Lorain/Elyria, OH
Eight Elyria firefighters given layoff notices
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ELYRIA — Eight more firefighters received layoff notices on Friday, bringing the total of employees let go this year to 18.
Fire Chief Richard Benton spoke to firefighters involved in the layoffs, according to an assistant to Elyria Safety-Service Director Chris Eichenlaub.
The layoffs bring manpower to 42 — 38 firefighters and four administrative personnel — the fire chief, fire marshal, training officer and fire prevention officer.
Dean Marks, an Elyria firefighter and president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 474, said it was a tough day for everyone involved.
“It’s kind of ironic on Labor Day week guys are getting their layoff notices,” Marks said.
Some veterans are in this round of layoffs, Marks said. The firefighters who are losing their jobs have been with the city three to 10 years, he said.
In a touching move of solidarity, some of the firefighters who will be laid off volunteered to help collect funds in the annual firefighters’ boot drive for Muscular Dystrophy — Jerry’s Kids, Marks said. The boot collection is being taken at both Wal-Marts in Elyria.
Elyria Mayor Bill Grace said he was not pleased with the loss of firefighters but said the city is in a tight spot.
He said he has spoken to a number of citizens and chances don’t appear good that a 0.5 income tax increase will pass in November.
“The prevailing view is they’re not willing to support the tax,” Grace said.
Residents often believe cutbacks can be made until they are affected themselves with a fire at their home or a crime that needs police attention, Grace said.
Dwindling income tax revenue — the city is taking in about 10 percent less revenue than in 2008 — has forced the city to make more than
$3 million in cuts.
Besides the layoffs at the fire department, city officials plan to close the city jail — at least temporarily.
Plus, Fire Chief Rich Benton said last week that he was in the process of moving his office and the Fire Prevention Bureau from the East Broad Street fire station to the Cedar Street station downtown so the East Broad Street facility can be closed — perhaps permanently.
Meanwhile, Marks said no decision has been made on whether firefighters will campaign for passage of the 0.5 percent income tax increase.
“I doubt it — they haven’t asked,” Marks said of the city administration and levy committee. “Obviously, we would consider everything.”
If firefighters did support the levy, they would want some assurances that new revenue would support the department, Marks said.
Marks said the union has been keeping tabs on the 10 firefighters laid off earlier this year. Three have found new jobs — one went to the Middleburg Heights Fire Department and one went to the Sandusky Fire Department, while Molly Adkins got a job as a firefighter in Tennessee.
Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.
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Actually - google privatization of fire departments or private fire departments - very interesting reading. Both good and bad - different ways of funding etc. But interesting..
Guess its done A LOT more than I thought.
Also the percentage of volunteer fire departments vs city funded fire departments - interesting statistics.
I am not against FD’s in general - have family members in them. I am against how bloated this one has become at the top - as stated in the OUTSIDE McGrath report. Also very sad that the lower paid people are paying the price and they are not the problem.
There has to be a happy medium for both the taxpayers, the efd and the city. If they can not find it - then we will have to look at alternatives like I just googled since we DO need protection. The EFD are good people and I understand wanting to keep your perks, your pay but things have changed for everyone.
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Has anyone heard from SHOULDHAVE88 today, Must of had a busy day. He gave us alot of his input yesterday.
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The downturn in the economy has brought to the surface many problems in Elyria that might not have been so obvious under better financial times. The projects, perks and benefits our tax dollars pay for were overlooked by most of us when times were good. Now, they are suddenly glaring and very obvious to us as we move forward to cut our safety and community services to the bare minimum. Mayor Bill Grace must answer for Elyria’s current financial situation. Where was the foresight and planning for bad economic times? Why did we pass a renewal last year that you promised would allow us to avoid cuts that happened anyways (http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2008/11/05/elyria-safety-renewal-issue-passes-cuts-avoided/)? Why did we build a city hall and courthouse for $24 million during your administration but now find ourselves broke? Why do you get a $486/month car allowance? Why do we need multiple safety service directors? How is the new IT dept. you created coming along because the website is as terrible as ever? Why did we need a $1 million dollar fire truck? Rt. 57 will cost Elyria $4.5 million dollars from which $500,000 was set aside for landscaping that you approved and then wondered why that move would be questioned by us…isn’t that kind of like Marie Antoinette telling the citizens to go eat cake? If its true that Ohio Edison won’t service Elyria’s choice of lights down Rt. 57, then why were they picked and who is going to pay to service them?
