News

Keokuk council to replace one firefighter for now

By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor

Published: Friday, April 16, 2004 2:35 PM CDT

After Mayor David Gudgel expressed his long awaited opinion, the Keokuk City Council Thursday authorized Fire Chief Mark Wessel to replace Assistant Chief Roger Davis, who retired April 1.

"In the world that we are now living, public safety has taken on new meaning," said Gudgel in a prepared statement that he read to council members during the workshop preceding the regular meeting. "Public safety is something that we can ill afford to reduce to the point that increased dangers become a reality."

Police Chief R.L. Dobson made a passionate plea to keep the fire department's staffing at its pre-Davis retirement level, too.

"I beg you. Please don't cut public safety any more in this community," said Dobson whose department is working with three fewer officers due to two retirements and elimination of another position. The police chief also referred to Tuesday's bank robbery, which put people at risk and in jeopardy, he said.

Gudgel had talked to Wessel and firefighter J.W. Guy separately before announcing his recommendation about the fire department's staffing. He also had reviewed OSHA mandates and NFPA guidelines concerning fire fighting.

"Public safety must be maintained. We are truly a unique town faced with unique public safety concerns as it pertains to our industries and infrastructure. Although fires can surely be fought with a four-man minimum staffing, the process to extinguish and the process to remove safely and prudently fire victims will be slowed down," Gudgel said. "Not only will the needed processes be retarded but the safety of our firefighters should take extremely high precedence.

"'Two men in and two men out' is the goal and mandate provided in OSHA and NFPA recommended standards. I feel it is our duty to provide for the safety not only for our citizens but also for our firefighters. In order to provide this procedure, it is imperative to maintain a five-man minimum, which provides for an incidence commander at the scene."

Until Davis' retirement, the fire department had operated with six men per shift when fully staffed. The firefighters' contract with the city provides for minimum staffing of five men per shift. The police department's contract with the city has no minimum staffing level per shift.

"There will be those who state that a 'two men in/two men out' situation will be in place as soon as off duty firemen arrive. I agree," Gudgel said. "The average minimum time for a firefighter to arrive on the scene after being contacted is 11 minutes ... It is a statistical fact that the first few minutes on the scene are critical for occupant safety removal. We owe it to our citizens to maintain the present minimum. We owe it to our firefighters to provide them with safe procedures in an environment that regardless of staffing can inflict injury or death."

On March 25 Wessel told the council his department actually had five firefighters per shift 93 percent of the time when vacation, sick days and personal days were taken into account. He also estimated the city would incur about $136,752 in overtime costs if Davis and another firefighter who is retiring soon were not replaced.

Addressing those points, Gudgel said Thursday the only way the city could save money in the fire department is to have two fewer firefighters and reduce the minimum staffing level to four men per shift.

As for replacing the other firefighter, Larry French, who is on medical leave now, the council told Wessel to come back and make the same request when the second opening actually occurs. In his statement, Gudgel recommended maintaining a full contingent of 18 firefighters.

Afterwards, Wessel said it will take 30 to 60 days to replace Davis.

Gudgel also brought up the issue of the firefighters' future contract negotiations with the city.

"We have a contract coming up and we have to work together," he said.

In his prepared statement, the mayor said, "It is my desire that this recommendation be met by the fire department as a token of good faith in hopes that we all can work together for the good of Keokuk, with financial prudence, knowing that sacrifices will still need to be made so that we can establish a base that can justify in order to become more prosperous and successful."

Gudgel also recommended that the police department's staffing be brought back to full strength eventually.

Dobson said he hopes to restore the three police officers by using other sources than the general fund, which had a $980,000 deficit at the start of the year. He added he is investigating hiring one officer who would work in the schools 75 percent of the time and would help with regular police work in the summer.