Cutting The KCFD After All
I REALLY hope everybody enjoys the All-Star Game . . .
Take a look at an interesting article from Fox4 regarding a compromise over KCFD cuts: "Kansas City Missouri City Manager Troy Schulte said cuts are coming and that the Kansas City Fire Department will take the brunt of them . . . Shulte said he and Kansas City Fire Chief Richard “Smokey” Dyer have been working together to come to a consensus about which positions the fire department would have to cut."
It's interesting that in this new age of Kansas City austerity, even the most politically connected special interests are taking a hit. Supposedly . . .
Posts
73 Comments:
i will believe this shit when i see it being done. this will be a first
And while all the elected are schmoozing with the swells in their box at the game and all the cops are directing traffic and providing security, the thugs on the east side will have a field day.
A city that works. Just not for you.
What a no good fucked up town.
City Crook Troy Schulte should cut himself and save the city probably about 3 normal salaries.
Supposedly...
Pay for performance!!!
Last in, first out!
They should be cut. Look at where the majority of the general fund goes. No brainer.
Can we build more trolleys and 1000 room hotels with the savings?
The toy train exhibit sounds like a swell plan. Lay off 105 firefighters so 100 people will visit the trains. What a stupid man this Schulte is. 25 million for this stupid thing to save 7.5 million from cutting public safety. Don't build the train and spend the 17.5 million on something worth while and leave fire alone. And he wants to piss the cops
off by telling them to get on the cities health plan. What a double fail.
How about laying off those firemen will not save the city that money. They will spend $5 million of that on raises for the police...ONLY if they get on the cities health care program. The other 2.5 will surely be spent on something else. How cab they stand to look themselves in the mirror yet still do this kind of shi!!!
Fire fighters dug their own hole by thuggimg three years worth of retro raises come May 1st. Trains and hotels are part of capital improvement sales tax, not general fund. Paying a fire fighter is not a capital improvement.
How many times can one visit a train museum and not get bored with it? Barely once, I'd say. A train will not save my family in an emergency. No one visits Kansas City anymore due to the crime rate. So, a hotel will be another big fail. You have to have visitors to have a good business. Guess what, we will not have visitors until the crime decreases. This will not happen anytime soon with the thugs running the show. Keep the cops and fireman at work and keep them happy.
No.1 laying off fire and police isn't the answer ether. It's not a capital improvement, it is a need. It's only a improvement when you lay them off and your house burns down. Then EVERYONE NEEDS THEM!
No.2 Public safety shouldn't be thought of as a income. Public safety is something that we need. Even for the thugs that hate them they sure are the first to call when someone steals there new Tahoe with 24's on it.
And for an example I have looked up a few cities so you can compare the numbers. All the percentages are how much the cities proposed budget spends on public safety
Houston Texas 59.90%
City of Los Angeles 70.1%
Chicago 59.5%
And the taxes are almost all higher than ours. And it is very hard to find a city anywhere close to the square mileage and population of our city. That is all, but Im sure you will all hammer me. Look it up.
Again, firemen were promised raises. Getting them is another problem with the city mongers.
I hope those unreasonably high pay raises (average 15 and 16%) were worth it!
KANSAS CITY STAR
AUGUST 24, 2011 ET
Last month, the city agreed to provide raises to fire fighters that will average 15 and 16 percent.
Fire fighters at the top of their pay scale will get 8 percent raises, and newer fire fighters will get close to 30 percent, said Mark Thoma-Perry, the city’s acting budget officer. The raises were part of a three-year wage contract between the city and the fire union. They include two step increases and three cost-of-living increases.
You probably voted for Obama if you believe that horseshit Thoma-Perry! Idiot
Those raise's that the fire department is getting were not a percentage thing. They were steps, and in the end almost 4 years worth. So yes new firefighters that came through drill school at the beginning of the contract are now getting a raise after almost 4 years. Lets say the top pay guys get 8% to make up 4 years of cost of living raises. Thats what they are, is 2% a year. Starting pay for firefighters is not much at all. Just take that in to effect when you start complaining. Cost of living is high as all of you know. We pay the same taxes as you, live in the same city, have our kids go to the same schools but still we make to much. I made just over $53,000 and have been at that pay for over 3 years. We struggle just like everyone else and I work a 2nd job.
Thank you for all that support us. We are going to loose something but all the money doesn't go to us. There is a lot of money waisted in every city.
$53,000 is a very livable wage,IF
you live within your means.
