Firefighters protest over staff, training, equipment

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2000 | 11:24 a.m.

Angered by the lackluster response from Clark County fire administrators, firefighters staged a protest this morning to publicize their concerns over staffing, equipment and training.

Members of the firefighters' union also planned to address Clark County commissioners following their demonstration in front of the Government Center.

"This doesn't have anything to do with salaries. We're not negotiating a ploy to get more money for members," said Ray Ireland, president of the Clark County Firefighters Local No. 1908. "We want answers to staffing questions. Our big concern is safety."

Ireland said the fire division has not adequately kept up with the rapid growth in Clark County. While Ireland said firefighters are serving the valley well, in the future the shortage could pose a danger to residents and firefighters.

The prediction is backed up by a recent survey conducted by the National Fire Protection Association, Ireland said.

The study focused on 13 fire departments throughout the country that serve communities with populations between 500,000 and 600,000, Ireland said, noting that Clark County serves about 550,000 residents in the unincorporated valley.

The study shows the average amount of personnel in the departments is 962; Clark County has 593 when support staff is included, Ireland said. The average number of stations within each department is 29; Clark County has 19. And the surveyed departments receive an average of 54,700 emergency calls a year; Clark County had 68,900 last year, according to Ireland.

Ireland said when the county's population is totaled, it doesn't include the 90,000 tourists who visit the Las Vegas Strip every day.

A petition signed by union members says their primary concerns include vacant supervisors positions, understaffing in the fire prevention and suppression divisions and personnel working in higher classes without being duly compensated.

The petition further claims an audit of the department would show serious injuries that led to permanent disability were never investigated and firefighters haven't received training to reduce the number of injuries.

"We don't want what happened in Worcester, Mass., to happen here," Ireland said, referring to a deadly fire in which several firefighter perished. "I don't want to go to any funerals, but the fact of the matter is we're going to do that if something isn't done."

Battalion Chief Steve Smith said he too is concerned about the lack of training. While the department follows Occupational Health and Safety Agency regulations by posting a training schedule, it does no good because there is no training team.

Rather than organized training sessions, fire captains take it upon themselves to run their firefighters through drills.

"We've been in committees for years," Smith said today, standing amongst more than a hundred fellow union members. "The process has been identified and agreed to, it's just never been implemented."

The firefighters' petition submitted to commissioners last month clearly indicates who is to blame for the lack of staff and training.

"The fire chief and his administration lack the commitment to address these and other safety concerns," the petition says. "They also display a willingness to violate or circumvent the state law and the collective bargaining agreement with Local 1908."

Fire Chief Earl Greene said today that he too is frustrated that his department has struggled to keep up with growth, but added that most county departments have had a difficult time.

"We have a great department that's trying to deal with rapid growth and they're frustrated," Greene said. "The men and women in our department have given more than imaginable, and I'm very proud of them."

While commissioners cannot act on the firefighters' concerns during today's meeting, board member Dario Herrera said he has set up meetings between union members and County Manager Dale Askew.

"I was given a commitment on behalf of staff and the rank-and-file firefighters to sit at the table, roll up their sleeves and work out their problems," Herrera said. "It's an important enough issue to assign the top management of the county to work with them and help address the issues."