Fire board workshop centers on OT issue
It their first session of 2011, the Fort Myers Beach Board of Fire Commissioners focused on the issue of freezing fire fighter positions, overtime and its impact on district manning involving cost benefits or liabilities during their first agenda item of their inaugural monthly workshop at Station #31 Tuesday morning.
Much discussion and debate surfaced on the subject between the fire commissioners and the attending public, including Beach residents and a visiting Lehigh fire commissioner. No decision was made on the issue, and a continuation of the matter is expected next month after questions posed to administration are viewed and answered.
The bulk of the discussion centered on the National Fire Protection Association’s minimum safety standards of 15 fire fighters and if additional personnel should be hired or if the present roster be allowed to accumulate more overtime hours.
“It’s a balancing act between overtime and the additional costs of hiring new people,” said Commissioner David Brower. “We can’t just look at this thing with a static analysis and say by not hiring someone else we save money.”
Chief Mike Becker’s presentation showed the district logged more than 11,000 hours in OT (mainly backfill) in 2010, which amounted to an increase of 1,524.75 OT hours that calendar year. The average OT rate is $41.72 per hour (more than $478,000 paid) compared to what the $27.79 per hour rate of straight time (roughly $318,000) would have cost for almost a $160,000 savings.
“We’re having a promotional exam coming up, and management will disclose our decisions at a board meeting during my report about what steps and actions have been taken to make sure the mission is being accomplished and that we are getting the best financial bang for the money that we have,” said Becker. “I have the evidence to back up decisions that we will make. I think it is more appropriate for the management team to make these adjustments to our staffing and move the operation forward.”
Public opinion such as functional consolidation and staff sharing with other districts was discussed, but current labor agreement was said to not permit this.
With peak season coming up in less than a month, the FMB Fire Control District is understaffed due to recent retirements. Five less people are on the fire roster than a year ago.
Other then staffing issues, Becker stated call demand will increase dramatically in the next couple of months and help is not around the corner.
“I did receive word back that Lee County will not provide us assistance during the peak season,” he said. “I’m also receiving reports from the Department of Forestry indicating a severe fire season in the Lee County area. Those are all impacts the staff will be dealing with over the next couple of months.”
Fire board workshop centers on OT issue
It their first session of 2011, the Fort Myers Beach Board of Fire Commissioners focused on the issue of freezing fire fighter positions, overtime and its impact on district manning involving cost benefits or liabilities during their first agenda item of their inaugural monthly workshop at Station #31 Tuesday morning.
Much discussion and debate surfaced on the subject between the fire commissioners and the attending public, including Beach residents and a visiting Lehigh fire commissioner. No decision was made on the issue, and a continuation of the matter is expected next month after questions posed to administration are viewed and answered.
The bulk of the discussion centered on the National Fire Protection Association’s minimum safety standards of 15 fire fighters and if additional personnel should be hired or if the present roster be allowed to accumulate more overtime hours.
“It’s a balancing act between overtime and the additional costs of hiring new people,” said Commissioner David Brower. “We can’t just look at this thing with a static analysis and say by not hiring someone else we save money.”
Chief Mike Becker’s presentation showed the district logged more than 11,000 hours in OT (mainly backfill) in 2010, which amounted to an increase of 1,524.75 OT hours that calendar year. The average OT rate is $41.72 per hour (more than $478,000 paid) compared to what the $27.79 per hour rate of straight time (roughly $318,000) would have cost for almost a $160,000 savings.
“We’re having a promotional exam coming up, and management will disclose our decisions at a board meeting during my report about what steps and actions have been taken to make sure the mission is being accomplished and that we are getting the best financial bang for the money that we have,” said Becker. “I have the evidence to back up decisions that we will make. I think it is more appropriate for the management team to make these adjustments to our staffing and move the operation forward.”
Public opinion such as functional consolidation and staff sharing with other districts was discussed, but current labor agreement was said to not permit this.
With peak season coming up in less than a month, the FMB Fire Control District is understaffed due to recent retirements. Five less people are on the fire roster than a year ago.
Other then staffing issues, Becker stated call demand will increase dramatically in the next couple of months and help is not around the corner.
“I did receive word back that Lee County will not provide us assistance during the peak season,” he said. “I’m also receiving reports from the Department of Forestry indicating a severe fire season in the Lee County area. Those are all impacts the staff will be dealing with over the next couple of months.”