ATLANTA PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS

By Jim Daws
For the Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/01/08

One of life’s great truths is, “You reap what you sow.” Atlanta citizens should be aware that, with budget cuts to Atlanta Fire Rescue, the Franklin administration and Atlanta City Council are sowing a very bitter harvest indeed. That harvest will likely yield a bumper crop of property loss, fire injuries and deaths.

The budget that City Council passed on Friday cuts at least 10 percent from the department’s budget and abolishes 94 firefighter positions, equal to about 12 percent of its staffing. That will leave fire protection, disaster response and emergency medical service in Atlanta dangerously short-staffed. The increased risk will be borne by citizens, property owners, visitors and, most of all, the firefighters who will find themselves repeatedly forced to confront life-and-death situations with inadequate staffing.

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FY09 Budget - Yesterday, Mayor Franklin and the Atlanta City Council dealt a major setback to public safety in Atlanta. Not only did council pass the mayor’s budget proposal that abolished 94 sworn firefighter positions, but they added an additional 2.5% cut to departments in the general fund. As a result the citizens of Atlanta will suffer longer emergency response times to fires and medical emergencies, and less effective emergency services. Firefighters will be asked to assume even greater risks as they respond to dangerous calls for help without the minimum staffing to safely and effectively do the job.

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Greg Giornelli
Chief Operating Officer
City of Atlanta

Dear Chief Giornelli:

It’s two weeks short of one year since a pay step for sworn firefighters was authorized in the FY08 budget. Despite numerous notifications to the Human Resources and Finance Departments, there are still many firefighters who have not received their pay step and/or back pay. Our organization has asked on several occasions that Finance and Human Resources set up a temporary customer service center where employees with pay discrepancies can meet with the personnel who can address their pay issues. Additionally, we have repeatedly provided the names of those members with pay discrepancies.

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The Department has asked for volunteers from Local 134 for the Open House weekend. This is a very important effort that will garner positive public relations and build community support for firefighters during these trying budget times. All members are encouraged to participate.

Volunteers are needed to serve as Fire Station Ambassadors during the upcoming Friends and Neighbors in the Stations weekend a.k.a. “Open House”. The ambassador’s primary role will be to assist in giving station tours and take a lead role when the on duty crew is called out for an emergency response.

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By Jim Daws for the AJC

Published on: 06/02/08

Can we please get two things straight? City of Atlanta workers do not enjoy lavish retirement packages, and pensions are not the cause of the city’s budget shortfall. Here are some facts:

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by Cynthia Tucker for the AJC

Published on: 05/28/08

Atlanta city officials have finally begun to examine the budget mess, looking for ways to avoid either steep cuts in service delivery or a property tax hike. If those officials had immersed themselves as deeply in financial matters two or three years ago, they might not be in such a fix now.

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The impacts of the Franklin Administration’s proposed FY09 budget cuts on fire protection, disaster response and emergency medical services for the City of Atlanta.

Click here to view presentation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Daws
Tel: 404/406-9913
Email: jdaws@atlantafirefighters.org

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES

Atlanta’s Fire Fighters to detail impacts of proposed budget cuts on public safety

This week, the Atlanta Professional Fire Fighters Association will make its FY09 budget presentation detailing the impacts of the Franklin Administration’s proposed budget cuts to fire protection, disaster response, and emergency medical services in the City of Atlanta.

The almost 10 percent budget cuts to Atlanta Fire Rescue will abolish more 10 percent of the city’s sworn firefighter positions and eliminate many life-safety mission critical services. It will continue and exacerbate the department’s short-staffed emergency response, and increase the danger from fires and other disasters to Atlanta’s citizens and firefighters.

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Proposed FY09 Budget - Let me begin by apologizing for not getting an update out earlier on this issue. Quite frankly, since Mayor Franklin announced the staggering budget shortfall in late January, Local 134 has been struggling to get a clear understanding of the depth of the crisis and its impact on our members. We have been working with the Administration, City Council and the Fire Chief to minimize the budget’s negative effects on our member’s safety and careers, and we’ve been lobbying Atlanta’s elected representatives to ensure we have the necessary personnel to fulfill our duty to protect Atlanta’s citizen’s lives and property.

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Chairwoman Cleta Winslow
Members of Public Safety Committee
Atlanta City Council
55 Trinity Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30303

RE: Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy

Dear Chairwoman Winslow and Members of Public Safety Committee:

As you may know, the city’s program of randomly testing sworn fire, police and corrections officers for drugs and alcohol has been suspended because the authorizing code section was inadvertently omitted during the most recent revisions to the personnel code. It is my understanding that legislation re-authorizing the random testing program is soon to be introduced before the Public Safety Committee.

Due to the critical and dangerous nature of our jobs, the International Association of Fire Fighters supports, without reservation, a drug and alcohol free work place and a random testing policy to insure the same. However, we must insist that our member’s constitutional rights and rights to due process are protected. This is to insure that any disciplinary actions, including the loss of career, are based on sound evidence and established legal and scientific foundations.

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