Firefighters mowing lawns

**jmur5074** · 06-04-07, 07:09 PM

From now on, firefighters in this Cleveland suburb might have to ditch their city lawnmowers and grass-stained duds to respond to fire calls.

Mayor Eric Brewer is requiring firefighters to cut grass, trim shrubs and perform other municipal chores while on duty to help an overburdened Service Department care for parks and other public areas, which make up a large portion of the city.

"We have 54 firefighters, and they have a lot of downtime," Brewer said Thursday. "Instead of sitting around the station, they'll be assisting us as we beautify the city."

But Rick Razek, vice president of the firefighters union, said protective headphones and noise from the lawnmowers might prevent firefighters from hearing their radios when a call comes in.

"We're firefighters, not service workers," Razek said. "It jeopardizes our citizens and will absolutely hinder our response time."

Every second counts when dealing with fires that double in size every minute, said Cleveland Heights Fire Chief Kevin Mohr, whose city shares a mutual-aid agreement with East Cleveland.

Mohr would not comment directly on Brewer's newly issued orders, but he said the plan sounded like one that could potentially interfere with firefighters' ability to meet their emergency obligations.

"If I'm a chief of a department that provides mutual aid to another department that's faced with that predicament, I'm wondering if requests to my organization for mutual aid are going to increase or be abused because we have a partner that is chronically understaffed or overworked," he said. "There aren't many cities that are staffed with enough personnel to underwrite another city."

East Cleveland Deputy Safety Director Ken Adams said the new slate of chores should not affect Fire Department response times. The grass-cutting detail, he said, is similar to the firefighters' other non-fire-related responsibilities, such as checking hydrants, performing fire inspections or visiting schools as a public service.

The firefighters will travel in a fire truck to their assigned work site and will keep their gear with them, ready to move straight to the scene of a fire if called.

Brewer contends that prompt response to fire alarms and a high level of service will remain the Fire Department's priority. If a call comes in, firefighters will secure their mowing equipment, answer the call and return to the task, he said.

The mayor based his orders on a city law passed in 1944 - during a time when cities desperately needed help with manual labor while many men served in the military overseas. The ordinance gives the mayor power to order special details, which include performing duties at school crossings, removing snow and ice from sidewalks and repairing city buildings and equipment.

"It's unbelievable that I'm the only mayor in recent history to use this ordinance," he said.

By Thursday morning, firefighters were already hard at work, learning to use the city's riding lawnmower at one corner of Forest Hill Park.

Three firefighters watched, shaking their heads, as another mounted the machine and plowed through brambles and 2-foot-tall weeds, dodging wayward tree branches and climbing steep terrain.

Brewer looked on, too.

"Those weeds and grass should never be that tall," he said over the whir of the mower. "And they're tall all over the city. This is simply an attempt to beef up a service that has been lacking for a number of years."

He broke into a smile.

"Actually, that looks like fun," he said. "I might get out there and cut some grass myself."

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/art...4&sectionId=46

**jmur5074** · 06-04-07, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

"Actually, that looks like fun," he said. "I might get out there and cut some grass myself."

Yeah I bet you will....

**Ianl6** · 06-04-07, 07:17 PM

Why dosn't the lazy tight fist hire more people to cut his grass and leave the firefighters to do there own job,or better still put some pen pushers out there to cut the grass.

**countybear** · 06-04-07, 07:22 PM

The grass-cutting detail, he said, is similar to the firefighters' other non-fire-related responsibilities, such as checking hydrants, performing fire inspections or visiting schools as a public service.

Except, it has nothing to do with fire protection, the reason these men were hired.

What a total load of crap.

**smokey703** · 06-04-07, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by Ianl6

Why dosn't the lazy tight fist hire more people to cut his grass and leave the firefighters to do there own job,or better still put some pen pushers out there to cut the grass.

Because it would probably take money out of his pocket and out of the pockets of his business chums. Why beautify your city and better it also by creating jobs when you can get " free labor " from Firefighters. Oh, because then he would have to down grade from a B.M.W. to a Lexus. Sad isn't it.

**Pudge** · 06-04-07, 07:29 PM

It doesn't suprise me. There's more crap to come out of mayor's offices up there than you can ever imagine.

I just hope since this is relatively local that our council and mayor don't catch wind of it. It's hard telling what they'd have us doing.

**Jackalope** · 06-04-07, 10:09 PM

I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. I was under the impression that firefighters spent time training between calls. If that training suffers, then I wouldn't support the idea. And if the "securing the equipment" part of the plan increases their response time, then I wouldn't support the idea. But other than those two issues, I don't see a problem with it.

Where is the city supposed to get the money to hire new groundskeepers? Start laying off cops and firefighters to balance the budget? Or just another massive tax increase to further boost the government class?

**213th** · 06-04-07, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by countybear

Except, it has nothing to do with fire protection, the reason these men were hired.

What a total load of crap.

Wait till his house is burning...bet his tune changes. Or maybe not. He will probably find a way to blame the firefighters for that too.

**Pudge** · 06-04-07, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Jackalope

I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. I was under the impression that firefighters spent time training between calls. If that training suffers, then I wouldn't support the idea. And if the "securing the equipment" part of the plan increases their response time, then I wouldn't support the idea. But other than those two issues, I don't see a problem with it.