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Go ahead, sign their petition and watch what happens IF the people are heard and YOUR taxes go off the charts while they get to live on their bloated incomes.
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This is crazy. A tax increase isn’t going to help now when we have fallen so far already. I’m not voting for a tax increase because I’m barely making it now. And here’s some food for thought people. You don’t start cutting at the bottom when the problem is at the top. Why on earth would you have voted Grace in for another term is beyond me. Think about it, really the next time there is an election for mayor. We need someone in here who knows what he’s doing and until that happens we will all continued to be screwed.
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ray, you’re right, they are not spending my tax dollars correctly.
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Why hasn’t the CT interviewed the currrent council to see what their thoughts are on this latest layoff notice?
Why hasn’t Stewart, Lotko and Callahan come out publicly on this topic? Are they trying to fly under the public radar?
In case the politicians don’t realize it, our city is in trouble. You are being paid $100/hr to come up with solutions, not just rubber stamp what the mayor wants this week!
It seems that the mayor causes all the damage and council just goes along with it! Why aren’t you standing up for the citizens and their safety?
I don’t want this administration playing one dept against the other. WE need all of our safety forces!
How about laying off the secretaries, assistant safety service directors and the economic development director BEFORE another firefighter is laid off?
Change is coming and November is fast approaching!
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The jobs of the secretaries and the econimic developer are so much LESS important that the unionized, overpaid, fireman because?
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Kim
It’s a fact Grace gave the Fire Fighters their sweet hart deals now he isn’t Mayor enough to admit it. Yes change is coming, the Elyria Five will be replaced, there was six, but Mary Siwerka took out the sixth in May so now there is only five
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Mary Siwerka, you mean the sister of Joe the fireman?
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Yes, and longtime aid to Keys, who was not a fire dept supporter.
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It seems that 90% of the people that posted in this thread do not support the games the EFD played with the city over the last 3 years.
There is no reason the city should ask for a tax increase when 50% of the EFD makes over $90,000 a year. The city should have laid off the ones making $120,000 a year. The first to go should be the Chief that got a DUI last week. He makes $120,000 a year. It is very clear that safely of people is his last concern.
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Fred,
I’m not sure I know what games you are talking about. Are you talking about all of the overtime the firefighters worked? Well, how do you eliminate overtime? Hire more people, right? well, EFD wanted to hire more personnel a few years back. The city administration wouldn’t allow them. Then they finally got to hire some, 8 I think, which the city administration decided that they would get pink slips before a year of service. Now they’re deeper in the hole than before. Think about all the money that was spent to outfit and train those people. It would have been cheaper in the long run to keep them. EFD still has a responsibility to provide emergency services to the city. They still need to fill the holes in the schedule, right? So they keep trying to fulfill their responsibilities with fewer people.
If the games you are referring to is the so called “sweet deals” the fire department got, well, who gave it to them? If you just hired into a job and your boss said you were entitled to 10 sick days a year, 2 weeks vacation and 12 kelly days, would you say “Oh no, boss.. I don’t want all that. Just give me the minimum.” I don’t think so. You ‘d gladly accept what you are entiltled too, right? So who’s to blame? Was it the firefighters? Or is it the city administration who gave them these things? Who do you think made the decision to order that new ladder truck?
Lastly, you bring up the DUI. What does that have to do with the safety of the citizens of Elyria? I suppose you have never put a single drink to your lips and driven a vehicle. If he had an alcoholic drink on his own time, what does that have to do with his job? Do you think doctors don’t drink on occasion? I’d imagine you problably enjoy a beer once in a while. Does that affect your work the next day? And what exactly would you propose if he were let go? do you think the next guy would do the job for half as much?
I think your comments are manufactured much like the conspiracy theorists of the JFK assassination or those of September 11th. You, and a few others that post on here, spew things that are either irrelevant or just plain wrong. I think there is room for great improvement in the city government. I thnk there should be more accountability. But for you to sit there and persist that all these problems are because of a few firefighters is crazy. EFD shouldn’t have to shoulder this recession alone, yet all you keep talking about is them. Why not ask Grace about the IT department? Did anyone from that office get laid off? How about EPD? So far, not one officer has been let go.
