Brentwood,TN Fire Dept

rdm258

rdm258

Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
1,271
Have some crazy news? The Brentwood FD located outside of Nashville is an all paid dept. They are having a budget crisis so the politics figured why not cut the FD. They have 4 stations. They run with 4 engines,1 ladder and 1 heavy rescue.
Here is there answer.
All engines are now 2 man. ( 1 driver and 1 officer -- thats it )
The ladder ONLY has a driver. 1 person thats it.
The rescue down to 2.
They used to have a battalion on A,B, and C shift. Now they only have 1 and one of the Captains has been placed in the chief car and runs around as Command.
Its dangerous and pathetic. Considering all the Brentwood PD have new chargers and explorers and not a one of there positions were cut. Mayor's response was that " If its a real fire more than 1 truck comes anyone".
Hope his house never goes on fire and he will realize very quickly that theres not enough men on the truck.
What do you all think?
 
Sounds like nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen.  Hope they have a good mutual aid plan in place...
 
With this manning you have to get three units on scene in order to have enough men for two in, two out and a pump operator.  What's your response time to get those units on scene?  I'm quite sure it will be well above acceptable.
 
How can their union allow this?  Also isnt this against NIOSH regulations?  Seeing as someone pointed out that you would need 3 rigs there for the 2 in 2 out rule.  Someone is gonna die down there.
 
Give us the Mayor's e-mail and/or address, we'll tell him/her how foolish and stupid they are.
 
No union. Tennessee is a right to work state. They do have a fast response time and mutual aid policy is fairly well. The call in Franklin Fire (where I work), we have more guys on duty at Sta 1 then they do for there whole dept. Apparently even there Chief stated that they are mostly an EMS dept. Will get you the email address.
 
This is the major problem with mutual aid. Mutual aid should be used when half your town is burning down and you are out of assests. It should not be used by city officials as a reason to cut companies/manpower because we can always get it from the town next door. Why should their tax money be used to finance your stupidity
 
I've heard of a couple places where cities have done the same thing and start depending too much on mutual aid from surrounding communities.  In response the communities have started billing for a apparatus response.  The bill on a per hour rate for each engine, truck or other piece of equipment as well as an hourly rate for each man.  The city's have suddenly started realizing it may be cheaper to man a few more pieces of apparatus.
 
Us in Franklin will only send them 1 engne and 1 ladder for a residential/commercial fire. If its vacant will not send them anything and Nashville Fire will not ever send them mutual aid other than USAR for tornados or major flooding. They have cut there own throats. The fireman are not aloud to be in there station from 8 to 4. They have to be training or at the library or painting fire hydrants. On trash days they go around after the garbage men left and remove there garbage cans from the side of the road and place them back on the side of the homes. TV can't be turned on till 7PM at the firehouse. Dont know why someone would work there. Plus they never see fire!! Very,very richie area. Most of your country singers and Titans players live there.
 
rdm258 said:
Us in Franklin will only send them 1 engne and 1 ladder for a residential/commercial fire. If its vacant will not send them anything and Nashville Fire will not ever send them mutual aid other than USAR for tornados or major flooding. They have cut there own throats. The fireman are not aloud to be in there station from 8 to 4. They have to be training or at the library or painting fire hydrants. On trash days they go around after the garbage men left and remove there garbage cans from the side of the road and place them back on the side of the homes. TV can't be turned on till 7PM at the firehouse. Dont know why someone would work there. Plus they never see fire!! Very,very richie area. Most of your country singers and Titans players live there.
Click to expand...

You can't be serious.....Thats one of the most stupidest things I've ever heard. Thats F**king terrible, These are FIREFIGHTERS not convicts doing community service. I can understand trainig or reading up on fire related things at a library but to paint fire hydrants and put garbage cans back in front of someones house? Hopefully theres never a fire because I can see them throwing garbage cans and paintbrushes at the burining house. As to the staffing in the first post I think they will soon learn how big of a mistake they made, unfortunately they'll realize after a civilian or FF dies. I don't get it most Dept.s are reactive rather than proactive, even FDNY. I think that PD should have gotten Impala's instead of Chargers and Explorers and saved about 150,000 and that maybe could have went to FD staffing.
 
Any firefighter who works there has to be nuts or stupid!  Unless of course the salaries are huge which based on everything else I'm sure they're not.  I'm surprised they remain firefighters haven't walked out yet.  Cutting manpower, ridiculous work rules and garbage duty?  I'm surprised a union hasn't moved in yet, I know it's a right to work state but unions can still be formed the only difference is membership isn't mandatory.  I'm not a union supporter but this sure looks like a case where one is called for.  Or maybe impeaching the mayor may be a better move.
 
According to the city's web site the city is protected by 5 pumpers, 1 tanker, 2 ladders, and 1 rescue. The department has 59 members. If the city ran a 3 shift system that would put 20 members per shift. 8 units (no manning of tanker) into 20 equals 2.5 guys per rig. This is fucking insane. Well if city is home to all these football and c/w stars all it is going to take is one fire and there will be an uproar. Bobby Joe is going to have to leave his burnt out home and move back into the trailer park, if the upitty city alows them.
 
1 engine and 1 ladder are in reserve status only. That is Eng 5 out of Sta 4 and Lad 2 has been in the repair shop forever. Since I have been in Franklin. A year in Nov and the salaries SUCK. They work 24 hr shifts but are only paid from 7am to 7pm. Then they are paid for 1 hour if they get a run in the night. If its longer than an hour than will be 2 and continues on and on. Plus they have 6 guys in Iraq and hole bunch of sick leave. They are stupid to work there. It will just get worse. If you are a medic you get an additional 2500 a year.
 
That's some of the craziest stuff I've ever heard. These guys/gals definitely need to organize and form a Local. They're getting a hosing of a lifetime. Are there any other neighboring Depts. that have a Local union that can help them?
 
No unions here, they are some Dept's that have them but they are just like an after school program. All they do is talk and talk and no one will listen. We have one in Franklin but very weak and still no job security. I am still at work, finishing up at 56 hr STRAIGHT shift with most of it on the Ambulance, which sucks for that long. Than off 12 and back in for 36 hrs.Great OT but there has been guys that have done 120 hrs straight and no one says anything. Not even thank you and god forbid you call out. Other than really cheap,new house's, the Middle Tennessee area Public Safety arena sucks. I am originally from Delaware and worked in Wilmington and was much better but a horrible break up chased me away and we can all figure the rest of the story. Just wish was younger and would of tried to get on in the North.
 
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