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Budget cuts, layoffs feared for Watertown Fire Department
By Laura Paine Wicked Local WatertownPosted Feb 04, 2011 @ 11:31
AMLast update Feb 04, 2011 @ 11:59 AM
WATERTOWN Its still early in Watertowns budget-building process,
but that hasnt stopped the concern
about what could happen to public safety services if the
departments are forced to face cuts.For the fire department, this
could mean possible lay-offs and shutting down the station on
Orchard Street to save on costs.In December, Town Manager
Michael Driscoll asked every town department to submit two
budget scenarios one that levels service and another that
reflects a five percent reduction.In October, estimations placed
the towns revenues at a 1.17 percent increase, including a
15percent reduction in Local Aid and expenditures at a 4.75 percent
increase.
Hopefully the revenue estimates will go up and the expenditures
will go down, Driscollsaid. Its still early in the budget process.
Things will change.
On Jan. 26, Governor Deval Patrick released his Fiscal 2012
budget recommendation,
which would cut spending by $570 million from last year for a
bottom line budget of $30.5billion the largest year-on-year
reduction in 20 years. This includes a $65 million cut tolocal
aid.
Fire Chief Mario Orangio said if the final state budget comes in
and local aid cuts haveincreased, he would consider it frightening.
Right now he knows that all budget discussionsare very
preliminary.
Getting a level service budget, which Orangio says is the
best-case scenario, would meanthat there wont be any layoffs and
the department would continue to operate on their currentstaffing
level.
Weve had nine jobs lost through attrition in the last three
budgets and our minimumstaffing level is down to 16, Orangio said.
Were really at the breaking point. We couldntsustain any more cuts.
It would absolutely effect services and our response time. We
aredoing about 4,500 calls a year. Thats a pretty good amount of
responses.
Fire Lieutenant Thomas Thibaut, president of the International
Association of Fire FightersLocal 1347, said any reduction in the
budget would mean definite lay-offs.
Thats young kids going out the door that have families and
babies, Thibaut said. I knowtimes are tough and we all have to make
sacrifices but it always seems to me it is the firedepartment is
asked to take a hit.
If the fire departments budget is reduced by five percent, it
would mean cutting the staff down to 14 firefighters, ladder 2
would be out of operation and another company Station 3on Orchard
Street would be shut down because there wont be enough bodies to
staff it.
Hopefully its not going to be that bad and we can stay at a
level service budget, Thibautsaid. Which I am against. A 19-man
minimum is our goal. [16] is way below what Irecommend as a
lieutenant of the department.
The department only runs one ambulance, but try to run two when
there are enoughfirefighters. With a reduced budget, one of the
three engines would have to be put out of service and Orangio said
it doesnt make sense to only run the ambulance out of the
OrchardStreet station.
Closing the station down does save a little bit on operation
cost, but not much, he said.We would really be a skeleton crew.
Under those circumstances it would absolutely increaseour response
times and response reliability which is our ability to handle our
own calls whenthey come in.
It would also require the fire department to rely more heavily
on mutual aide from othercommunities for routine calls, which is
not what the system was designed for.
The problem is when you call another communities fire apparatus,
what they dedicate asmutual aid might not be available, Orangio
said.
Both he and Thibaut are hoping for a level service budget.
