By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The union representing Dunmore, Pennsylvania, firefighters, IAFF Local 860, says the department faces a critical staffing shortage that has required Fire Chief Christopher DeNaples to be pulled from administrative duty to work firefighting shifts.
- A July borough fire services study found the current staffing model relies heavily on requiring existing members to work extra hours, costing about $260,000 annually in overtime.
- The department is fully paid, with 14 full-time personnel, including the chief, and 10 part-time personnel who are used on an on-call basis.
- The collective bargaining agreement sets minimum staffing at four personnel on duty.
- Borough Council President Thomas Hallinan said the borough has taken steps to hire more firefighters and will discuss hiring before its Oct. 12 meeting.
DUNMORE, Pa. — The union representing Dunmore firefighters is warning of a critical staffing shortage in the borough’s fire department, saying the fire chief has had to be pulled from administrative duties to work alongside crews, according to the Times-Tribune.
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 860, led by firefighter Todd Flaherty, raised its concerns on social media, urging residents not to accept reduced staffing as the norm. The union’s post cited several instances in which Chief Christopher DeNaples was pulled from administration to work firefighting duty.
A July study of the borough’s fire services, highlighted by the union, found the current staffing model relies heavily on forcing existing members to work extra hours, with overtime costs of about $260,000 a year. The study said borough leadership and department staff have expressed significant concern and frustration with the amount of overtime needed to maintain operations. It also found that although ten part-time personnel are on the roster, the department often struggles to meet minimum staffing, because part-timers work on an on-call basis rather than in regular shifts.
DeNaples said the shortage needs to be fixed quickly. People need to be hired to relieve overtime and keep apparatus fully staffed, he said, to give residents the protection they deserve.
The department is a fully paid operation with 14 full-time personnel, including the chief, one captain and two lieutenants, plus 10 part-time personnel. Its collective bargaining agreement sets minimum staffing at four personnel on duty.
Borough Council President Thomas Hallinan said the borough has taken steps to hire additional firefighters, but that the process takes time because of legally required civil service procedures. The Dunmore Borough Civil Service Commission recently established a new certified list of entry-level firefighter candidates, following a physical fitness exam on July 11, a written exam on July 25 and an oral exam on Aug. 8. Hallinan said the borough must still complete mandatory background checks, and that council will discuss hiring additional fire personnel before its Oct. 12 meeting.