City of Portland

Not sure how many of you pay attention to any of the city's meetings but recently it seems the Portland Fire Department is constantly being hounded. These guys put their lives on the line every time their pagers go off and they respond, and they always do so without complaint. It almost seems someone has a personal vendetta against Mr. West. Money is the hot topic when the fire department is mentioned. They have decided it costs $31.40 every time the department responds. There are certain calls they are wanting to cut out, not sure why first responders are needed at doctor's offices, or why send first responders to a fall or to someone with high blood pressure. Well let me tell you why, because they are all tax paying citizens and if they feel they need help that's what 911 is for, it's not their fault that city mismanages money and wants to cut money from the fire department. So what it costs $31.40 every time they respond, not sure about any of you but that's a small price to pay, as to my loved can't have price tags placed upon them. So let's get back to the high blood pressure they don't understand...let's say my blood pressure sky rockets I call 911 they decide in the mean time I don't need first responder care, before an ambulance arrives I become altered, guess what I may have a bleed, which requires immediate care, I was denied that care because the city didn't think I needed first responders for high blood pressure. This city really needs to get its priorities in line!

I agree!!! Lets see if they felt the same if it was their family??? I would say they would be the first one to call 911 and ask for first responders!!!

They CHOOSE the job. They should not be heralded because they get paid $80,000 to play PS3 and Wii for weeks at a time.

They don't make 80k a year, I promise you that. Their salaries are public record go to city hall and check for yourself. Last time I checked it's not the fire fighters complaining about the calls, they want to run the calls, this is about the citizens of Portland getting the proper care. Go crawl back under your rock!

If you are talking about the firefighters, didn't they paper have a headline once about them making 77,000 a year ? And that most of that was due to overtime ?

It appears that Reason has a problem with his city's firefighters. If your guys do make 80,000 a yr you should count your blessings they are worth way more than that. Being from out west (Nevada) our guys make six figures starting out and they are worth every penny. I truely hope you are in the minority in your city. Would you get up at 2:30 in the morning and go out in the driving rain or a severe storm to help anyone only to be put down for it?? I cant answer that but I would like for you too?!?!?

Portland's budget is no match for the state of Nevada. Our town is almost solely based on property taxes.

First off all I know for a matter of fact that Our men don't go to the fire hall to just sit on their butts, play PS3 nor Wii. These men do alot that people don't see. Have you actually visited the fire hall? I am pretty sure you sit across the road and listen to your scanner. General cause REALLY? Get over yourself. I honestly don't see how people can sleep at night knowing that you are trying to take away first reponders. I am pretty sure if your two daughters where sick, not breathing, then I am pretty sure you wouldn't mind call 911. What if the truck had to come from another city due to the Portland trucks being on another call and there was no first reponders? What now? You are putting the city at risk!!! HELLO people wake up! Yes, the firefighter choose this job. But when you think about it people depend on them to save ours, yours, your kids, and you loved ones lives! I really wish you people would wake up!!!

The fireman were making higher yearly pay because the city hall drug it's feet to replace a vacant spot. It took a year to replace a full time firefighter spot. Donnie was out on medical leave and city hall did not file the proper paperwork which left his spot open an additional 6 months. All because we don't have an HR dept anymore. So with a vacant spot that had to be filled every 3rd day and there are only 4 full time firefighters to pick from, you will have guys make more money, just like you or me working overtime at our jobs.. I have looked at the salaries for the firefighters and I would recommend each of you do to. It's public records. The average base salary for these guys is about 41k year. Then deduct their outrageously overpriced insurance and the 5% they must put into a retirement fund and it does not leave much. The vacated spot was filled before Christmas, so I am safe to say that the overtime and high yearly salary has come to an end. Remember the firefighters took a pay cut in 2009. They were the only department in the entire city to do so and have yet to get their money back.

By the way, their station flooded again. No council member has been by to check on them. The council/mayor continue to turn the heads and look the other way. How's that for respect for the the firefighters that protect you and me 24/7/365.

You can't base their salary like others. They only work 3 days a week. I know people working 6 days a week and they don't touch 40,000. They don't get called hero either.

And I assume everyone, myself included, that salary is referring to that work 6 days a week, work 24hr days? Not 8, 10, 12 hours, but 24 every day? 3 days is 72 hrs...Actually its normally every 3rd day, 1 on, 2 off. On a 3 week cycle that's 7 days x 24hrs=168hrs/3wks = 56hrs per week average. Not sure exactly how Portland does it but that is typical. If there is 1 guy on at a time (really? that is so low for a city this size) the 4th is to cover sick/vacation/Sallie Madie? days/etc, which keeps from having non-stop overtime. Without the 4th person OT would be outrageous which is apparently what was happening for a while.

Granted if its a slow day you get down time and some sleep. If its a busy day, you can might go nonstop or close to it.

I'm not a firefighter, but have family members that have been since the 40's (None in Portland). Slow days are easy. Hard ones, they sleep most of the next day just trying to recover.

The firefighters are on an average 53 hour work week. In reality, they work 24 hours on and off 48 hours. One week they work 48 hours, the next week is 55 hours and the next is 65 hours. Then the cycle starts again. In a 3 week period the firefighter will have worked all 7 days. Before a Portland firefighter can get OT, he must work 53 hours. If he calls out sick or uses vacation, he does not get OT until he works back those hours. There are 2 firefighters on duty all the time for Portland. If one is out for whatever reason, then another full time firefighter must back fill that spot. If a full time firefighter cant come in, then a volunteer firefighter is called in and paid the city's part time rate of $10/hr. Yes, our firefighters have slow days. Yes, they watch TV, yes they sit at the table and eat, yes, they have beds to sleep in. They are away from their home and family for 24 hours But they also have busy days that are spent running up and down the roads help those in need, not sitting down, trying to eat but not getting to finish their hot meal, not getting to sleep that night. These guys know at any time they could be called upon to help someone. They have many nights of interrupted sleep, many meals interrupted, many holidays spent at work, many family activities missed. They knew this when they sign on to the job and will tell you they do not have a problem with it. Just go to the fire station and talk to these guys. They will be glad to explain how their day goes. The problem here folks is that our council has got this idea that our firefighters/first responders do not need to be going out an helping those in need. I'm sure most of you have seen the red pick up truck the fire department has. They respond on medical calls in the city to assist the ambulance service. Most of the time our firefighters are the first ones to you and begin medical treatment. A lot of time, it is a matter of life and death. Our council is wanting to save money by having our firefighters sit at the station and not do anything. The council feels that our firefighters/first responders (who some are EMT's and Paramedic) should not provide a service to you, the tax payers. Chief West stated the other night that for all of 2011, PFD ran 1275 medical calls and it only cost the city a little more than $40,000, on average $31.40 per call. The council feels like it can dictate what is an emergency and what isn't. What's next? "The council will say they can save money by not letting the firefighters go on a call of smoke in your house. The firefighters must wait until your hose is on fire before they will respond." Folks, you need to wake up and see what is happening. The council is basically saying that if you call 911, the fire department may not respond because what you think is an emergency may not be to them and they don't want to spend $31.40 of you tax dollars to help you. As I sat in the meeting the other night, that is what I was gathering.

(part 2)
The council is basically saying they only want the firefighters to go to emergencies that are on a "list". I do not know where this "list' came from. So, if your elderly parent falls to the floor and hurt their hip, some of the councils members do not think that your call to 911 is as important as another person having chest pain. You may have to wait several minutes for a ambulance. If the Portland ambulance is already on another call, you may have to wait for another one to come from White House, Oak Grove, or Gallatin. All the time, no one is there to render aid and the firefighters are sitting at the station with their hands tied and not able to help you. The ambulance service had a rep at the meeting the other night and and I talked to him afterwards. Do you know that Portland is the busiest city in the county per capita. Do you know that the ambulance response time is averaging about 9 mins in our area because most of the time another ambulance from another city is having to come, and our firefighters average 4 mins? So who is going to be first and more helpful? I ask you to talk to your firefighters and council members. We pay taxes for services and sitting at the station not doing anything is not a service. If you go the city's website and look under the fire department, they have a "Call Stat" page that shows all the calls they respond to. Folks, these guys ran over 1500 calls last year for a town of less than 12,000 citizens. Looks to me like they do not have much down time at all. They are averaging over 4 calls a days. And the amount of time a call takes up will always vary.