Personally, I don’t support the tax increase either, but It has nothing to do with the fire department. The problem with the city being in the red rests soley on the administration, period. They are the ones that need to manage the money better. If you were in charge, how would you handle it? I’ll be waiting for your solution.
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“Yes, and longtime aid to Keys, who was not a fire dept supporter.”
Keys did not rubber stamp city contracts. If that is seen as “lack of support”, we’ll take it.
EFD wanted someone with no experience and a lot of promises. They got it.
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Keys also made cuts to EFD minimum manpower. My post was to point out that when she was an aide to Keys, she supported his ideals. Just because she is the sister of a captain of the fire department doesn’t automatically make her a supporter.
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Raysteph:
you hit the nail on the head with this comment,
I think your comments are manufactured much like the conspiracy theorists of the JFK assassination or those of September 11th. You, and a few others that post on here, spew things that are either irrelevant or just plain wrong.
There are those posters whose ONLY agenda is that of Grace, point the finger at the fire dept regardless of the CURRENT information.
The employees that were brought back from other departments after their layoffs(38 were laid off 33 were brought back quietly) are not affected in this round of layoffs.
The EFD absorbed another massive percentage laid off and they closed the jail “temporarily ” as the Mayor put it.
The agendas of Grace, city council and posters like sitting bull, fredsmith etc, are to skew information, redirect blame, and ultimately tear down a dept that
1. gave concessions in their last three contracts to spur hiring.
2. Was the ONLY union to come forward and negotiate with the city to save jobs,this was ultimately voted down by council, I believe at the directive of the Grace.
3.Found discrepancies in the Audit and pointed them out after having it LESS than 1 day.( the city had the final product for over 5 weeks)
These employees, citywide but especially fir, do their jobs to the best of their abilities, They have negotiated in good faith with the city, gone to arbitration to ratify contracts, fulfilled their ends of the contracts, ONLY to have a Mayor and Council that spend money foolishly, wastefully, and with NO REGARD for the future.
The administration then CONVINCES, with NO PROOF certain citizens that it’s all the EFD’s fault.
Do the research, find the facts( they are all public record)
Form an INFORMED decision.
Put the blame where it belongs, on those who mismanaged our tax dollars
1. By spending it on unnecessary frivolous ideas.
2. By paying massive amounts of overtime rather than hiring in a responsible manner.
3. By hiring more administrators and assistants than any comparable city. nepotism at its best.
4. By not responsibly managing our tax dollars in general, from the inception of this administration money has been wasted.
Hold those accountable who make the decisions, not those who abide by them.
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Of course everyone on here is WRONG except for the 5 or 6 who have there heads up the proverbial EFD Butt.
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Oh yeah and the 4 or 5 on here who hate the EFD have all the answers, up the proverbial bg behind
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Residents often believe cutbacks can be made until they are affected themselves with a fire at their home or a crime that needs police attention, Grace said.
Is it just me or is that comment way off? Aren’t we, the citizens already screaming about the cutbacks because of the way we are affected?
We give and give for the city and what are we getting back? Less protection, Fire, Police and parks. Some of us have lost our jobs. Some of us cannot cut back anymore.
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An Elyria Fire Fighter that makes 100k a year makes $1149.00 a DAY and a good amount of that time is spent SLEEPING! And MORE when other PERKS are figured in!
i think $1149.00 a DAY has plenty of room for cutbacks, but you wont see it .
NO NEW TAXES
REMOVE LONGEVITY
STOP THE BANKING OF KELLY DAYS
MOVE EFD DISPATCH TO EPD OR LC911
REMOVE UNIFORM ALLOWANCE
REMOVE FITNESS ALLOWANCE
REMOVE THE SWEETHEART DEALS
OUTSOURCE THE FIRE DEPT
PUSH FOR REGIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
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Right on, Confused2
No new taxes
no outsourcing of fire dept
push for adequate fire protection, since that is what we pay taxes for!
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Wow. I just got home. I drove down RT 57. Did anyone else see all the light poles? I will agree that some lighting will be nice, but that’s an overkill. I understand that funding for that may have come from a general fund, but I would think that funding could be transferred elsewhere where it is more needed. Like our protection services and parks for our children. Doesn’t our tax money fo into these funds? Shouldn’t we have a say where it goes? Don’t we have a right to know where it goes?
