ATLANTA PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS

Brothers and Sisters,

As the 2009 municipal election season begins in earnest, I’d like to update the membership on the process we will use to determine which candidate for mayor we will endorse and support.

The Fire Fighters’ endorsement is highly prized among politicians, not just in Atlanta, but all across the U.S. and Canada. It is our opportunity to use the goodwill we have earned with the voters, though sweat and blood, to help elect candidates who support our issues.

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Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Public Safety Forum - Local 134 of the International Association of Fire Fighters and Local 632 of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers will host a Public Safety forum for the Atlanta mayoral candidates. The event is tentatively scheduled for July 23, from 7 until 9 pm, at the Georgia State University auditorium.

The major candidates have agreed to appear.

The event will be moderated by Morris Diggs and the presidents of the IAFF and IBPO will be included on the panel. There will be and opening and closing statement by each candidate and a question and answer period from the audience.

Please save the date and make plans to attend. Watch of future updates and information as the date gets closer.

FY10 Budget Process - A public hearing on the FY10 budget will be this Thursday, May 14 at 6:00PM in City Council Chambers at City Hall. This is an excellent opportunity for firefighters to tell Atlanta’s elected officials the negative impacts of last year’s budget cuts to public safety in Atlanta, as well as the impacts to your ability to provide for your family.

Local 134 will make a presentation and we are calling for members to attend this meeting and be prepared to speak for approximately 2 minutes.

Groups that will speak in opposition to the proposed tax increase will be well represented. They need to hear the consequences of the city’s failure to adequately fund Fire Rescue.

Please make time to attend:

When: Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 PM
Where: Atlanta City Hall, Council Chambers
What: FY10 Budget Public Hearing

FY10 Budget - On Thursday, Mayor Franklin presented her FY10 budget proposal to the Finance Committee. This formally begins a 2-month process which will involve Finance Committee hearings, City Council workshops, public hearings and a very contentious public debate. This debate will take place in the context a heated municipal election campaign season and a worsening economic recession.

Although the mayor’s proposal includes IAFF 134’s top legislative budget priority - abolishing the furloughs - it is by no means all good news. Here are the broad outlines:

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By Jim Daws

Dear AJC Editor:

The closure of seven fire companies and five fire stations last Sunday was not the result of any ‘blue flu’ or Super Bowl-related malingering. It was the result of the Fire Rescue Department being stripped of any tools it needs to cope with normal and expected fluctuations in employee sick leave.

For some to blame the firefighters, who are bearing the brunt of the city’s dire economic circumstances, while taking great personal risks to deliver on their mission to protect life and property, is outrageously unfair.

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Dear Mayor Franklin:

I’m writing to ensure that you are fully aware of the negative impacts the budget cuts to Fire Rescue have had on fire protection, emergency medical services and disaster response in the City of Atlanta.

The following is partial list of reductions Fire Rescue has suffered in the FY09 budget:

• Abolished 119 firefighters out of a sworn field operations force of 785
• Closed 4 fire companies, including the only dedicated heavy rescue and hazardous materials response unit
• Cut staffing on all engine and ladder companies to 3 firefighters assigned contrary to established national safety standards
• Reduced work hours for sworn firefighters by 18 percent with the equivalent loss in pay
• Closed additional fire companies on a daily basis – over 25 times to date
• Reassigned over half of our training staff in the face of unprecedented attrition
• Eliminated the health and wellness program that provided early detection of occupational stress related killers

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NPU Bulletin from Atlanta Firefighters

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

• To cover a $140 million budget shortfall, Mayor Franklin’s FY09 budget proposal abolishes 89 firefighter positions and cuts Fire Rescue’s budget by over $13 million.

• In addition, Mayor Franklin’s proposal asks for a $44 million property tax increase to prevent further cuts to Fire Rescue and any cuts to Police. The tax increase is an average of $30 annually per homeowner.

• City Council approves firefighter abolishments, but rejects Mayor Franklin’s tax proposal and instead passes a $14 million tax cut, averaging $8 annually per homeowner. This necessitates another 5% budget cut to Fire Rescue.

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NPU Bulletin from Atlanta Firefighters

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

With the recently announced fire station closures due to lack of adequate firefighter staffing, Atlanta has joined Detroit in this very dangerous cost saving strategy. Atlanta Firefighters thought you should know how the practice worked out for Detroit.

Attached are two special reports from the Detroit News from 2000:

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Honorable Lisa Borders, President
Atlanta City Councilmembers

RE: Fire Rescue Staffing

Dear President Borders and Councilmembers:

Staffing at Atlanta Fire Rescue is dangerously low. With the abolishment of 119 firefighters in the FY09 budget, the Department is in no position to absorb the additional reduction-in-force from Mayor Franklin’s proposed furloughs.

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Furlough implementation plan - There has been much speculation that implementing the furlough plan mandated by Mayor Franklin will require 53-hour employees to work partial shifts/days. In addition to increasing the members commute expense, this would make it more difficult for members to make up for lost income with part-time employment.

The Fire Chief was sensitive to these concerns and determined keep the 24-hour shifts in tact, if possible. Yesterday afternoon, Chief Cochran, his senior staff, and IAFF 134 representatives held a planning session, and formulated a schedule that combines R-days and furlough hours into a 9-shift R-day/furlough cycle that meets the salary reduction mandates.

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