Reserves to Fill Staffing Gap at WA Department

Union officials at the Clarkston Fire Department agreed Tuesday to use reserve officers to remain fully staffed through the next month.

The plan was hatched by the Clarkston City Council earlier in the week and required union approval before going into effect.

However, several councilors have said a staffing reduction is inevitable because of dwindling funds and ever-increasing costs to employ a dozen firefighters. Unless a solution is found, the jobs will remain vacant.

Councilor Kelly Blackmon surprised Mayor Monika Lawrence Monday by making a motion to keep using reserves until Aug. 22. The motion passed 6-1, pending union approval.

The union boss signed off on the stop-gap measure and sent a memorandum of understanding to Clarkston's mayor on Tuesday, firefighter Jared Lutes said. The agreement says reserves can be used while officials research possible funding options.

The fire department had 12 full-time employees until two longtime captains retired this spring. The council decided not to hire replacements because of budget concerns, and the issue came to a head at Monday night's council meeting.

After the meeting, a short letter outlining the council's intent was sent to the fire department around 10 p.m.

"We had to notify the union those positions would not be filled," Lawrence said, "and we had to wait to see what happened at the meeting before we sent it. Kelly's motion to use reserves caught me by surprise."

The budget came under fire when officials discovered a 35 percent increase in salaries and benefits over the past five years. Lawrence said at least four employees at the fire department make more than $100,000 a year and several are in the $90,000 range. A beginning firefighter is paid close to $75,000 with benefits, she said.

The fire department responded to eight structure fires last year, Lawrence said. The majority of calls are for emergency medical services, and Rescue One levy money goes toward the ambulance service.

Firefighters said a reduction in staffing will put public safety and the lives of emergency responders at risk. Several people spoke against the mid-year change at Monday's meeting, saying the city needs a dozen full-time firefighters.

Sandaine may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.

———

Visit the Lewiston Tribune (Lewiston, Idaho) at www.lmtribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.