The union representing Akron’s firefighters says staffing shortages are stretching resources thin, and a budget vote at the end of this month could make things worse.
AKRON, Ohio - The union representing Akron’s firefighters says staffing shortages are stretching resources thin, and a budget vote at the end of this month could make things worse. Kevin Gostowski, union president, said the city’s proposed budget isn’t enough to keep the department fully staffed.
The proposal includes a $200,000 increase, not a cut, but Gostowski said it isn’t keeping up with demand. “We’re concerned that the reduction in the fire department budget is going to cause a reduction in staffing,” Gostowski said. Gostowski said budget pressures are making staffing issues worse. Two years ago, American Medical Response left Akron, leaving firefighters responsible for all non-emergency medical transports. That means when a unit is already on a call, it may not be available when needed. “With the budget shaving that we’ve done right now to manage our overtime budget, we have been taking a couple of med units out of service for the better part of a month,” Gostowski said. Last year, the department logged nearly 100,000 overtime hours, the equivalent of 48 full-time employees. The department is also 25 firefighters short and hasn’t hired anyone new in two years. The city has said it plans to fill those positions this year. “I think that’s a pretty difficult task to accomplish in a couple of months, but we’ll see, stranger things have happened,” Gostowski said.The union says the fix doesn’t have to be dramatic — just enough to make sure a unit is available when someone calls. “We need a little bit more; we’re not asking for a lot. The important thing is those two med units we’re shutting down on the regular, we need to get those back in service somehow, someway,” Gostowski said. Fire Chief Leon Henderson agrees the current overtime numbers aren’t sustainable, but says the answer isn’t simply more units on the street. In a statement, he said, “my responsibility is to ensure the firefighters and paramedics operating those vehicles are alert, capable, clinically sharp, and safe to respond to emergencies.” Gostowski said the union has been in talks with city officials, but so far, no commitment has been made. Akron City Council must pass the full city budget by March 31, a hard deadline with no extension.High winds blast Northeast Ohio: Damages, power outages, closuresI-77 N reopens after 23-vehicle crash in Summit CountyMeteorite hunters flock to Northeast Ohio after fireball breaks apart over Medina County
FIREFIGHTER STAFFING SHORTAGE AKRON CITY BUDGET OVERTIME CRISIS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
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