EDITORIAL: Praise to WB for moving on firefighter hires

Jun. 20--More with less, more with less.

The workplace mantra has become a tired old insult to anyone in this country who actually has to earn a living, save for that small band of sole proprietors who have figured out how to support themselves with two hands and entrepreneurial talents.

For the rest of America, it's all (remaining) hands on deck, all the time, with fewer resources, even as executive salaries climb and corporate profits remain healthy.

There's an unfortunate perception among many that the public sector workforce remains unscathed, continuing to live high on the taxpayers' dime.

There are some agencies where that may be the case, but municipal police and fire departments in the nation's aging cities are too often among those government organizations where there really are too few bodies to go around.

Skimp on public safety, and the myriad other problems facing cities inevitably get worse -- more crime, more blight, population and job losses, erosion of the tax base, and on the cycle goes.

We think it is fair, then, to see spending on police and firefighters as a key investment cities make in their well-being.

Short-staffing in this area also leads to problems elsewhere in the life of cities. Take Wilkes-Barre City, for example.

Mayor Tony George has until recently held off on new hires pending binding arbitration with the Wilkes-Barre City Firefighters Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

George budgeted 63 positions in the department this year. But it's been operating with fewer firefighters due to 16 retirements in 2018 and the resignation of another one this year to take a job in Bethlehem.

Fortunately, reduced staffing levels have not led to any tragedies. They have, however, cost the city money.

As Jerry Lynott reported this week, George has repeatedly stressed the department has been able to provide around-the-clock services because there are a minimum of 11 firefighters on duty per shift.

Firefighters have been working overtime to meet the minimum-manning requirement, however.

Last year, the city paid $224,750 in overtime, or 449.5 percent of the $50,000 budgeted, according to a draft of the December 2018 financial report.

This year, the overtime budget was tripled to $150,000 for firefighters. But as of the end of the first quarter, the city paid $85,970 in overtime, or 57.3 percent of the budgeted amount, according to a draft of the quarterly report.

We recognize that Mayor George and his administration are balancing many competing priorities as they work to maintain the city's finances.

No one should be surprised to learn, however, that trying to maintain minimum staffing levels with a smaller staff has resulted in a lot more overtime.

Another result, union members say, is that the five plans that make up the city's aggregated pension trust fund, already distressed, have suffered further due to the decline in contributions thanks to fewer firefighters on the payroll.

We don't yet know why George has finally decided to interview candidates for 10 to 12 firefighter positions starting next week (he didn't return Lynott's call for comment earlier this week), but we are glad he did.

George Brown, generally expected to become the city's next mayor come January 2020, will face the same challenges.

During a May 1 primary debate with Mayor George, sponsored by the Times Leader, Brown pledged to meet with the fire chief and department administration if elected to determine staffing and equipment needs.

Brown, who won the primary on the Democratic and Republican lines and appears to have no challenger come November, needs to follow through on that promise when the day arrives.

In the meanwhile, we applaud Mayor George for taking this important step forward.

-- Times Leader

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