Emergency jobs in jeopardy

PITTSFIELD -- Fire Chief Raymond E. Risley said Friday that to cut $300,000 from next year's budget, as mandated by the city, he will have to eliminate 10 emergency response positions, permanently close one fire station and partially close another.

           He said that by cutting personnel to reach that figure, he actually has to cut $450,000 from next year's budget. The extra $150,000 comes from the amount of benefit packages paid to those employees who are cut, Risley said. He said City Treasurer Richard Bordeau told the department that for each $100,000 it eliminates in staff cuts, it must cut an additional $50,000 in benefits.

Because 10 employees represent an entire engine     company, Risley said he would have to close one station permanently and the other during the peak vacation periods of July, August and the first part of September.

In a written statement, Risley said that personnel cuts are necessary because, "I have repeatedly informed city officials that we have no fat to cut from our budget." "The city has left us no choice except to cut manpower. That, in turn, will reduce services to our citizens and visitors," the statement read.

Doyle said he has not yet heard Risley's proposal and did not feel it would be appropriate to comment.

Risley's statement further states that the information is not intended as a "scare tactic," but just to point out what the Fire Department must do to help solve the city's $8 million deficit.

He said he plans to meet with Mayor Gerald S. Doyle Jr. on Wednesday to talk about adjustments, adding that an increase in this year's Chapter 70 state funding could lessen the cuts.

"This is what we've been told to do," Risley said.   "This is what people are going to get. I don't expect the adjustments to be better."

He said the Fire Department's budget of $5 million is only 5 percent of the total city budget, but that the department has operated with level-funded budgets for more than four years.

The $450,000 budget cut will severely affect Fire     Department services and response times to 911 calls for emergencies, he said, especially time-sensitive medical responses.

"We won't be able to keep the four-minute response time, which is the Basic Life Support Industry standard," for life-threatening strokes and heart     attacks, the fire chief said.

02 June 2001 from www.berkshireeagle.com

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Fire Department

The Pittsfield Fire Dept. (PFD) Headquarters is located at 74 Columbus Ave. Pttsfield, MA, 01201. Fire Chief: Raymond Risley - Phone: (413) 448-9764 fax: (413) 448-9766 - e-mail: [email protected]

There are other fire stations located at various points of the City. - Engine 1 Station: 311 West Housatonic St. (413) 448-9751 - Engine 2 Station: 9 Somerset Ave. Mechanic Shop (413) 448-9752 - Engine 5 Station: 54 Pecks Rd. Training Grounds (413) 448-9752 - Engine 6 Station: 8 Holmes Rd. (413) 448-9756

PFD's divisions include Fire Suppression, Fire Prevention Bureau, Computer Aided Dispatch, Training, and Host of State District 5 HazMat Team. The Fire Investigation Unit, the High Angle/Confined Space Rescue, and the Dive Team comprise PFD's Special Teams.

02 June 2001 from www.pittsfield-ma.org/departments/fire.html HOME