Anchorage Fire Department officials and union clash over attempt to curb overtime

Though they a recently announced a compromise labor contract that saved the city money, Anchorage Fire Department officials are now clashing with the firefighters union over reducing overtime by cutting hours of a South Anchorage water truck.

Mike Stumbaugh, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1264, said his members gave up future raises in a recently renegotiated contract with the understanding it would prevent cuts. With the water truck in only partial service, Stumbaugh said he was worried about delays if a fire erupted on the Hillside, and he accused fire department officials of mismanaging the budget.

Fire Chief Denis LeBlanc and Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said the intermittent shutdown of the water truck, which is like a portable fire hydrant, would have happened either way. Budgets were already tight, and the failure of a bond in April didn't help when it comes to meeting Anchorage's demand for emergency medical services without burning up overtime, they said.

City ambulances made about 5,000 more runs to the hospital last year than in 2010, the last time a new ambulance went into service. The increase in hospital runs is about 40 percent in that time.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2017/06/30/city-and-firefighters-union-clash-over-attempt-to-curb-overtime/