Portsmouth Fire Department

[Wade]

With all the budget city issues, wouldn't it be wise for council to amend the city charter, and as firemen retire, not replace them with the expenses of academy training, but to have a valunteer force along with fulltime firefighters and leaders?

Just like Porter township does!!!

[Judgement13]

because if portsmouth only had a volunteer fire fighting force, there would be less manpower for accidents, fires and catastrophes. porter township, just like every other vfd, does not pay well, and men do have to make money, so often times they are at work, and unable to respond to such events. same goes for vol ems. neither field pays any real money.
portsmouth is a very large town, and for the square acreage of it, there needs to be so much manpower.

[Judgement13]

take for example, the large feed store arson in south shore a while back. not only was south shore vfd called out, but several others, including but not limited to, washington twp vfd, lloyd vol fd, firebrick vol fd, etc.
if a building that size NEEDED so many hands to assist, what would happen to the already short staffed ports fd if they had to fight a fire in say, osco, or one of the schools? or large apartment complexes? they would be forced to rely on outside, volunteer help to fight those fires. now what happens if the pfd were to be volunteer status?
the men wouldnt be readily available. they would have to travel to the station, gear up, and have so many men on board before they can respond.
slower response time, less manpower, and depleted safety equipment= more possibility for an accident or even a death.

[Lee Scott]

Charter dictates we must keep 42 firemen and 42 policemen....even when we get down to o population.

Charter enacted and the city started dying. 1927...follow the area since. The good ole boys charter...not for the people.

At 48k population we may have had need of that large a force. At 18k of mostly unemployeed folks, the few workers left just can not afford it.

Our firemen like new trucks...matters not if the hydrants work to put out the fire when they get there. FACT!

Lee

[concerned]

portsmouth only needs 21 firefighters

[Atheist N Right]

I agree with Lee and concerned! The staffing level of the Portsmouth Fire Dept. should be reduced depending on the city population. They have or are always arguing about having or getting more man-power! For what? To get brothers, sons, cousins and friends jobs! They had all of the firefighters a few years ago go around and check the fire hydrants for the city. All part of their operating equipment. Wouldn't you say? But, the requested and got $1,000,000.00 to do this! What should have been their job or at least part of their jobs in the first place.

Portsmouth Police Dept.- I think considering the current crime levels of our economically depressed area and the lack of promotion of industry into our region by our city officials. We need to have 42 or maybe even a few more policemen in our city.

But, they need to trim the fat and get rid of those who are not meeting physical fitness requirements. Currently, the city of Portsmouth has no physical fitness requirements for officers except for passing the academy. Thats it just pass the academy and then all the donuts you can eat and you can let the steering wheel rub against your belly and take a few minutes to get out of a cruiser to give chase on foot! Then, when you can't fit behind the wheel... we will put you behind a desk or table!

Whatever happen to patrolling the streets? Instead of sitting in a car on a corner or at some other ladies house, local business or even taking naps as one officer use to do in Sciotoville all the time a few years ago! He's retired now!

Now, those of you who depend on the city paychecks to feed your face don't get all bent and try to use the price of gas for not patrolling! There hasn't been any real patrolling for 20 years! Gas was a heck of alot cheaper back then and that was the excuse given then.

In Sciotoville, you hardly ever see a Portsmouth policeman patrolling or even sitting anymore! At night... you got a problem, New Boston will respond quicker than your own city. And, Portsmouth police know this and will take their sweet time to respond or maybe not even respond! Fact!

All of the drug problems we have in our area and all of the hype over the last couple of years with tv shows, newspaper articles, politicians using it as a platform to get elected and everything! But, where do you really see the Portsmouth Police Dept. making a difference in this! Most of the drug bust come from the Sheriffs Dept. or State Highway Patrol. You always see Huntington and Charleston and other cities making their own bust on these fronts. Not, much for Portsmouth... sure the other authorities will hand them one every now and again.

[CITY SAFETY DIRECTOR F-P]

concerned wrote:

portsmouth only needs 21 firefighters

Does the Fire Dept. have an ambulance service or is that totally privatized with all these ambulance companies cruising around town, etc.????

[former reaident]

CITY SAFETY DIRECTOR F-P wrote:

<quoted text>
Does the Fire Dept. have an ambulance service or is that totally privatized with all these ambulance companies cruising around town, etc.????

Chillicothe Fire Department has ambulances, they go on EMS runs. They work their tails off.

Yes, a volunteer force with paging/alert system not only would bring the same response time (volunteers arriving directly to a scene, volunteers at the station, etc) but the full-time firefighters are there also.

Remember, the city of Portsmouth is also the Township of Wayne. It can get numerous extra funding.

And yes, most of the firefighters are so "ate out of shape". Haven't we all seen them at the store shopping! Look at how abundant they eat, they order Scioto Ribber,it. They eat like kings! Our tax money!

[JGB]

Definitely against the volunteer idea Fire Department manning is based on numbers if calls for service and area covered not population or tax base. There may be some economies available but let's not let someobe die to save of each five dollars. I believe are home owners insurance rates are based on several fire department related issues.

