we reported on TV yesterday, and very early this morning on the blog, this document was drastically changed after word came from Upper Marlboro in the 5:00 PM hour that none of the 44 fire stations would be left without staffing because of furloughs.
According to sources, the original plan that Chief Sedgwick went over earlier on Thursday with his boss, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety / Director of Homeland Security Vernon Herron, would likely have left multiple stations without first responders. That assessment comes from numerous career and volunteer sources at all levels of the department. All have asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak for the department on this issue.
Vernon Herron spoke with STATter 911 just before 6:00 PM on Thursday. That's when Herron said he had ordered all fire stations would still be staffed during furloughs. Herron said he gave the fire department permission to temporarily suspend furloughs if removing personnel would leave a station without staffing.
Herron also confirmed the county would honor the collective bargaining agreement with IAFF Local 1619. That agreement calls for any station where career personnel are assigned to have a minimum of four fighters on duty between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and two firefighters on duty at all other times.
According to the sources, the orders from Herron have forced the department to cut the number of firefighters scheduled for furlough during the first round this coming Sunday through Wednesday from 72 to 24 (this is excluding battalion chiefs and ALS units). Here is the email outlining the current plan:
From: Wells, Tyrone N.
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 2:59 PM
To: Battalion 1; Battalion 2; Battalion 3; Battalion 4; Battalion 5; Battalion 6; Battalion 7
Cc: Forby, Tyrone C.; Joy, Lawrence E.; Andrecs, Kevin S.; Fletcher, John E.; Hess, Steven L.; Lamoria, Jerome F.; Thomas, Rudolph; Wood, Dennis C.
Subject: Furlough Schedule
In accordance with the latest Departmental mandates regarding furloughs, personnel from the following units are to be placed on furlough leave beginning September 28, 2008 at 2300 hours. Furloughs at these units will continue for 4 days. The next round of stations will be identified Monday, following additional review.
Station 805 – 2 personnel
Station 819 – 2 personnel
Station 821 – 2 personnel
Battalion 801
1-2 ALS Units (as determined by Bureau Chief 803)
Tyrone N. Wells
Lieutenant Colonel
Emergency Operations Command
Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department
Those stations were chosen because they normally have at least four career firefighters assigned at all times. The union contract allows the department to have as few as two firefighters during the evening and overnight hours. The department has already indicated they would not furlough firefighters during what they consider peak hours between 3:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
The original plan called for all four firefighters assigned to Stations 805 (Capitol Heights), 819 (Bowie) and 821 (Oxon Hill) to be furloughed along with entire two person shifts at Stations 813 (Riverdale Heights), 823 (Forestville) and 825 (Clinton).
According to sources, the email from Chief Wells is an effort to get some furloughs started by the deadline set for this Sunday. The department must now come up with a new plan that meets the requirements outlined by Vernon Herron and, at the same time, furloughs all employees under the county guidelines.
Sources point out one of the biggest challenges will be furloughing the firefighters who are assigned to stations on daywork, Monday through Friday. Union president Doug Bartholomew told STATter 911 on Thursday that's when the contract requires "four on the floor or none".
Col. Wells also met with volunteer chiefs last night. According to those present at the meeting, Wells had hoped to show charts and the plan the department put together. Wells told the chiefs he had only learned late Thursday afternoon the plan was no longer valid and he did not have a formal plan to present to the volunteers.
A number of volunteer leaders have pledged to work with the county to cover their own stations during furlough hours and possibly, when multiple volunteer crews were available, provide a transfer unit to cover other stations.
While it appears fire stations won't be left without staffing by the furloughs, the email from Chief Wells indicates it is possible ALS units will not be staffed. According to sources, supervisors could help keep the units on the street. Two of the twelve ALS units are staffed with only one medic, which may ease the burden of finding people qualified to work the units. The county also staffs medics on three paramedic engine companies.
There are no volunteer medics in PGFD, so who will cover the paramedic ambulances/engines. Most of these units are running at call capacity to begin with. "Sorry you are not breathing sir, but the paramedics are furloughed today."
: September 26, 2008 5:10 PM But this way Herron can save face by saying "See I did this without closing firehouses"...Moron
: September 26, 2008 5:20 PM Wow...aren't you a GENIUS! I guess Dave should go call 849 and tell everyone there they can go home, since your opinion just cancelled their P-certs!
