In my run for City Council, I’ve been approached by several firefighters and friends of firefighters, all telling them same story of being hopelessly understaffed.  They sent me screenshots of the schedule, where 12 people were off for training or vacation while only 4 people are replacing. They all said this is a recurring problem, and it worries them.  

If most jobs are understaffed, no one dies.  I don’t need to waste time explaining why this isn’t the case for firefighters, the literal heroes of our community.  

The firefighters were so worried about the problem of understaffing that they needed help from their union, and their president attempted to work with the city to alleviate the problem before eventually sending this email: 

“Mr. Wood, 

 

I am reaching out to you on behalf of the membership of the Hickory Fire Fighters Association due to the ongoing lack of adequate staffing on fire trucks. For the longest time, we as a Department were under the impression this was due solely to a breakdown in communication from the department’s command staff to your office. There have been countless meetings between our department staff and you and I feel certain this has been one of the main topics discussed in each of those meetings. Our members are concerned for their own safety, the safety of their co-workers as well as the safety of the citizens and visitors to the City of Hickory. 

 

I personally want to thank you for your meetings with all of the crews and seeing the completion of all meetings through. I know you have heard a lot of the same issues and topics throughout all of the meetings and I admire your dedication to make the City and our department a better place by sticking to your word and continuing the meetings. 

 

With the population now being over 40,000 citizens and nearly doubling throughout the week, our City has out grown our department’s current staffing model. We are in desperate need of either additional personnel or the availability of regular overtime to ensure safety of all. 

 

Attached is our “strength report” that shows assignments for crews for the upcoming holiday of Halloween (10/31/2018). As you will quickly identify; the three busiest engines in the City are shut down during our City’s highest populated time. Instances like this would either be resolved by hiring crews back for overtime during class hours or paying crews to train on their days off like the Police Department does. This is simply one example of short staffing and many others can be supplied upon request. 

 

We are asking that you take the necessary steps to ensure our safety as your employees as well as the safety of those that we protect. 

 

I ask that you take five minutes and watch this short video on NFPA 1710; the Industry Standard for Career Fire Departments. While it isn’t law or required, NFPA is a nationally recognized standard that was derived from facts and scientific data, not opinions. 

https://youtu.be/f42S9TRc634

 

I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully being a part of developing a solution to our departments staffing shortfalls.  

 

Thanks,

 

Alan Fisher
President

Hickory Fire Fighter’s Association
IAFF Local 2653”

This very professional email from a respected union president working to help the heroes of our city was met with this response, 16 minutes later,  from our city manager, Warren Wood:

“I would never ask anyone to put their life on the line when they feel there is a good chance they may not make it home to their family at the end of their shift. There is no shame in turning your equipment in and seeking a safer employment environment. 

 
I personally continue to have issues with one of my hands due to trying to arrest a drug addict who was breaking into a coworkers car a few years ago. Please pass along to your membership that if the rewards no longer outweigh the risks, then they should absolutely consider other options.
 

Sent from my iPhone”

These emails were followed by an invitation from Wood to share the email with whom ever he saw fit, and so it has made its way here.  

In the year since this ridiculous and unkind email was sent from Wood, tiny steps have been made regarding overtime, but the same problems of understaffing plague them.  They do not, on most work days, have enough staff to operate the vehicles sitting in their docks.  

The city has had a year to solve this problem and they haven’t.  In the meantime, houses have burned down.  Would they have burned down if the stations were properly staffed? It’s impossible to say.  But I know that I want the people who keep our city safe to feel safe in their jobs.  And if they are worried enough to enlist the help of their unions, they need to know they will answered respectfully. 

 Clearly Warren Wood is not intending to fix the issue, so I think we, as citizens, need to demand that he does.  I think we need to address the problem immediately, not if and when I am on Council, although I do promise to fight for all city workers if I’m on that Council.    

Help the firefighters of Hickory get what they need to help us. Please sign this petition then share it with everyone you know who has a home or business in Hickory they would like to be saved in case of fire.  Please and thank you, 

 

Respectfully, 

Carmen Eckard