Firefighters Take Issues to Legislature

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Dec. 12, 2000, 9:19PM

Firefighters to take staffing issues to state Legislature

By MIKE GLENN

Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle

The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association is looking to

Austin for help on a variety of issues -- ranging from staffing to health care

-- when the 77th Legislature convenes in January.

" There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. We're going to do a

full-blown press on it, that's for sure, " said union president Steve .

Bills relating to the fire department were dropped during the last

session after city officials reopened negotiations with the firefighters over

employment-related topics. said the city has been dragging its feet

since then.

" I can't help but be left with the impression that there was no

intention for them to take up our issues, " he said.

City officials did not return calls for comment Tuesday, but their

position in the past has been that local labor and management disputes are best

settled in Houston.

Providing adequate staffing on heavy fire vehicles is the most

important issue legislators need to address, said.

" There is a need for four-member staffing on every engine, ladder

and rescue truck, every heavy apparatus that responds to an emergency operations

call, " he said. " This is a safety issue. This is what the citizens of Houston

deserve. "

The National Fire Protection Association and the federal

Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommend no fewer than four crew

members for each heavy vehicle -- a driver, who also operates the ladder or pump

mechanism, a senior officer in charge and two firefighters.

But said that 82 of the fire department's 122 heavy

vehicles regularly run with a smaller crew.

" We are appreciative of the fact that we've got new equipment, " he

said. " It doesn't do any good if we've got six or seven new pieces of equipment

over there and you don't have enough people to work off them. "

The union will ask local legislators to introduce a bill requiring

that all engine and ladder companies operate at 100 percent capacity.

" If you're in a cardiac arrest situation, you have a better chance

of surviving with four members than the total number of people we've got

responding now -- which is three people, " said. " I hope every one of

the Houston delegation -- senators and representatives -- will support us on

this issue. "

Although staffing will attract the most attention of the union's

issues, said members also will seek legislative attention on other

issues as well.

is seeking legislative action to keep arson investigators

part of the fire department rather than assign them to the police department, as

some other Texas cities have done.

" They are peace officers, but they are not police officers, " he

said. " They come from the firefighters' ranks. "

The union also wants a law forcing cities to treat firefighters

exposed to hazardous materials even before symptoms occur.

" We are the petrochemical hub of the world, " said. " Our

hazardous materials team is one of the top responders. Our position is that, if

they've been exposed, let's give them the preventive care before symptoms. Once

the symptoms occur, it may be too late. "

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