Attempted FD takeover

[TFDNICK]

A little history. I work for a small part-time/paid per call department which runs 450 per year. Currently we staff 2 men Mon.-Fri. 8a to 4p which includes a FT Chief. In the not to distant future we plan to bill our 300 or so EMS calls which might bring in 60 to 80 grand, thus we are planning to staff 2 men 7 days a week 8a to 10p. Here is where it is getting alittle crazy. A much larger city to the north has purposed a take over of our department. This is in the early stages of discussion but here is the offer. The city runs our calls for $200,00 per year, hires our chief, build a new station closer the border, and bills our residences for transports. Nothing has been said about the current employees.

Has anyone else been involved in something like this?

[hwoods]

Someone woke up and smelled the MONEY. What part of the Country are you in?

[TriTownship600]

From here everything will go down hill fast.
Put on your thick skin and tall boots. You're gonna need em!

[TFDNICK]

northeastern ohio

[Weruj1]

Never heard of this ........I will be standing by ...

[Steamer]

If this isn't an annexation of your township territory and the employees aren't full time, it probably doesn't apply to your case, but I'll put it up just in case. MY guess is that is partly why they want to do the "contract" coverage.

Ohio Revised Code § 709.012. Reduction in number of township firefighters; order of dismissal; priority for employment in municipal fire department.

When a municipal corporation annexes township territory which results in a reduction of the firefighting force of the township or joint township fire district, the reduction shall be made by dismissal of firefighters in the inverse order of seniority, with the employee with least time of service being dismissed first. The annexing municipal corporation shall offer employment in the inverse order of dismissal by the township to such firefighters if a vacancy exists in the municipal fire department and if they:

(A) Were full-time paid active members of the township or joint township firefighting force for at least six months prior to dismissal and have made application to the municipal corporation within sixty days after the effective date of dismissal;

(B) Have passed a physical examination as prescribed by the physician of the annexing municipal corporation and meet the requirements necessary to perform firefighting duties;

(C) Meet minimum standards of the municipal corporation with respect to moral character, literacy, and ability to understand oral and written instructions as determined by an interview conducted by the fire department of the municipal corporation. The applicant shall be at least twenty-one years of age on the date of application.

(D) Are able to qualify for membership in the Ohio police and fire pension fund.

A physical examination required by division (B) of this section may be conducted by any individual authorized by the Revised Code to conduct physical examinations, including a physician assistant, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife. Any written documentation of the physical examination shall be completed by the individual who administered the examination.

If no vacancy exists in the municipal fire department at the time of the application referred to in division (A) of this section, the application shall be held until a vacancy occurs. When such a vacancy occurs, the applicant shall be entitled to employment in accordance with the requirements of divisions (A), (B), (C), and (D) of this section. So long as any application for employment has been made and is being held under this section, the municipal corporation shall not fill any vacancy in its fire department by original appointment. If there are individuals who are entitled to reinstatement in the municipal fire department and the vacancies therein are insufficient to permit both such reinstatements and employment of all those applying for employment under division (A) of this section, the persons having the greatest length of service, whether with the municipal or township fire department, shall be entitled to fill the vacancies as they occur.

A person employed under this section, upon acceptance into the municipal fire department, shall be given the rank of "firefighter" and entitled to full seniority credit for prior service in the township or joint township fire district. The person shall be entitled to the same salary, future benefits, vacations, earned time, sick leave, and other rights and privileges as the municipal fire department extends to other employees with the same amount of prior service. The person may take promotional examinations only after completion of one year of service with the municipal fire department and after meeting any applicable civil service requirements for such examination.

Compliance with this section is in lieu of compliance with section 124.42 of the Revised Code or any other requirements for original appointment to a municipal fire district.

Basically, it requires a municipality when annexation requires a reduction in force in the covering fire department to hire those displaced employees to fill any open position in the new department, but they have to meet certain criteria spelled out in the law. If there are no positions, then their application must be held until a position is open.

Oh, and I'd say hwoods is dead on target...somebody smells the money.
Good luck.

[ptfd19]

this definitely concerns me. not so much from the chance of our my department taken over but more from the general animosity it may cause in the area. are other departments in your area hopeing the takeover happens, coming to your defense......?

i'm also interested in what part of NEOH you're from. if you don't want it posted you can contact me at ptfd19@firehousemail.com