The Observation Deck

I will be writing an article on fire department overtime. If anyone has any information, comments or suggestions e mail them to me at billcall@brennanhvac.com.

I want to thank those of you who provided me with information on fire department overtime. There are a lot of people willing to provide information on a confidential basis. Thanks again. Your identities will remain confidential.

After 5 months of effort I (with a lot of help from friends) was able to get some raw data regarding fire department overtime.

There has been a substantial increase in the use of sick time by the fire department in the last few years.

If anyone has any information or comments on this issue please feel free to send me a private message or post a comment. For some reason the issue frightens people.

Your comments and information may be used in an upcoming article on fire department overtime. Your confidentiality is assured.

I am looking for all view points.

Bill,

I've been watching for your article. Anything to report? With this budget coming up and the proposed tax increase, this could be an important variable.

The first two parts of the article are complete. I am working on the third.

I first began requesting information in July of 2005. I was told on more than one occasion that no information would be provided. After I sent a registered letter and hinted at a freedom of information act lawsuit I was given most of what I asked for. I received that info at the end of November. I still need some information on overtime wages and the number of EMS and fire calls before finish the first two articles. That letter will go out this week.

If the City tries to put me off I will go with what I have.

The short version is that everyone knows there is a problem and very few people are willing to go on the record. According to some I am on a do not talk to list at City Hall.

There has been a 158% increase in the use of sick days by Fire Department personnel over the last few years. Overtime costs are at least one million dollars per year.

In one discussion I had a city employee said the Mayor indicated his support for a 5% raise in 2006 for Fire Department employees if they would agree to some minor concessions.

It was also implied in the conversation that the administration would ignore the overtime issue in exchange for the concessions.

People are afraid to talk.

I am working on an article on how much the 5% raise would cost. At first glance it would cost almost as much as would be raised by the income tax increase.

After the nonsense in Parma, Lakewood can't afford to have anything except completely transparent disclosure on this subject.

Interesting work - thanks for the effort.

For personal reasons I am no longer working on this project.

Bill Call wrote:For personal reasons I am no longer working on this project.

Bill

I am sorry to hear that, perhaps you could explain why?



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I have decided to finish my work on the Fire Department article. It is too important an issue to ignore.

I am not the only one who spent time on this issue and it would be unfair to them for me to drop out at this point.

Thanks to all for your information.

Bill, what is the status on the Lakewood Fire Department overtime article?

Tracy Jones wrote:Bill, what is the status on the Lakewood Fire Department overtime article?

Tracy

The article is the editing bin, waiting for legal revue, and soem final editing. As we are a volunteer paper, I want to make sure everything is correct. I can only speak from my experience in this. The city and fire department has been very helpful and open. Giving us everything we have requested, and willing to meet anytime and bring to the meeting anything we have asked for. Any hold up is on me, not Bill. Bill is pretty damn good with numbers and running things. His depth of knowledge and quickness a blast to work with.

It is very tough to go through all the paperwork we have been given. While one could say looking at what we have as a suspcious amount of overtime, when management is allowed to put the reasons to the numbers, much of the "abuse" is an illusion. At the same time the fire department has taken some actions against a few firemen, part of their collective bargining agreement keeps these names under wraps. That's from this side.

I hope Bill jumps in and tells his view.



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Jim O'Bryan wrote:....... much of the "abuse" is an illusion.

At the same time the fire department has taken some actions against a few firemen, part of their collective bargining agreement keeps these names under wraps. That's from this side..

The City was not eager to give me the information on Department overtime. After 6 months of proding I got full cooperation and the information that I asked for. The Chief and other officials met with me a couple of times to state their views and answer my questions. They were very helpful and patient in their explanations. Some times I have a wooden head.

I was torn between my desire to get the information and the realization that our City officials are very busy people.

I think that there is abuse of overtime. If there weren't you wouldn't have people being brought up on charges. The graph of OT use shows a steady increase over time. Only the Fire Department shows this increase.

Some of the causes of OT:

Staffing Levels - the City chooses to have a higher staffing level than other cities. When a firefighter calls in sick another must take his place.
Can reducing staffing levels by a small amount reduce cost without reducing safety?

Family and medical leave act - Firefighters are legally allowed to use sick time to get paid for Family and Medical Leave Act time. The City has no control over how this time is used.

Workers comp absences - Firefighters have a physically demanding job so you would expect this type of absence to be common.

Sickness - People do get sick. I have no problem with sick leave, for the most part. I wish everyone had it.

Generational attitude - I was told by more than one person that sick time is viewed as extra vacation time, that it is their time and they are going to use it.

Vacation planning - I was told by more than one person that some firefighters "schedule" their sick time in advance; they let their co-workers know when they will be calling in sick to extend vacation time.

I suppose you could say that overtime costs are broken down between controllable and uncontrolable costs.

I like to think that my digging around this issue for the last year led the City to take a closer look at the use of sick time. Maybe I am giving myself to much credit. Anyway...

There is a problem with overtime costs. The City is taking some steps to deal with the issue.

Jim: It's not my paper. I wrote the article but the decision to print is not mine.

Bill Call wrote:Jim: It's not my paper. I wrote the article but the decision to print is not mine.

Bill

Even you have to admit, the story needed more words than numbers. I have two people putting that together. I have a lawyer checking out all of the legal issues. Pardon the pun, but I am not one to call fire in a crowded theater for effect.

While the paper makes it to 17,000 sets of eyes, the website is up to 900,000 hits a month.

I think you will have to admit no one has tried to silence you. We have also put you to work on the books at the hospital. You are The Observer's go to guy for crunching numbers and looking objectively at let's say "waste mismanagement."


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