Sittingbull, I have no arguement with you or anyone else. Nor do I want any. However, I have to believe that if one city department is getting a “gravy train”, all of them are.
It needs to stop. The citizens cannot take or give any more. The citizens might being taken for a ride. Where is our money going?
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fred,
“There is no reason the city should ask for a tax increase when 50% of the EFD makes over $90,000 a year. The city should have laid off the ones making $120,000 a year. The first to go should be the Chief that got a DUI last week. He makes $120,000 a year. It is very clear that safely of people is his last concern. ”
how do you know how much these guys are making this year? the year isnt over yet.
to freds credit; DUI is a safety problem, do we have to remind posters like raysteph how many poeple die a year from being run over by drunk drivers? DUH and before you ask, no i dont drink; so drinking and driving has and will never be a problem for me
raysteph,
“I suppose you have never put a single drink to your lips and driven a vehicle. If he had an alcoholic drink on his own time, what does that have to do with his job? Do you think doctors don’t drink on occasion? I’d imagine you problably enjoy a beer once in a while. Does that affect your work the next day? And what exactly would you propose if he were let go? do you think the next guy would do the job for half as much?”
having on drink at home after work is not what the cheif got pulled over for, one drink does not a DUI make.
i sure as heck hope my doctor doesnt drink on the job. no, the cheif wasnt on the job at the time; but just the act of driving after drinking is as dangerrous
why do poeple get away with DUI’s? cuz of poeple with raaystephs mentality trying to make it less of a problem than it realy is. tell it to MADD or SADD members.
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sittinbull
“Of course everyone on here is WRONG except for the 5 or 6 who have there heads up the proverbial EFD Butt. ”
how do you come up with such a broad idea? lets here what ya got to proof that idea
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Eatown,
first of all, according to article, he was not driving drunk. The Ohio State Patrol officer that pulled him over, stated he was pulled over for a moving violation. Thats when he noticed “the odor of alcohol.” Also, according to the article, Brlas’ lawyer Lieux said. “Consuming small or moderate amounts of alcohol is not illegal in Ohio. His only true alleged infraction is a rolling stop.” For all we know, he took a dose of NyQuil. He could have had a glass of wine with dinner with his wife. He could have made a toast at a wedding. Maybe he was at Crusher Stadium and someone spilled a beer on him. Regardless, no one knows for sure. what if his alcohol level is a .06? that’s not illegal, right?
I don’t condone drinking and driving at all !!! As a matter of fact, I’ve scraped up a few drunk drivers off the road myself. But if you are going to crucify him for this, then you need to close every bar and every restaurant that serves alcohol in the State of Ohio because everyone that goes to those places are in the same boat. Do you think they sit there until the effects wear off?
The thing is, What does this have to do with this topic? My comment came after Fred said he should be the first to go. WHY? Like I said, I don’t condone it, but it has nothing to do with the topic.
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Cmon
The volunteers could be used to supplement the current fire dept, NOT replace them. They are a lot of jobs that the volunteers could do to get rid of some of the overtime for the reg employees.
They are just as certified as the reg force.
Times are tough and you can’t always get what you want, they should try to make the best of it.
And I think Lifecare is separate form the EFD, so this should not affect response times.
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Traveler
That would cut into there Over Time Gravy Train
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Traveler, you could be right on supplemation. I just don’t want the department dismantled the way it has. There were obviously some problems there. But the waste of taxpayer’s money does not lie with that department alone. All the unions in this city have benefits that are similar to the EFDs. Since there are more workers in the other unions than EFD, you’d think that at least a little time would be spent following up on other departments to streamline processes/personnel. There are nearly twice as many officers than firemen, which means there is nearly twice as much benefits being paid out there. But we don’t hear that. EFD,EFD,EFD,EFD over and over. It’s ridiculous. I don’t want to have the fire department abolished for the benefit of other departments. We keep hearing about this so-called gravy train. But in EFD it seems to have hit a depot, but it’s running hot and heavy in other departments.
Lifecare is separate from EFD, true, but response times to my side of the city suffers from Station 4 being closed. When it can take a fire truck 2 or 3 minutes to provide basic life support to someone than 8-10 for Lifecare to get there is a problem.
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