Beds Removed From EC Fire Houses By Chief
Thursday a directive sent down from East Chicago Fire Chief Anthony Serna had firefighters upset across the city. Serna ordered all the beds to be removed from the firehouses across the city suddenly without much explanation to firefighters.
RNS reached out to Serna Friday morning who explained that the beds were removed from the houses after firefighters sounded alarms concerned with COVID exposures to the local newspaper. Serna stated to better protect his firefighters he removed the beds stating that masks most likely are not worn while sleeping in close quarters to each other and that could be a risk to his guys. The beds are close in proximity only being 4 feet apart which goes against guidelines from The CDC. Also since the schedule change back in December to 8 hour swing shifts the beds would not be needed. “Police officers work 8 hour shifts and they are not provided beds,” Serna told RNS. DC Abascal posted on social media to which the EC Professional Firefighters page shared stating, “These guys have no where to rest, this all on the heels of an 8 year old shot and a working fire following.” “These are human beings not super humans, they need a spot to process what they have been through.”
Sources at the firehouses told RNS the department is at its lowest morale of all time and is in dire need for change. A handful of firefighters have already left the department due to the unique scheduling that conflicted with their family life and second jobs. RNS asked Serna if he felt the Department was understaffed to which he replied, “I could always use more firefighters but it’s just not feasible after the pandemic and budget cuts,” he continued to say, he expects this to be seen at other area departments as well as the pandemic takes its toll on funding across cities. The swing shift is affecting the guys with their personal life, sleep schedules, and stress levels, one firefighter told RNS.
Overtime is also being used heavily due to the shortage of manpower for reasons Serna listed as, one personal injury, vacation scheduling, one firefighter quarantined, and call offs which he added he had a handful of Friday. East Chicago Firefighters Union has still not received the overtime figures for the last 10 months as requested to compare to Mayor Copelands plan of making this rotating shift to save on money and eliminating the traditional firehouse schedule.
