New fire chief moves medic unit from north end

NEWARK – City administrators have moved a medic unit out of the north end fire station on Hollander Street to the downtown station on a trial basis, new Division of Fire Chief Pat Connor said.

While the firefighters' union opposes the move and calls for medics in all four stations, Connor contends "The people in the North End are safe," and said he is monitoring runs to make sure the numbers continue to support the move.

Safety Director Bill Spurgeon said right now, it is a trial.

"Our feet are not set in stone," he said. "We will pivot if the numbers are not agreeable."

David McElfresh, president of the Firefighters Union Local 109, said residents deserve more.

"We believe all the citizens of Newark deserve adequate EMS resources," McElfresh said. "We need enough resources to protect the entire city."

McElfresh recently wrote a letter to the editor to The Advocate, detailing staffing levels and questioning the city's commitment to safety.

"How many more seconds or minutes will you need to wait after calling 911 for firefighters to arrive at your emergency due to these staffing cuts?" he wrote.

McElfresh letter: Is public safety a priority in Newark?

The city previously had a minimum staffing level of 19 firefighters per shift by contract with the union but fought to reduce that number, winning an arbitrator's ruling in late 2011. It now maintains daily staffing at 16, Connor said, but does occasionally exceed that level. When it does, the department can run additional equipment, he said.

Connor served as interim fire chief since October, filling in for Chief Jack Stickradt, who retired. Mayor Jeff Hall swore in Connor as the new chief Monday night in council chambers before the Newark City Council's regular meeting.

Connor said he looked at data from the past 10 years before deciding to move the medic unit downtown for a 90-day trial period.

"That doesn't mean I can't change it before then," he said.

The downtown station, which has not run a medic unit since the city abolished minimum staffing, had the highest volume of calls for aid in the past 10 years, Connor said. He said 46 percent of emergency medical calls originated downtown in that time, and 26 percent from the North End.

The North End station on Hollander Street, Station 2, is still served by a ladder truck, Connor said, with at least one paramedic and two firefighters on duty at all times. That ladder truck contains cardiac-monitoring equipment, life-saving drugs and advanced-airway capabilities. It does not have transport capabilities to take a patient to the hospital, which would require a medic unit coming from either of the city's three other stations or a neighboring department.

A medic truck is housed at the Hollander station, Connor said, but it isn't being used unless daily staffing hits at least 18 firefighters. That has happened occasionally since Jan. 1, he said.

Similarly, a fire engine at Station 4, 1225 E. Main St., is "cross-staffed" when 17 firefighters are on duty. But when it is in use, Medic 4 is unavailable.

The department has 72 active-duty officers, counting Connor. A 73rd remains on the books, Fire Prevention Officer Gregg Coffman, who is retiring and is using up his available leave before officially leaving the department, the chief said.

The breakdown works out to 22 firefighters for each of three shifts and six administrators. The city is replacing Connor's old slot as assistant chief, which will then require replacing a captain and a lieutenant. Connor also said he hopes to hire new firefighter/paramedics yet this year. The city tested for that position in October.

"Obviously, one of the problems any municipality has is there's not enough money," Connor said. "That's not exclusive to Newark."

"The changes in the deployment, the shutting down of Medic 2, has caused some concerns," McElfresh said. "We want to continue to address the staffing concerns, because it's a problem. I want to make sure the public is aware of it."

McElfresh said the union does not oppose running medics out of the downtown station. He said the city needs four medic units in service, meaning both the equipment and the manpower. He considers shifting medic coverage from the North End to downtown "robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Newark voters passed a safety levy in 2001 and have not seen the staffing levels expected from that extra money. The city's fire department reached 85 firefighters in 2010, McElfresh said. The council has approved staffing up to 93 firefighter/paramedics, he said, but the city has not reached that level.

The Newark Division of Police now has 69 officers, according to Police Chief Steven Sarver, who recently announced he plans to retire in March.

Four fire stations are open: Station 1 at 75 S. Fourth St.; Station 2 at 1140 Hollander St.; Station 3 at 1800 W. Main St.; and Station 4 at 1225 E. Main St. A new Central Station is under construction next to Station 1 on South Fourth Street and will replace that station after it is built.

City Councilman Marc Guthrie, D-at large, said the city is spending between $300,000 and $350,000 annually on debt service for the new station, which could have been used to hire one or two additional firefighters and policemen.

McElfresh said a federal grant, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, could be used to hire more firefighters.

"If safety is a priority, why aren't they looking to that grant money to hire more people?" he asked.

Connor said everyone supports hiring more firefighters and police officers, and added city administrators meet regularly to work toward that goal.

"The fact of the matter is there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," he said.

jwilliams6@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @JoeAdvocate

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