Fire department to eliminate overtime
The St. Paul, Minneapolis, Fire Department is looking to cut $1 million from its budget by scaling down time and attendance payouts, according to KSTP-TV.
According to the city's mayor, Chris Coleman, the cutbacks are necessary because St. Paul is set to lose $12 million in state aid next year.
To avoid having to lay off firefighters, Coleman and fire chief Tim Butler formulated a plan that would involve the elimination of all overtime employee attendance compensation. Additionally, one of the department's rescue squads would be cut.
Local union leaders have expressed concerns that the actions would introduce staffing difficulties for the city's fire stations and ultimately result in longer response times to fire and medical emergencies. However, Butler cited a lack of evidence to back up the claims and said public safety will not be adversely affected.
Washington, D.C.'s Fire and Emergency Medical Services department is also grappling with budget concerns, according to the Washington Examiner. Although fire chief Kenneth Ellerbe was able to halve overtime expenses, the department still exceeded its budget by $1 million in fiscal year 2011.
According to the city's mayor, Chris Coleman, the cutbacks are necessary because St. Paul is set to lose $12 million in state aid next year.
To avoid having to lay off firefighters, Coleman and fire chief Tim Butler formulated a plan that would involve the elimination of all overtime employee attendance compensation. Additionally, one of the department's rescue squads would be cut.
Local union leaders have expressed concerns that the actions would introduce staffing difficulties for the city's fire stations and ultimately result in longer response times to fire and medical emergencies. However, Butler cited a lack of evidence to back up the claims and said public safety will not be adversely affected.
Washington, D.C.'s Fire and Emergency Medical Services department is also grappling with budget concerns, according to the Washington Examiner. Although fire chief Kenneth Ellerbe was able to halve overtime expenses, the department still exceeded its budget by $1 million in fiscal year 2011.
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