The city of Westlake, Ohio has had their Fire Department severely understaffed to safely serve our city for the past 20 years. This is due to Mayor Dennis Clough. He has ignored the problem to the point where during a recorded city council budget hearing he asked the Director of Community Services about her department’s activity. Clough made several inexcusable comments after the presentation stating the following. 

The community services department is “three times as busy as the Fire Department” before joking about giving Community Services "minimum manning." This comparison was based on the fact that they provided over 13,000 rides for citizens via their transportation program-roughly 35 per day. There are fundamental differences between the work of Local 1814 members and Community Services that I hope to clarify.

According to the city website, Westlake Community Services provides transportation for seniors to medical appointments, shopping, and the library on weekdays during business hours. This service is "curb to curb"; staff do not lift or carry riders, nor do they provide medical care. In fact, wheelchair-bound passengers must be accompanied by a separate chaperone. 

Mayor Clough has ignored the minimum manning issue for a long time. There is currently no minimum manning requirements for the Fire Department in Westlake. There is also no evidence of change as every year multiple small businesses, homes, corporate offices, nursing homes, apartment complexes, condominiums, schools and daycares go unprotected. Running an average of 6000+ EMS transports a year there are only 4 ambulances available while that leaves 2 engines and 2 ladders unstaffed between only 2 stations protecting 34,000+ citizens and nearly 20 million annual visitors to Crocker Park shopping center alone. This practice is known as “jump staffing” and it is unfortunately too common in the fire service. 

NFPA (Nation Fire Protection Association) standard 1710 recommends a minimum of 15 firefighters for a “Low Hazard” response (residential single family dwellings) and 28 firefighters for a “Medium Hazard” response (three story garden apartments or strip malls). Westlake is comprised of about 15,000+ housing units, some of which are ~9000 single family dwellings, ~1400 duplexes/townhomes, ~3000 apartments. Westlake has to typically rely on mutual aid from surrounding cities with increased response times while Westlake ambulance crews are transporting patients. 

This petition is to finally get the mayor and city council to, in conjunction with Westlake IAFF Local 1814, provide written law establishing a minimum staffing requirement the city of Westlake deserves and needs.