It's Time For Some Changes In Public Employment

It's ironic that another story in the online edition today explains one of the consequences of out of control costs for fire departments: The Houston Fire Department may have to cut back on fire engines.

The labor model used by HFD and public fire departments across the country has been a disaster waiting to happen for 50 years, starting with retirement and a full pension after as little as 20 years, and almost never more than 25. Exactly what did all those city councils and mayors think was going to happen when they were guaranteeing a paycheck, full benefits and pay raises in the form of COLA adjustments to people retiring as early as age 40?

The real budget killer, though, is the antiquated practice of having firefighters staged at their stations for 24 hours at a time. A century ago, it was necessary for firemen to be staged in this manner, but the development of automobiles, modern road systems and most importantly, instantaneous communications, made the 24 hour shift schedule obsolete at least fifty years ago.

Don't take my word for it: there are thousands of volunteer fire departments across the country who work with an "on call" model. If you combine that with a 40 hour shift schedule similar to police departments, you would not only control overtime, you would be able to reduce headcount by at least a third, and have much better coverage to boot.

It's well past time to consider this change. If firefighters want to ensure that cities have the funds to pay for their retirement, the outdated system of scheduling has to be brought into the 20th century.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX