Union says furloughs, not firefighters, at fault
By Eric Stirgus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — The head of Atlanta’s firefighters union defended his members on Monday against accusations that 27 of them purposely called in sick on Super Bowl Sunday, forcing the city to temporarily close five stations.
Jim Daws, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 134, said the abnormally high number of sick firefighters was directly related to the city-mandated furloughs of fire personnel that began in late December. An average of 12-16 firefighters call out sick on any given day, according to department spokesman Bill May.
Daws said many of the firefighters are “burned out” because they’re now working in more dangerous conditions caused by the furloughs, such as fewer firefighters working on each truck.
“What you are seeing now is a result of these budget decisions, not any abuse on the part of the firefighters,” Daws, a Fire Department lieutenant, told the Atlanta City Council Monday afternoon.
And Daws warned in an interview that there will be more firefighters calling in sick if the furloughs continue.
“I think this is going to boil until there is an incident where someone dies or is seriously hurt,” he said.
Stations closed but reopened Monday were Bankhead, Buckhead, Candler Park, Cascade and in the Cleveland Avenue areas. Firefighters from one of those firehouses, Station 30 on Cleveland Avenue, fought a blaze that damaged a one-story brick house on Rebel Forest Drive. No injuries were reported.
Mayor Shirley Franklin said Monday she was “surprised” by how many firefighters sicked out.
She said she understood Daws’ concerns but expected those on the job in similar situations to rise to the occasion.
“I’m counting on them to do what they have done . . . which is to go above and beyond in terms of their service,” she said.
Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran closed the five stations and alerted fire departments in nearby jurisdictions that Atlanta may need assistance as he implemented his “brownout” plan to deal with budget cuts in the department. He said firefighters’ sickout calls do increase when there is a major event like the Super Bowl.
Many residents who live near the shut-down stations said they were worried about slower response times by firefighters if there were an emergency.
No major incidents were reported Sunday, Fire Department officials said. The stations reopened Monday.
“We operated according to the plan,” the mayor said.
The timing of the sicknesses prompted many questions at City Hall, but most elected officials interviewed Monday took the firefighters at their word.
“I cannot believe they would jeopardize the safety of our citizens,” said at-large Councilwoman Mary Norwood, a mayoral candidate. “No matter how disappointed they are with a policy decision, they’re too dedicated [to purposely call in sick].”
City guidelines require employees to notify their supervisor, at least an hour before their shift starts, that they will not report to work. A doctor’s note is required under some conditions, such as when an employee is out sick at least three consecutive days.
Like most big cities, Atlanta is strapped for cash. Franklin ordered furloughs that resulted in 10 percent pay cuts to most city employees, including herself, to help close a projected $50 million revenue shortfall.
The mayor repeated her position Monday that there is little money in the city budget to restore firefighters to their normal schedules.
Last week, she vetoed the council’s legislation to end the furloughs for public safety personnel: police officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 operators and corrections officers. Council members voted 14-0 Monday to override her veto.
However, the furloughs cannot be lifted without the mayor’s support.
City Council President Lisa Borders said her colleagues’ action Monday was their commitment to better oversight of Atlanta’s finances.
Borders said she will ask council members later this year for their support in studying Atlanta’s public safety needs and creating a long-term master plan.