Must be a lot of GED firefighters posting. The trains/hotels have nothing to do with the firefighters. Asposted earlier those are completely different funds. It's not an either or buit don't let that stop you heroes from using scare tactics and entitlement arguments. the borrom line is that hotels and trains will benefit more citizens and have more positive impact than an over staffed and over paiod fire department. One last thing, the reason why you cry babies did not get a raise (much like most other citizens) is because you struck a deal not to lay any firefighters off at the time. But I do not expect any of our self serving heroes acknowledge it. Honestly, do you ever look in the mirror and realize what parasites you have to be to have the general public start resenting you as firefighters? You have to be a collective group of douchebags to over play a firefighter's reputation.
12:38 - Mark Thoma-Perry has a reputation in this city as a man of the highest integrity, unlike most of the members of Local 42.
12:30....you make me laugh!!! Your "GED Firefighter" comment......How about a bit of advice. You might want to proofread your post before you attempt to call out firemen for bring stupid. That's all I have to say about that.
"THE KCFD IS TINKERING WITH AMBULANCE SERVICE PROTOCOLS 'ON THE FLY' NOW THAT KANSAS CITY EMTs ARE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!!!"
More . . .
"AMONG KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF CONTROVERSY OVER THE FACT THAT FIREFIGHTERS CAN NOW "CALL" A PERSON DEAD!!!"
And then . . .
"A RECENT INCIDENT WHERE AN AMBULANCE DIDN'T SHOW UP AND A LOCAL DUDE WAS RULED DEAD BY FIREFIGHTERS IS CREATING A HOT MESS BEHIND THE SCENES!!!"
Also . . .
APPARENTLY, THAT KIND OF CASUAL, SUMMARY MEDICAL JUDGEMENT REPRESENTS A DRAMATIC DEPARTURE FROM KANSAS CITY AMBULANCE SERVICE STANDARDS!!!
Just as TKC (and everyone else in town) predicted . . .
THE QUALITY OF MEDICAL CARE SEEMS TO BE SUFFERING IN KANSAS CITY BECAUSE OF A POLITICAL MOVE BY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT HAS BEEN A HORRIBLE MISTAKE THAT JEOPARDIZES LOCAL LIVES!!!
As someone else has already said, "Pay for performance!!!"
Maybe adding a bunch of salaried positions under a public safety sales tax that everyone knew would eventually sunset wasn't such a bright idea after all!
Bottom line, the general fund is short and the majority of that fund pays for fire and police, not hotels or trains. What else can you cut? Wait for 2013 and hopefully the economy will pickup if the GOP wins. If not, expect $6 gas and four more years of a sucking economy.
Schulte is doing a good job, especially given the mess that Barnes, Cauthen and past councils created. He's the only one with the guts to stand up to Local 42.
Cambiano came to a budget meeting and publicly disputed Smokey's numbers. Local 42 contradicts their own boss. Go figure...
12:30 lol.. you should take some of your own advice.FAIL!!
Despite their spelling errors, 2:30 actually makes some good points.
I agree with the above post. I'd guess the errors in the post were due to a phone's keyboard and not lack of intelligence.
I'm surprised firefighters have time to post here. Are their XBoxes broken or something? Cable TV out?
I know I can't sit around and read/post shit on blogs at work.I'm too busy working my ass off .
If I don't produce ,someone will be there to take my place,Pronto!
I'm a medic for KCFD and I totally think the job is much better than it was when it was MAST. The guys I work with have been total professional on every call. They work their asses off on scene. Yes, I'm not happy that they throw a kid with 3 weeks of training on an ambulance but the veterans with over 10 yrs. on the job are awesome, some with less. Marissa and Lesa are the ones that give the fire department a bad name with all the bullshit they put on here. If we got rid of a few bad wheels, this department could contend with any department in the country. Stay strong police and fire, things will get better once the bugs get fixed.
All you people who want to slam the firefighters ask yourself who negotiated this past contract with the firefighters. You will find out that it was acting City Manager Troy Schulte who was working a deal behind the scenes to become the City Manager. Troy was willing to agree to anything for any help in getting him appointed to the City Managers position.
Some day all you people who are anti fire/police and ems are going to need help.
I can only hope that every body is busy on other calls due to lack or shortage of personel and you have to wait for a mutual aid unit.
