Dear Neighbor:
Thank you for your concern about the management of the Rochester Fire Department staffing. Dynamic staffing is the practice of placing a fire company out of service when vacancies occur on a given shift. When this happens, other companies respond to calls for service. The RFD has employed dynamic staffing for several decades during the daytime hours.
To reduce the City’s overtime costs by $1.2 million, Chief Will Jackson is implementing dynamic staffing during the overnight hours. This savings will fund more than 30 new firefighters.
Most importantly, overnight dynamic staffing has absolutely NO IMPACT on public safety!
In the City’s 2019-20 fiscal year budget, I increased the RFD budget by $600,000 to fund a new fire lieutenant position to focus on fire prevention and provide firefighters with a 2 percent raise (bringing a 5-year veteran firefighter’s salary to $78,884). The budget also includes an additional $4 million in capital expenditures, for new firefighting equipment.
Sincerely,
Lovely A. Warren, Mayor
The Facts About Dynamic Staffing
*The RFD is in the top 1% of fire departments in the nation, a status achieved using dynamic staffing management.
*Same management practice used by the RFD during daytime hours for several decades.
*Up to four companies can be placed out of service during daytime hours for training, physicals or equipment maintenance. When this happens, other companies respond to calls for service.
*Overnight, ONE fire company is placed out of service ONLY when vacancies occur on a given shift and other companies respond to calls for service.
*Call volumes are lower overrnight than during the day.
*NO impact on public safety! Proven by Fitch Study data.
*NO permanent firefighter positions or fire companies will be eliminated as a result of overnight dynamic staffing.
*Was
recommended in a study requested and supported by the firefighter’s union.
*This year $1.2 million in cost savings from dynamic staffing will fund 30 new firefighters, reduce reliance on overtime and improve firefighter safety.
*The City invests in its Fire Department. It’s 2019-20 budget increased by $600,000 for a new Fire Lt. and a 2 percent raise for ALL firefighters.
*$4 million added for new equipment.
*Alternative cost saving measures remain on the table for the union to accept.
Fitch Study
The City of Rochester, NY released a request for proposals to solicit a public safety-consulting firm to conduct an organizational effectiveness and efficiency evaluation of the Rochester Fire Department’s fire suppression and special operations models that focuses primarily on the deployment of engines and trucks.
Fitch & Associates, LLC of Missouri was selected to conduct the study and they submitted their report to the City in March 2019. Links to the report and its appendix are located below.
Executive Summary Appendix A Data Analysis and GIS Report.