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Fire Cuts, Station House Closings
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T O P I C
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Discussion Started: 03-26-2003, 1:51 PM
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Comment on the closings of six engine companies, pay cuts for firefighters, and a wage freeze until 2007.
Mayor Murphy has said the moves will save money, while still allowing the city to meet national standards for fire response times.
Click here to read the story.
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View Messages: [newest first] | [oldest first]
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dmedicFF
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05-25-2005, 10:34 PM
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As a full time paramedic in the 'burbs, and a volunteer firefighter-both jobs since the 1980's, here are my opinions: Why does the City still ride around in antiquated vehicles? All the money is going to pay salaries and bennies to a overbloated fire department. The City allows the Unions to manage the various public safety departments...not the other way around- as it should be. The politicians allow it to happen, so the Unions will make sure they are reelected..as we have just seen. As a suburban Volunteer Firefighter, I am better protected, have more advanced equipment, and more up to date vehicles than a paid "professional" firefighter in the City. Why is this? Financial mismanagement, I know. Well, part of that means the City has to manage, and that includes not allowing the Union to dictate how things are done.
The City can survive the changes in the Fire Bureau. They are sorely needed. I monitor the fire channel regularly, and the majority of the activity consists of first responder medical calls, fire alarms, and other minor issues. The "everyone will die" rhetoric is fired off by the Union to garner fear in the public, which will end up in support.
EMS/Fire Merger: will not work. I do both jobs, and each is way too technical and they change all the time. It is very difficult to merge the two services. The Fire Department desire to do EMS is rather hypocritical. Years ago, before better building construction and codes, there were more fires. To suggest then that the Fire Bureau take over EMS would cause a high pressure hose to be turned on you in anger. Now they are interested....because EMS represents job justification. There are some combination departments in the country that are successful, but the majority of these have performed both functions for years. The recent merger of fire and EMS in NYC is generally seen as a debacle.
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wildcat_66
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03-22-2005, 6:50 AM
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In your city you can blame nobody but yourselves . Reason being that you continued to elect officials that were not capable of running a major city and pocketing money.In this case your mayor who has a side kick public safety man that from what I can see is an absolute joke! I dont evn live in Allegheny Co. but have noticed alot of things about the way the publice safety is operated as a paid EMS worker and formrt volunteer firefighter in a rural area I notice alot of things when it comes to the city of Pittsburgh's fire and EMS system. First off where has the revenue been going over the years? Why is a city like Pittsburgh still running some equipment from the early thru mid 1970's? The same equipment that was painted Black and gold when the Steelers & Pirates were winning superbowls and world series games. While most rural volunteer companies that rely on bingo and very little state funding have new 300.000 pumpers.This should tell you what your elected officials have been doing...Where has this money been going? Also the ambulances look like worn out white hunks of junk in the city. Just another question to the taxpayer, what happened to all of the money brought in by the Steeler playoff games....yes all of the millions of extra money. Why should the rest of the state bail out Pittsburgh's financial problems. Maybe if someone would not have continued to be elected over and over again and your stations wouldnt be closing and you woud have
WILDCAT_66
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b842001
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03-21-2005, 8:36 PM
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U guys should have thought of this when U kept electing Murphy over and over.Where is all the extra revenue that the Steeler's brought in?
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Michele71
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03-21-2005, 3:10 PM
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I live on the North Side, and my daughters go to Horace Mann Elementary, right across the street from Engine 36. My fear is that something could happen at the school, and noone will get there in time. I wonder if the powers that be ever even came and looked at the logistics???? I eunderstand that we need to cut budgets and save money, all of which we wouldn't have to worry about if it wasn't for our beloved mayor! Maybe he should have taken a cut in pay along with everyone else! God forbid if anything happens to that school, those that be will have to answer to me.
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helenam
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03-21-2005, 6:32 AM
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I live on the main street in troy hill but I would love for the large trucks only a mile away to fit or even make the bend to my back street (valentine). It's a dead end street with cars parked all over the street. It would never fit.
I think that the city should at least come around troy hill and mark some parking spots fire lanes on the dead end streets and smallist of the small streets for safty.
Helena M troy hill
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hammer1967
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03-19-2005, 1:56 PM
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I would like to know if these concerned citizens protest to keep their fire departments open are they also going to pay their ever increasing salaries? I would like to know where people think the money comes from to pay these firefighters? The money comes from the tax payers....the same tax payers that at a rate of almost 40 percent do not pay their City, County or School taxes. Residents complain that taxes keep going up.....well what do you think that money goes to pay for? Right......fire fighters among just some of the services you recieve everyday. As their salaries rise don't you think that the taxes should go up accordingly? Perhaps all the residents should be out there picking money off of all of the trees that they obviously think is growing the money. If you feel slighted and want to protest to have the services no matter what the cost then you lose all rights to complain about taxes going up. If you don't think your taxes are being used wisely then don't go to a sporting event, concert, convention center, Heinz Hall, Benedum Center, O'Reilly theater or even shop in the city.....Everything is funded by your money....if you are going to pick and choose then don't complain. Welcome to reality......or move to another city were the reality is exactly the same.......this situation is not unique to Pittsburgh.
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Dixie_peac
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03-18-2005, 12:06 PM
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I know that there are alot of people that are upset over the closing of the several city fire stations. I would be too if I lived in that area. Being that I am a firefighter myself, I don't understand why there is nothing being done to try to keep some kind of protection in the area. Why don't the local residents in that area join together and try to see if the firefighters would agree to volunteer, become a volunteer department for the time being. THere are many things that could be done to keep some fire protection for the area. I am one of the states many volunteer firefighters, and this is one thing that I think would help to resolve some of the worries that people have to not having any fire protection at all. I fugured it was worth the time to put out the idea to everyone.
Dixie
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#14ever
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03-14-2005, 10:17 AM
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well now that the fire fighters union accepted the contract watch how the city council will vote, my guess is "yes" this city needs to recover and move on towards better days and I thank the firefighters for doing their part.
sincerely, your humble servant
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jpjpjp
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03-14-2005, 8:52 AM
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PGHMEDIC IT SOUNDS LIKE U HAVE ALOT OF RESENTMENT TOWARDS THE FIRE DEPT. U SHOULD VOICE UR CONCERNS TO UR UNION, THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL. U SEEM 2 TAKE AWAY THE GREAT JOB THAT FIREFIGHTERS DO ON 1ST RESPONDER MEDICAL CALLS. THE MAJORITY OF TIMES ON MEDICAL CALLS A FIRE TRUCK IS THE FIRST TO ARRIVE. EVERY SECOND COUNTS ON EMS AND FIRE CALLS. THE ELIMINATION OF FIRE COMPANIES INCREASES THE RESPONSE TIMES. A FIRE WILL SPREAD QUICKER AND A PERSON HAS A GREATER CHANCE TO SUSTAIN GREATER INJURIES OR DIE ON FIRST RESPONDER MEDICAL CALLS IF FIRE HOUSES CLOSE. SO IF UR REAL CONCERN IS THE SAFTEY OF THE CITIZENS OF PITTSBURGH U SHOULD WANT MORE FIREHOUSES NOT LESS. SO MAYBE UR OPINION IS BASED ON UR DISLIKE OR ANIMOUSITY TOWARDS FIREFIGHTERS WHICH HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM W/ THE EMS BUREAU TOWARDS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
hereinpittsburgh
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#14ever
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03-12-2005, 12:12 PM
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thanks to the firefighters union for doing there part in saving the city. i love our city and the service that the firefighters provide each and every day.
sincerely, your humble servant
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