Hanging Public Safety Hopes on the Federal Lottery Crap Shoot

Just Another Humble Servant

After reading the article in yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune “Ogden Fire Department hopes demographics will loosen feds purse strings” I have been doing some lamenting about the actual conditions and the commitment of the Ogden City administration to public safety.

The article explains that Ogden is placing hope on the federal lottery crap shoot that they will receive federal grants to help replace aging fire apparatus, and staffing. The grants are a help to the fire departments across the country, however it is luck of the draw to receive the grants. Ogden Fire Department in my opinion has been lucky so far given the fact that the apparatus and staffing levels are below national NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards.

The apparatus (Fire Engines) that are currently in use in the Ogden Fire Department, according to the recent Citygate Associates studies commissioned by the City Council at a cost of approximately $53,000.00, are old and have high mileage. Consequently, Ogden cannot ensure safe functional vehicles to respond to emergency situations.

I know first hand that many times the apparatus have not been able to respond due to mechanical problems, or if they do happen to arrive on scene often times they cannot pump water, that’s assuming a reliable water supply is available. There are several times that during a fire some of the engines would just stop pumping water. The mechanical problems are only compounded by the fact that the City’s fleet department has no certified mechanics to work on fire apparatus.

The audit also points out that the staffing is “very thin” to guarantee strong firefighting response during periods when medical calls for service are high.

There are four ambulances, three Paramedic units in Ogden City; the fire department provides medical service to a large portion of Weber County. When these medical units are in service on medical calls it places a strain on staffing for firefighting operations. If all of the medical units are busy, approximately half of the on duty firefighters will not be available to respond to perform necessary functions on a fire ground.

The Fire engines are staffed with three firefighters excluding engine four in west Ogden which is staffed with two firefighters, The NFPA standards require four firefighters per engine.

Many of the fire hydrants in the city are not reliable, either broken or not accessible for use at a fire scene. Testing and maintenance of the hydrants have been neglected because of staffing and funding short falls in the water works department.

Also in the report from Citygate is the ability to attract, retain and train firefighters, the audit also added “the entry-level turnover" is indicative of something seriously wrong with the management, leadership and/or hiring practices of the city and department.

The Fire Department has one of the most stringent requirements that a new hire candidate must meet before applying and testing with the fire department. Certifications include Utah State firefighter 1 & 2, Utah State EMT Basic, Haz-mat ops & awareness. The certifications are good, but many times the candidates are not experienced in the fire service, they are placed “on the line” without any training in Ogden’s procedures and equipment. The audit also recommends a full time training and safety officer be added to the department.

The fire stations are mentioned as being tired and worn needing many repairs, with the suggestion of replacement of station 3 on 3rd and Washington, as being cramped and old recommending replacement and remodel of other stations.

I wonder why the Standard-Examiner has not picked up on the report that is not really news; the report has been completed since spring of this year. Could it be that with the endorsement of the incumbent by the Standard-Examiner, they don’t want any more egg on their faces? I believe that the conditions of the Ogden Fire Department are something that the public needs to know about. In my opinion the fire department is in no better condition than the infrastructure of the city because of years of neglect by the Godfrey administration. Mayor Godfrey feels that the City should be run like a business, but he fails to realize that public safety is part of the City’s business; I guess it’s just not cool and sexy to spend money on public safety.

Is it any wonder why the firefighters have not endorsed Mayor Godfrey’s election bids, when he has neglected the fire department for so many years?

The Firefighters of Ogden City will continue to perform their duties to the best of their abilities in a professional manor with the limited resources provided by the City Administration. My only hope is that our luck does not run out, my prayers are with my brothers and sisters in the fire department and the citizens that they serve and protect.