I know wrote:

(part 2)
The council is basically saying they only want the firefighters to go to emergencies that are on a "list". I do not know where this "list' came from. So, if your elderly parent falls to the floor and hurt their hip, some of the councils members do not think that your call to 911 is as important as another person having chest pain. You may have to wait several minutes for a ambulance. If the Portland ambulance is already on another call, you may have to wait for another one to come from White House, Oak Grove, or Gallatin. All the time, no one is there to render aid and the firefighters are sitting at the station with their hands tied and not able to help you. The ambulance service had a rep at the meeting the other night and and I talked to him afterwards. Do you know that Portland is the busiest city in the county per capita. Do you know that the ambulance response time is averaging about 9 mins in our area because most of the time another ambulance from another city is having to come, and our firefighters average 4 mins? So who is going to be first and more helpful? I ask you to talk to your firefighters and council members. We pay taxes for services and sitting at the station not doing anything is not a service. If you go the city's website and look under the fire department, they have a "Call Stat" page that shows all the calls they respond to. Folks, these guys ran over 1500 calls last year for a town of less than 12,000 citizens. Looks to me like they do not have much down time at all. They are averaging over 4 calls a days. And the amount of time a call takes up will always vary.

Very well said and explained. I can't wait to see the next argument on this subject.

I know wrote:

(part 2)
The council is basically saying they only want the firefighters to go to emergencies that are on a "list". I do not know where this "list' came from. So, if your elderly parent falls to the floor and hurt their hip, some of the councils members do not think that your call to 911 is as important as another person having chest pain. You may have to wait several minutes for a ambulance. If the Portland ambulance is already on another call, you may have to wait for another one to come from White House, Oak Grove, or Gallatin. All the time, no one is there to render aid and the firefighters are sitting at the station with their hands tied and not able to help you. The ambulance service had a rep at the meeting the other night and and I talked to him afterwards. Do you know that Portland is the busiest city in the county per capita. Do you know that the ambulance response time is averaging about 9 mins in our area because most of the time another ambulance from another city is having to come, and our firefighters average 4 mins? So who is going to be first and more helpful? I ask you to talk to your firefighters and council members. We pay taxes for services and sitting at the station not doing anything is not a service. If you go the city's website and look under the fire department, they have a "Call Stat" page that shows all the calls they respond to. Folks, these guys ran over 1500 calls last year for a town of less than 12,000 citizens. Looks to me like they do not have much down time at all. They are averaging over 4 calls a days. And the amount of time a call takes up will always vary.

Does it really figure out to an average of 4 calls a day ? With 24 hours in a day....that is each call would have to take up 6 hours for them to not have much "down time" at all. Are you sure that is right ?

how can the voluteers be better controlled to limit the number that show up?

judgeit wrote:

how can the voluteers be better controlled to limit the number that show up?

Well, I don't know, but they need to figure out a call schedule or some way for all the responders not to show up for every call.

I thought Chief West made it very clear on how many were showing up for calls. I am guessing 'judgeit' and 'Portlander' were not at the meeting and are just trying to start problems. Chief West stated that he is only averaging 2 to 3 first responders per call. How much less do you want it to get? I can tell you, these guys have to drive the ambulance it at times, or the first responders who are EMT or Paramedic have to be in the back assisting with patient care. Have any of you ever performed CPR on a patient? I haven't, but I have seen our firefighters/first responders do it and it easily took 4 people to do and to me it looked like chaos, but I know to those guys it was very well orchestrated. I commend them for the hard work they do. I know the EMS rep stated to me that the first responders can be on a call for a few mins to a couple of hours. It varies. On top of that you have to factor in the other calls they run, ie: fires, alarms, and wrecks. I have seen our firefighters on a fire for well over 5 hours. If you put the volunteers on a schedule to respond, then they have to be paid hourly too for being on call during a certain time period. Ask the public works guys that are on call for weekends. Even if they do not get a call out, they still get paid because they have to be in Portland during there on call time. I think they are being paid about $2 an hour just for being on call then they make their hourly pay when called upon. So for a weekend on call they are making at least $48 plus a minimum 2 hour pay for each call out they make. How is this going to save money? You people want to keep bring all this stuff up but if you would just go and ask questions at city hall or the fire department, you will learn a lot instead of looking like idiots.

I'm not here to start problems. As a matter of fact, I was at the meeting when Mr. West explained the situation. I do believe there must be a better solution to the issue rather than having everyone responding to calls. If asking questions makes me look like an idiot, then I'm an idiot.