: September 26, 2008 8:15 PM Face it- this plan stinks and will not work- if you send people home, apparatus will fail and there will be a reduction in service. Citizen safety will be compromised!!! Fire/EMS personnel safety will be compromised!!! I think Jack Johnson and Mr. Herron are kidding themselves that this plan is the only way to reduce the gap of thier poor performance as Managers.
: September 26, 2008 10:21 PM : September 26, 2008 10:44 PM : September 27, 2008 9:11 AM : September 27, 2008 11:13 AM : September 27, 2008 11:46 AM : September 27, 2008 11:49 AM : September 27, 2008 12:55 PM Neither do you understand how petty you sound when claiming that the people are "throwing tantrums" by refusing to "give back" their raises.
Here's a few facts to set the record straight:
1) Operating without a contract for two years due to the county dragging their feet, 1619 members had not received any merit increases since 2005. None.
2) The contract was signed by Jack Johnson a matter of weeks before he suddenly decided to declare an "emergency".
Those recent contracts granted a merit schedule for union employees that was only slightly higher than general government already received during that same time period. The amounts were in no way, shape or form "generous"...they were about equal to increases the general population received for the same time period....yet Johnson expected labor organizations to forgo their contractural raises, but never made any similar request for general government employees to do the same.
3) During the same two year period, Johnson and the Council received similar merit increases in their compensation, yet claim they are "legally prohibited" from reducing their own compensation. Legally bound to keep theirs, but attempting to void a legal contract to take ours. Does that make sense to you?
4) By law, the county maintains a "rainy day" fund equaling 5% of their budget. Currently the value of that fund stands at 7%. Johnson considers this issue enough of a problem to furlough employees and have them foot the bill for his budget shortfall, yet considers the issue "not important enough" to tap into the rainy day fund. Why? Because using that fund puts his AAA bond rating in jeopardy.
5) For all of you vocal complainers, how many of you who are NOT employed by the county would be willing to forgo all of the pay increases you received in the last two years in order to mail a check in so you could help the county out of a fiscal crisis of their own making?
Not many I guess.
Fair is fair. A deal is a deal. Contracts are contracts. Either you honor them, or they are not worth the paper they are written on.
The lesson is over. You may sit down now.
: September 27, 2008 12:57 PM If you have not been listening to the fire grounds it’s the career command staff trying to kill firefighters. Most of them couldn’t command their way out of a wet paper bag.
2) Operating without a contract for two years due to the county dragging their feet, 1619 members had not received any merit increases since 2005. None. –
First of all you need to do something to be rewarded by merit. Not tell citizens to sign here and take their own car to the hospital, and perform on the fire ground and not stand at the door scared to go in.
3) 5) For all of you vocal complainers, how many of you who are NOT employed by the county would be willing to forgo all of the pay increases you received in the last two years in order to mail a check in so you could help the county out of a fiscal crisis of their own making? –
That’s not our problem you chose to take the job with PEE GEE Ghetto, maybe you should have researched the job before saying yes. It has never crossed most of your minds why so many volunteers never apply to the county? We know how screwed up the county fire department is and go to other departments that do take care of their employees. I do under stand that McDonald’s is hiring with management opportunities when they start laying the 1619 employees off by spring. OhI guess you haven't heard about that one yet have you (layoffs)?
: September 27, 2008 2:50 PM : September 27, 2008 3:23 PM : September 27, 2008 4:46 PM : September 28, 2008 12:17 PM : September 28, 2008 1:05 PM Thank you for the excellent example what it is like for someone to be both petty and small at the same time.
Situations like this happen to bring out either the best, or the worst, in most people. It is a time when the demons or better angels that control our nature will prevail.
Tough times bring tough choices...you can either be part of the problem, or part of the solution. I can see you've already made your choice on that matter.
How proud your community must be to have people like you protecting them.
: September 28, 2008 7:38 PM : September 29, 2008 1:45 AM How can someone on one hand claim to care so deeply about the community they serve, while on the other hand snidely label the entire community a "ghetto"?
Frankly, if that's what you think of the community you call home, then maybe you need to find somewhere else to hang your hat. With opinions like that, its no wonder people like you wish to slink in the shadows and remain anonymous.
Frankly, if I were your chief and I knew who you were, your butt would be put out the door. In fact, why don't you do us all a favor and take your smack trashtalk back to the watchdesk where it belongs.
: September 29, 2008 6:18 PM Bring it on buddy, I really don't think you'll walk into one Volunteer house and run your mouth or make threats you can't back. Get another job if you so unhappy with PG.
: September 29, 2008 8:38 PM : October 1, 2008 8:19 PM Links to this post:
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