Here are recent Fire Chief's columns from
The Arizona Republic
City
of Phoenix Public Information Office - News Clippings - azcentral.com
- January 2, 2010
2010 is here and so are the challenges
So here we are – it’s 2010 and we survived the holidays with little or no road rash. The economic bubble has popped and we are getting used to sailing down the Salt River with little or no air in our tube. I'm sure this is the year when things will bounce back, and we start to pull out of this nose dive. In some ways it has been a rude awakening for folks who never paid attention to the "Great Depression". My dad talks about those days, and what it was like to survive. He refers to saving all commodities, not wasting food, and paying cash. I'm sure lessons learned in the 21st Century will be much the same. The jobless rate is still high, and foreclosures are still rolling around. I can only imagine what it must be like for some families that are struggling to have a normal life.
The Phoenix Fire Department’s challenge is ongoing. We are in the throes of budget woes that have never been seen before. The numbers are bad and getting worse. On one hand, it has been a good exercise in making sure we have our priorities in line with the needs of the community. On the other hand, we have deep concerns about this setback and how, in the long run, it may take city services years to recover. Take a look at other towns who never bounced back from the recessions of the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Experts are reporting that California, Arizona, and Nevada are among the states hardest hit, along with cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas. The common theme seems to center around not if, but when, we get back to normal. I just hope the infrastructure is not irreversibly damaged. I know for a fact that many dedicated Arizonans are working hard to make good decisions that will help to keep us whole.
Towards the end of last month I wrote a note to all members in the Phoenix Fire Department in an attempt to keep them up on current events. Communications can help when times are tough and anxiety is at an all time high. Since this is our third year of budget reductions, you might think we could use a form letter, but it doesn't work that way. You see, once a reduction has been made it is gone, and you have to find new ways to make more reductions. It is pretty basic math; however, there is the looming fact that we still have to protect this community 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Both Police and Fire need to be available in about 5 minutes to help people who are truly in harm’s way. The note I wrote to the members gave them general information and referred to freezing promotions, eliminating unnecessary purchases, and basically slowing things down. Between the lines are layers of concerns... will firefighter safety be jeopardized? Will essential life saving training diminish? Or is this the end of public education?
Currently there is no way to know how deep the reductions will go; that information will be forthcoming in February. Last year the Fire Department cut 7.5% or $19.2 million dollars. This year we have been asked to turn in a list that reflects 15% or $36.6 million dollars. At the same time, 90% of our budget is spent on people. It takes these individuals to protect 515 square miles and 1.5 million souls.
Our model is efficient and has changed over the last three years. We use single fire trucks and two person rescues to deliver service. We have partnered with all valley hospitals to reduce our turn-around time. In fact, we have several committees that review ways of improving our efficiency and at the same time reduce expenses. For example, our rescue vehicles charge fees for hospital transportation, and are cost recovered. Federal grants are used to train our special operation teams, and we use a regional dispatch system that shares the cost with over 20 different fire departments.
In these tough times we need to be realistic and understand we will have to do more with less. We will do everything possible to save our core services and be there if a house is on fire or a loved one has stopped breathing. That is our mission, and we aim to provide that service. Be safe...
Send comments to Bob Khan at firechief.pfd@phoenix.gov or call (602) 26-CHIEF.