NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans firefighters say they are understaffed and overworked and that the problems have simply become too big of a burden for the work force to ignore.
The firefighters’ union and the NOFD and city leadership have been going back and forth in public over work conditions and department staffing.
The big challenge came when the firefighters’ union asked members to stop working voluntary overtime, a situation that Union Chief Aaron Mischler said is causing the firehouses to be understaffed.
The two sides have gone back and forth, with the city countering that move by ending vacations and considering the implementation of mandatory overtime.
A couple dozen firefighters did not report to work this weekend, something the city decried, but Mischler said it was a situation where the firefighters were pushed to the limit and beyond.
“The problems stem from us not working voluntary overtime,” he said in front of a media gathering. “When we don’t work voluntary overtime, the city doesn’t have enough firefighters.”
Mischler brought out a few firefighters to highlight their situations. One firefighter said that the and his wife both are firefighters and have a child. He said that when he works, his wife doesn’t, but if either are forced to work overtime, they have to find care for their child.
Another man with a severe-needs child who was born premature talked about the stress of not being able to properly care for the child when he has to work forced overtime.
A third man said he needed a second job to make ends meet and that being asked to work overtime makes him decide between one job or the other.
The bottom line, say firefighters, comes from not having enough personnel and that, they say, is because of non-competitive pay.
Mischler said New Orleans now lags most of the region in pay and retirement benefits, making it more attractive for their trained personnel to go elsewhere.
“We are now a stepping stone for other departments in the region and around the country,” he said. “ They get the better training and then leave for another opportunity.”
Mischler said he believes the firefighters and the city can reach an agreement with quick negotiation, saying that his phone is always available.