[Volunteer]

Volunteer fire departments are great. However you need people to volunteer. This may sound simple but go around and ask others. It's not easy and it is very hard to keep people. And you have a lot of training that every Portsmouth volunteer would have to do. Are you guys willing to do that? An initial fire response takes at least 5 people. Portsmouth barely makes that cut when at minimum staff. It would be unsafe to cut the staff any at all. So not base it on the population. Base it on the size of the area and buildings. Oh and maybe a little nfpa fire knowledge would help. Joe blow off the street could not operate this FD effectively. Ptown just pay your taxes and stop complaining! You will want these guys over a slow VFD when the worst happens to you.

[DebbiePope]

I recently moved back to Portsmouth, in the Rosemount area. The Rosemount fire dept. is close to my house. I don't know if those men & women are paid or volunteers, but they work very hard. They are always working on their trucks & equipment, it seems like there's someone at the building all the time. And they are good neighbors. While walking my small dog near the firehouse a much larger dog charged at us, I was certain it was going to attack us. 2 firefighters heard me yelling, they ran out & chased the big dog back into its yard. I'm grateful to live in an area that is served by the Rosemount fire dept.

[JGB The Believer]

JGB wrote:

Definitely against the volunteer idea Fire Department manning is based on numbers if calls for service and area covered not population or tax base. There may be some economies available but let's not let someobe die to save of each five dollars. I believe are home owners insurance rates are based on several fire department related issues.

Tell us more of what you believe, is that a Fire God?

What's a "someobe" die?

Look at all the people dying now? Now sufficient response time and no, no, smoke alarms, hello..........

[Concerned]

They only need 21 firefighters plain and simple.

[Rob]

JGB wrote:

Definitely against the volunteer idea Fire Department manning is based on numbers if calls for service and area covered not population or tax base. There may be some economies available but let's not let someobe die to save of each five dollars. I believe are home owners insurance rates are based on several fire department related issues.

So you're saying the other Fire Departments in this area that have volunteers are not capable of saving lives and protecting property?

When it comes to insurance the same protection and area coverage would be just as anyone would pay in such an area that has a full time and partial volunteer fire department.

We have to face it, the city has a much lower population and tax base. Crime is constant. As fire fighters retire it would be most beneficial to take that retirees position and use it toward crime prevention, investigation, patrol.

[Rob]

JGB The Believer wrote:

<quoted text>
Tell us more of what you believe, is that a Fire God?
What's a "someobe" die?
Look at all the people dying now? Now sufficient response time and no, no, smoke alarms, hello..........

Agree with you! The department is over staffed, they live it up on tax monies!

I must add, doesn't anyone recall the levy drive by police and fire on the ballet, the hilltop station closed, etc. It was passed and we have not heard one thing about where all those needed monies have gone!

[PDTs USDA SOGP GAMPP-GATE]

Rob wrote:

<quoted text>Agree with you! The department is over staffed, they live it up on tax monies!
I must add, doesn't anyone recall the levy drive by police and fire on the ballet, the hilltop station closed, etc. It was passed and we have not heard one thing about where all those needed monies have gone!

Oh, they find places for it to go into "their" pockets and the private pockets of the NGO's and the vendors, and the like.

Oh, just wait and see how much they jack up the Auditor's and the Solicitor's salaries and perks when they have to pay the City Manager 6 figures plus Perks, etc.

Just wait, it will not ever be over..........

[Concerned]

The good ole boys are trying to make the town a better but first they need to get the pay raises they deserve.

[gary]

Lee Scott wrote:

Charter dictates we must keep 42 firemen and 42 policemen....even when we get down to o population.
Charter enacted and the city started dying. 1927...follow the area since. The good ole boys charter...not for the people.
At 48k population we may have had need of that large a force. At 18k of mostly unemployeed folks, the few workers left just can not afford it.
Our firemen like new trucks...matters not if the hydrants work to put out the fire when they get there. FACT!
Lee

so no one has heard of an amendment?

[Judgement13]

So all of you in favor of the Portsmouth FD becoming volunteer, have you considered the hard facts of life of living as a firefighter or paramedic? Well, I have. Been there, done that. A fire department's staffing is based on run volume and acreage covered. Meaning however many runs, as silly as they may seem, do count. So that little girl's kitty stuck in a tree? That matters. That adventurous little boy who got stuck in the banister? That matters.
The sheer size of the area in question is several hundred acres. What do you think happens when there is a fire across town? We don't have the fire stations scattered about like in the past.
Look up the definition of volunteer. Volunteer fire fighters are not paid to help. People who volunteer are often at work when many calls come in. Bosses don't usually allow for you to leave halfway through the day to assist. So if a call comes in and your pager drops the tones, you can't go.
The fire department doesn't just respond to fires and kitties in trees. They also help at car accidents.
Imagine if you will, you are in an accident with your family in the car. All of you are hurt to some degree. You yourself are reeling from an airbag deploying. You can't get out of your car. Would you rather wait five minutes for the paid and ready fd to come to your aid, or ten to fifteen for a vfd to arrive?
Smoke alarms may alert you of a problem, but sometimes they don't. And they can't help you get out. Or put the fire out.
As for lower staffing, 42 men on shifts, is what we need. if there were only half that, there would be a problem.
Yes, physical fitness requirements need to be met and kept.

[Judgement13]

and mr scott? are you the same lee scott that burned his own business to the ground for the insurance money? you know thats arson, right? arson's a felony...