The Kansas City (MO) fire chief testified before the city council Thursday in an effort to stave off expected cuts to the fire department.
Chief Smokey Dyer told of how he spent the last 11 years overhauling a department suffering from inferior equipment, poor training, and decrepit stations, according to a report from The Kansas City Star(http://bit.ly/y94rMC). His comments suggested the expected budget cutbacks would undermine all the progress that has been made.
The council is considering the city manager’s plan to cut millions of dollars from the fire department and lay off 105 firefighters. The chief put forward a separate proposal that would also entail cutting more than a hundred positions, but said he couldn’t recommend it, warning that cuts would negatively impact response times and public safety.
The current economic crisis has affected many fire departments across the United States, forcing brownouts, staffing decreases, and numerous other concessions made in an effort to save money. For one firefighter’s perspective on the fire budget crisis, read theInside a Budget Fightseries. Also, considerAre We Short-Staffed or Just Short-Sighted?,Should We Train with One- and Two-Person Companies?,First-In Tactics: Dealing with Limited Staffing.
