Judy,
GLOUCESTER CITY NJ (JANUARY 29, 2007)--What a sad and distorted picture you paint of your local firefighters.
For the record I am proud to say I am a career firefighter with the
GCFD and the Vice President of Local 51 of the FMBA . There are
several issues that you are attempting to bring light to that really
need to be clarified.
First-yes we do only work 8 days a month. That
works out to be 24 hour shifts every four days. Those three days off
that we have are usually spent working 1 or more part time jobs. I
don't claim that the money we make from this job is in any way bad but
it won't be making any of us rich anytime soon. I myself work parttime
as a Paramedic and I also teach several classes for various
organizations. This leaves very little time for my wife and three
children. This is the same situation for everyone of my brother
firefighters. So if our family or friends stop by in the evening I
think it is ok.
The statement that people are there all night is
COMPLETELY FALSE!
Second-your fire department has a block inspection and
smoke detector inspection program that is run in the warmer months. So
again you seem to be mistaken that we are not performing this task.
Third -several hours of each shift is dedicated to training. The winter
months usually have us indoors performing MANDATORY updates for fire
and EMS certifications. The warmer months find us at the fire academy
and performing MANDATORY training evolutions in fire suppression,
rescue, and Haz Mat.
As to the comments made by Mark the boy under the car was in fact saved only by the GCFD not Camden. That rescue that I was personally on was one
of the best operations I have ever been involved in. The FACT is that
boy was extricated in under 10 minutes from the time of dispatch.
Camden arrived after that boy was removed and being transported. They
never touched that boy! The mutual aid putting the fires out is
another mistake Mark made. EVERY town in ANY county works with
mutual aid and TOGETHER WE put the fire out. GCFD has a mutal aid
agrement with several area fire departments. They may come to our aid
and we often go to their aid. We happen to be one of three departments
in Camden County to operate a fully equiped Haz Mat unit and Specialized
Rescue unit. Not to mention there is no way GCFD would be able to
handle any serious fire without mutual aid we simply do not have the
manpower to do all that is required.
So let me close by asking a question to you and Mark. Is your memory so short that you don't remember 7/04/02 and the three firefighters that died trying to save three little girls? Is your view of our station only of the bench that is out front or can you also see that statue remembering that horrible day?
In closing allow me to invite both of you to visit the firehouse and work a 24 hour shift with us. I bet we can change your opinion!!!
Signed Steve
The best way to have the people paying the freight understand what they are paying for would be to expose the entire process to public scrutiny. Contract documents and contract negotiations should be open to the public. What harm would be done to see and hear both sides exchange requests and views in front of the people who will ultimately fund the requests? Do firefighters in fact get paid to sleep while waiting for an emergency? If I were permitted to ask the governing body and the firefighters two questions, I would ask both sides to express in one paragraph what they wanted/expected from the other group. I would then ask both sides to express in one word what each group wanted/expected.
my hat goes off to each and every firefighter in the country who could possibly say they are in the wrong for anything they do they save families and all our worthless possessions with out regard for there own safty and lives and yes sir i do remember july 4th and would like to thank each and everyone one of you
To the people who posted about the firefighters.... I have a few comments also. My son wants to be a fireman when he grows up, one night we walked by the firehouse on King Street and my son pointed and got excited over the fire trucks because the bay doors were open, one of the firefighters got up and called us over and asked my son if he wanted a tour, my son was thrilled. ALL of the guys then got up and told us about the trucks, showed us the firemen's gear and showed him the inside of the fire truck and the ambulance, explained to him how 911 works, How he should not be afraid of the ambulance and fire truck, they even tried a helmet on my son's head. My son talked about nothing else for days. A few weeks later we went by again and we walked up to the guys on duty so my son could say "HI" to his heroes (who did have someone there that they were talking to) they got up and gave my son the grand tour again this time with the lights. Now to you that may be nothing, but to my son it meant the world.... Even with someone there "visiting" them, they catered to him as if he were the only person on earth.
Do you mean to tell us that while you are at work you do not take a few minutes and socialize to people who stop by your place of business ??? I don't think so... Furthermore, how is it that you know who they are talking to? You ASSUME it is friends or family, how do you know it was not some kid like mine who wanted to see the fire engines or a person who had some sort of concern or question? If their job is so great why don't you train to be a firefighter or an EMT ? It's easy right?? It's so much easier to sit at your computer and just complain isn't it? So before you down the firefighters, put yourself in their shoes, they take their lives into their hands every time they are on call, and who knows next time a house is on fire or assistance is needed they may very well be headed to your house to save your life.....
If the fireman's ego's would deflate a little maybe they could answer Judy's question about the Pirate's Den. Why wasn't the place shut down when the fire inspection report came back with all the problems listed on it? This was never answered but the firemen were quick to react to any aside she had put into her article.
If these violations were there and the city didn't act properly with their own laws in place then answer Judy's question could the city have been held liable for not closing the bar down until the repairs were made. I'm sure a lawyer would have had a field day with this if anyone had been injured. Let's just do the job at hand and stop worrying about down time for firemen and how dangerous their job is. This job wasn't dangerous it was an inspection and a responsibility to protect the safety of others. Take that as serious as putting out a fire.
BRAVO to Steve....nothing more to be said in my opinion!
I must have missed the earlier comment on the fire violations at the Pirates Den. I can speak with a little experience in this matter. The fire department comes in once annually, checks to make sure things are up to code. If by chance things aren't they issue notice of violation and give a certain amount of time for repairs and/or upgrades.
If for some reason the repairs can not be completed in a timely manner one can request an extension. I don't think the fire official is in the habit of shutting down any business for minor violations. The owner may very well have been in the process of making upgrades and corrections.
What are the facts in this matter? Does anyone know for certain there was an inspection and things were overlooked? Unless we know for sure that there were violations that were never followed up on then we can't pass judgement or blame on the fire department.
However, I will agree that if in fact there were violation of the fire code and they were ignored then yes it would be the fire inspectors responsibility to lock the doors until such violations were brought up to code.
I'm sure every other business owner in GC has gone through this process and I would be surprised to hear that Mario isn't doing his job.