Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Dept. Lays Off 20 Percent of Firefighting Force

Nov. 30--WILKES-BARRE -- Eleven city firefighters found out Thursday they will be out of work by week's end as part of what Mayor Tom Leighton said might be only the first round of layoffs aimed at reducing a multimillion-dollar deficit the city is facing.

A written statement Leighton released contained the first solid number of layoffs following weeks of uncertainty after he warned of cuts in October. The firefighters, who will be laid off Saturday, appear to not be alone in taking a hit.

"Staffing cuts in other unions will be announced in the very near future," city spokesman Drew McLaughlin said in an email.

Leighton, in his statement, attributed the layoffs to the "tough financial times" the city is enduring. The city has struggled with an estimated $2 million budget deficit due to outstanding debt from former county tax collector Centax and an overall decline in revenue.

The layoffs bring the department down to 53 firefighters, said Mike Bilski, president of the Wilkes-Barre Firefighters Association. Earlier this month, five firefighters took the city's retirement incentive, and those positions will not be filled.

Bilski said he was confident those retirements, coupled with the union's offer to forego a $1,500 training bonus recently awarded to firefighters for a year, would minimize, if not eliminate, the city's plan to lay workers off.

Bilski notified his union members of the layoffs in an emotional email.

"Having to write this e-mail makes me want to (expletive) puke," Bilski wrote. "I apologize to everyone affected by this. I (expletive) up thinking we could make a deal to save jobs and I (expletive) up telling some of you guys you were safe."

In October, the city asked its employees to take furloughs and retirement incentives, warning that mandatory furloughs and layoffs would follow if the city didn't save enough money with the voluntary measures.

Leighton refused to discuss the layoffs Thursday, simply announcing them in a press release. Neither Leighton nor McLaughlin returned multiple phone calls seeking comment, and they were not in their office when a reporter tried speaking to them in person.

"The city will not have any official comments beyond the press release," McLaughlin said in an email Thursday evening.

In the statement, Leighton said the city will try to bring the firefighters back into the workforce, but did not say when it could happen or how many might return.

"The two remaining variables in the city's budget calculations are union concessions and the tax millage rate," the statement said. "They will have a significant impact upon whether the 11 fire fighters will return to work as well as salvaging additional employee cuts in other unions."

Those concessions include foregoing a 3 percent pay raise and giving up several paid holidays, estimated to save $500,000.

On Oct. 15, Leighton proposed a 30 mill property tax increase -- a 31 percent hike -- but council members said they are reluctant to raise taxes by such an amount. Leighton said Tuesday that further cuts in the workforce could result if council does not pass a budget with an adequate tax increase of at least 25 mills, which would generate about $2 million in revenue.

A month ago, Bilski said roughly 16 firefighters worked per shift. But the cuts will reduce that number to 12, he said. Bilski said he was "definitely" concerned about the safety of his department and of residents following the latest rounds of reductions.

In its statement, the city said the layoffs should not jeopardize public safety, but did not mention how the fire department would deal with the loss of manpower.

In 1995, a consulting agency determined 17 firefighters to be the safest minimum number on duty during a shift. The city now requires a minimum of 11 firefighters on duty after reducing the number from 12 in October. The minimum was also reduced in March 2010 from 14 to 12.

Asked if the study's finding were still relevant, Bilski said, "Has the city shrunk? Obviously not."

Bilski said the layoffs will make it especially difficult to staff the city's firehouses over the holidays, when many workers will be on vacation.

The fire department has shrunk over the last decade. There were 88 firefighters in 2001 and 69 at the beginning of 2012, Bilski said.

The city of York, population 43,718, employs 67 firefighters, and the city of Altoona, 46,320, employs 66. These figures were taken from each city's 2012 budget.

Wilkes-Barre, with 41,498 residents, will employ 53 after the layoffs go into effect.

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570-821-2052, @CVChrisHongCity spokesman