By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
February 15, 2012

Public safety continues to be a hot button issue when it comes to the city’s proposed 2012-2013 fiscal year budget.

On Feb. 8, the fire fighters filled the seats of the chamber council and the next day, it was the police force crowding the room. All came to protest to the city’s proposed budget.

During the Feb. 8 Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee meeting, Fire Chief Smokey Dyer explained the national fire standards and how cuts to the department could affect the public’s safety.

In his budget proposal, City Manager Troy Schulte proposed cutting 105 positions from the fire department to save the city $7.6 million.

“When we announced this new plan, it was not embraced lovingly,” the chief said.

Eliminating 105 positions would force the fire department to use only three fire fighters per pumper truck instead of the four outlined in the National Fire Protection Association 1710 Standard. Essentially, it would violate the national standard.

Kansas City began following the national standard in 2001 when voters passed a dedicated sales tax to fund additional fire fighter positions.

According to the 1710 Standard, if there are less than four fire fighters on a pumper truck, the crew must wait until another truck arrives to begin attacking the interior of the structure and rescuing victims.

A majority of the nation’s 50 largest cities follow the 1710 Standard, Dyer said.

“I just can’t imagine a worse one to make cuts to in the budget and basically make your pumper companies ineffective,” committee member John Sharp said.

Asked if Kansas City has seen a reduction in the number of fires over the years, Dyer said yes. He said the number of fires in the past decade has been reduced by 30 percent.

“I’m also very proud of that number,” Dyer said.

That number is the result of fire department personnel effectively educating the public on fire safety and prevention, he said.

“We have right now the advantage, in my opinion, of living in one of the most fire safe urban cities of the 50 largest cities,” Dyer said.

Local 42 President Mike Cambiano worries that success might change if the department is forced to reduce its personnel.

“We have to have the resources available to do our job,” he told Northeast News.

Cambiano told the committee that reducing the number of fire fighters could jeopardize the city’s fast response times.

“You can’t just pluck 105 (fire fighters) out of the system and expect it to run the same as a decade ago,” Cambiano said.

Three years ago, the city wanted to close two fire stations, but the fire fighters fought to keep them open, he said. To save the city money, the more than 900 fire fighters began working a number of hours for free, he said.

Over the last three years, each fire fighter has accumulated 3 1/2 weeks, or 144 man hours, of unpaid time, he said.

“We did it for the public safety and we did it for our brothers and sisters that were going to lose their jobs,” Cambiano said. “We’re willing to work with you.”

Committee member Scott Taylor said he supports public safety and that, “I for one will not support a budget that compromises public safety. There’s no doubt about that.”

During the Feb. 9 City Council Business Session, Mayor Sly James proposed another avenue for trimming the fire department. Instead of mandating the fire department to cut 105 positions, James said it should be up to Dyer to choose how to trim $7.6 million from the budget.

For Sharp, the mayor’s proposal relieved his public safety concerns.

“This is the way to do it, to let the professionals make the cuts,” Sharp said. “You don’t mandate how to do it.”

For upcoming public budget meetings visit www.kcmo.org.

Fire fighters protest proposed cuts to department