Where is the city supposed to get the money to hire new groundskeepers? Start laying off cops and firefighters to balance the budget? Or just another massive tax increase to further boost the government class?

Put it in perspective. Not all of a Firefighter's down time is spent on training. A fair amount is spent on station chores, truck maintenance, fire prevention, inspection, pre-plans, etc. Alot of houses I know will have a set "work" hours where they will do the above. Obviously that is interupted by calls for service. A lot of places much like a regular job will have a break time where they can relax. Yes, during these times you may catch guys taking cat-naps, hitting the recliner, etc. But it's useful for that 3 a.m. call.

Take a guy working outside in the sun mowing and doing groundskeeping work during the day and then expect him to launch out of bed at a moment's notice and perform duties at a top notch level. It won't happen, the safety of the rest of the shift, as well as the public will be compromised.

**Jim1348** · 06-04-07, 10:29 PM

When I was an undergraduate student at Mankato State University (MN) a number of years ago, I started listening to a scanner to get a feel for how things worked. The ambulance service then was called Kost Ambulance. That company also did automobile towing. It was not unheard of down there then to hear their dispatcher call them on the business channel and tell the guys to hurry on a tow job so that they could take an ambulance call.

And as another comparison, I know there are public safety departments around the country in one form or another, as well as several police paramedic programs here in Minnesota. I think it might be just Cottage Grove, Maplewood, and Woodbury with the the police paramedic programs and I am not even sure if all three of them are keeping sworn officers as paramedics. It seems like some have transitioned to CSO paramedics or fire paramedics as time has gone by.

Burnsville had the public safety program where you might be assigned to police one day and fire the next. I suppose it is debateable how well these programs work, but they don't really seem to be all that common.

I have even heard of some cities with volunteer fire departments where most of the day crew on a daytime fire call comes from the public works and/or parks department.

**Jackalope** · 06-04-07, 10:29 PM

Good points, Pudge.

**Bob Loblaw** · 06-04-07, 10:33 PM

Time to get some apps going, fire-fellas. I'd be so fucking pissed if i were them.

**Rhino** · 06-05-07, 12:54 AM

What happened to having inmates do that crap?

Heaven forbid the Firefighters do something silly like train or maintain their equipment on their downtime, eh?

**k-9max** · 06-05-07, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by Rhino

What happened to having inmates do that crap?

Heaven forbid the Firefighters do something silly like train or maintain their equipment on their downtime, eh?

THANK YOU,
you took the words out of my mouth.

what about having the people on probation, "communty service".

this is right inline with a court order of community service workers.
Hell, our southern district court hammers on community service.
it isnt nothing to see shitbags raking leaves, and picking up papers on the weekends, yeah sunday to.
they mow, weed-eat, ect...
i think the mayor in cleveland needs to open his eyes.
the firefighters need rest to be ready when that pager goes off.

if its my house, and its on fire, and i have to wait for a firefighter riding a mower to get off of it, and "secure it", shame shame shame on the fucked up mayor, and the council for supporting him.
Glad i dont live in that mess!!!!

but your right pudge, our council around here, would prob get the same fucked up idea.

**BEB** · 06-05-07, 01:18 AM

Sell off the parks. Lot less to mow then.

**countybear** · 06-05-07, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by Rhino

What happened to having inmates do that crap?

Heaven forbid the Firefighters do something silly like train or maintain their equipment on their downtime, eh?

+1198465780736.2

**lewisipso** · 06-05-07, 02:51 AM

What a #@%#@#%!! moron!! He obviously doesn't know or care at how fast a fire can start and spread. Maybe he needs some education. "Firefighters will secure their mowing equipment" what a load of sh!t. Just bring it with them. That way they can beautify the residence after putting the fire out.

**TXCharlie** · 06-05-07, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by Rhino

What happened to having inmates do that crap?

Heaven forbid the Firefighters do something silly like train or maintain their equipment on their downtime, eh?

That's what I was about to say - They probably won't let the fucking prisoners do it, because of liabiality concerns - Prisoners don't get training or Workman's Comp if they're injured, so the city is more likely to be sued if they operate machinery.

But how much training is necessary to cut grass?

**Star Man** · 06-05-07, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Pudge113

Put it in perspective. Not all of a Firefighter's down time is spent on training. A fair amount is spent on station chores, truck maintenance, fire prevention, inspection, pre-plans, etc. Alot of houses I know will have a set "work" hours where they will do the above. Obviously that is interupted by calls for service. A lot of places much like a regular job will have a break time where they can relax. Yes, during these times you may catch guys taking cat-naps, hitting the recliner, etc. But it's useful for that 3 a.m. call.

Take a guy working outside in the sun mowing and doing groundskeeping work during the day and then expect him to launch out of bed at a moment's notice and perform duties at a top notch level. It won't happen, the safety of the rest of the shift, as well as the public will be compromised.

I was going to say the same thing.... +1

**Kpdpipes** · 06-05-07, 10:47 AM

Hopefully my Mayor wont get any stupid ideas from this..in our FD's Job Description, they're listed as (and this is no shit) "Laborers" as a secondary duty..if this place has something similar they might be screwed.