East Chicago Firefighters Address Public Concerns & Update On The Department
Tuesday at 5:30pm The East Chicago Professional Firefighters Local 365 held a community town hall meeting at The American Legion Post in East Chicago. The Firefighters Union wanted to get together with the community and address concerns of the citizens, and update the status of the department. Union President Dave Mata spoke to citizens, elected officials from EC & Hammond, and supporters of 365 on how the reconstruction of the shifts is actually costing the tax payers more while providing less coverage for the area. There is less manpower (7 less per shift), one less pumper rig leaving 25% less coverage to the city. There has been three major fires the past couple weeks and we have been lucky, Mata said. Vice President of 365 Eddie Rivera said, the annual overtime budget is set at $75,000. We have already gone through $60,000 and it’s only March 10. Overtime had been used on almost every single shift the last 95 days, Rivera said. The amount of overtime the firefighters are doing now is increasing costs more than ever, Mata said.
Paul Goddard – RNS
One supporter asked, if the use of Mutual Aid has gone up since the cuts and is the Mayor using the other cities responding as cost saving tactic? The response was yes most definitely more mutual aid is being used. Anytime there is a structure fire now one of the other cities is responding such as a Gary.
Paul Goddard – RNS
With the amount of overtime being used and the swing shifts the safety of the firefighters is compromised more and more each day, which is also resulting in the lowest morale we can remember. It’s hard enough to do this job normally prior to December 7th but now with the rotating shift we are battling sleep deprivation, health issues, and cognitive thoughts, it’s just tough now, Mata said.
Paul Goddard – RNS
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott addressed the firefighter panel and stated, “The worse thing you can have as a mayor is constant pressure, and the big issue right now is people are forgetting about this, which is the biggest enemy firefighters face right now.” “This is a situation that should be talked about every day, on WJOB, pitched to The Times, just to put more pressure out there.” “Without pressure mayors are free to do whatever they want.” We sit around without pressure we will be sitting here 3 months from now doing the same thing, McDermott said.
EC Firefighters Dose Flames From A Top A Semi Trailer Box Sunday On Euclid
Paul Goddard – RNS
5th District East Chicago Councilman Robert Garcia said with all the industries, pipelines, trains in this city we need our firefighters. Sunday at the rail car yard fire it’s shames me to see our firefighters on top of semi box trailer fighting the fire. “With all four engines there and if something were to happen elsewhere we have BP, Praxair and all these industry here which is very dangerous, we need our fire departments, anything could happen,” Garcia said. The train derailment we were very lucky nothing leaked or exploded.
Mayor Copeland and Fire Chief Anthony Serna were invited to the meeting but did not attend.
Paul Goddard – RNS
