Union: IL Department Needs Extra FF, Not OT Shifts

July 2, 2019
"Fifteen firefighters … is the safest and most efficient way for the Streator Fire Department to fulfill its mission," the fire union urged city leaders recently.

An Illinois firefighters union is urging a city to hire another firefighter for its department instead of piling on overtime to cover shifts.

Since May 2018, the Streator Fire Department has been staffed with 14 firefighters. Last month, Streator Fire Fighters, Local 56, asked that a 15th firefighter be hired, The Times of Ottawa reports.

“Fifteen firefighters, spread across three five-man shifts with a mandatory minimum manning of four is the safest and most efficient way for the Streator Fire Department to fulfill its mission. That mission is to provide for an appropriate response to all hazards that threaten the safety of the citizens of and visitors to the city of Streator," a union press release stated.

The department has racked up 2,239 overtime hours between Nov. 1 and May 5, and 1,056 hours in that span were connected to the department only staffing 14 firefighters, according to the Times. While overtime hours come with the job, union officials have argued that reducing extra shifts is crucial to maintaining a work-life balance for firefighters.

Mayor Jimmie Lansford, however, has explained that officials are constrained by how much is available in the city's coffers. Currently, it's more affordable to pay for more overtime shifts instead of another full-time firefighter.

“We’re still in the game of playing catch-up right now, and we can’t do everything with just revenue," he said in a Times interview last month.

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