Emergency services is the same as insurance of any kind. You pay and you pay and always hope you don't need it. But at same time you know it is there to help you if need be. As for one who as well sat many an hour on duty sometimes it gets boring other times it don't but I had to stay there to be ready if one of your loved ones fell down with an attack of some sort or all of a sudden you woke up in the night smoke alarm screaming and you smell smoke. Yes I was one of those who was maybe doing nothing a few minutes before your house caught on fire but if you called for help I came to help you no matter what the weather was or time of day. So best be careful for what you could be setting yoourself up for. What if you called 911 and nobody never came or it took 20 minutes to get there and you have to explain to your kids how Grandma died because you raised so much hell a lot of fireman got let go and there wasn't enough on duty to come save Grandma.
If something bad happens to me or my family, I hope the fire dept. is playing XBox or watching tv.
It means they will be available to help me. And not busy on something else.
Troy Schulte, annual salary $187,200 plus benefits.
Where should the cuts be made?
12:01 Fire Fighters on the KCFD are thugs! oops babies and leaches among a list of other things they have proven themselves to be.
As far as your statement about a train, you should get on one and get the hell out of this city if you are worried about your family having an emergency in this town! KCFD - (Kansas City Fuckups = Death)
7:27 your posting title should've been Super DUMB Dave, super ass kisser Dave, Super I have 42's dick in my mouth Dave, I am a KCFD employee and need this job Dave, as far as "Super Dave" I doubt that shit!!!!
8:35 187K, that's welfare to me !, you couldn't pay me that chicken scratch shit to manage this shit hole town, and when he (Troy) is standing up to the TRUTH on what needs to be cut in this dust bowl full of thugs, then as a tax payer 187K is well worth the money, the savings will come once the bullies are held accountable for the wasteful spending in KC.
Troy Schulte is a fat fucking idiot. I wish we could fire that cock sucker.
6:26 and 9:16, you have no clue what you're talking about. Schulte was not dealing behind the scenes with the firefighters to get his job. Local 42 loved Cauthen. Schulte got the job (and is doing it well) w/o the support of Louie and Co. And the negotiations were just that: NEGOTIATIONS! Nothing was signed, despite that pig Louie Wright waving a piece of paper at a committee meeting and saying he had a "deal". There was no deal and Louie was just handling things the was he also has... in a crooked fashion.
The Council members, particularly the one that used to be married to a firefighter and the ones who benefited from the donations from Local 42 have kissed the union's ass for so long, they don't know how to do anything else. Now we have a City Manager who stands up to the KCFD and makes tough choices... or actually expects Smokey Dyer to do his well-paid job and make his own department's tough choices.
It's a refreshing change to have a City Manager who actually lives in KCMO and cares about this City, who is moral and ethical. We haven't had that since before Cauthen.
Times are tough and the decisions to be made are equally challenging. The time of a bloated and overpaid FD is over.
@7:27
You hateful asshole I see you have a huge hate for any fire dept. Well I am not nor have I ever been KC-MO fireman nor a fireman else where anymore that life is in my past now.
But it pisses me off when I see jerks as you come crawling out of what ever hole you live in and trash talk those who work at protecting you or maybe saving your life.
@9:45
OK what do you mean bloated and over paid post your proof or shut up
You haters come on here piss and whine but never show a damn thing.
Funny you don't seem to think city hall is bloated and over paid.
9:51 Actually Super dumb Dave that's not at all true, I dont hate ALL fire departments, just ones that claim heroism yet at the same time bitch and moan when they dont get their way like a 3 year old, while sucking a city dry by their irrational entitlement attitudes.
You may not be a FF now but you were and your cultish loyalty to the fire service while talking out of your ass seems to still remain.
You should get a mind of your own, and while you are driving to go get that, you may want to stop and grap a bag of honesty, morals, and values while you are at it, and if you have some extra time you may want to do something that is right for once instead of follow the KCFD brotherhood of hose draggers. and their mode of irrational thinking.
Calm down everyone. Just keep voting for anyone with a D next to their name, or for the "non-partisan" city council elections, vote for those who attend the Dem National Convention. I mean it has worked so well for KC for the past 60 years.
Funny when how the people post about KCFD, the roaches squirm to defend.
Typical KCFD behavior!!
Super Dave, I'm not going to do the work for you. Go online and see the site that shows City employee salaries. You'll find several firefighters, including the ex Mr. Cindy Circo, who make in the high 80s to low 90,000 bucks per year. And for no more work than they do... that is bloated. We have more fire stations and personnel than we need. Its a fact.
Yes, there are some overpaid people at the Hall. There are also many more underpaid ones, who do good jobs, work long hours and care. Go online and look it up.
There: I just showed you how to find "damn things" and rejected your notion about what I think.
You're not so "super", Super Dave.
I call him stupid dave for a reason.
Big test for Cambiano. First year as president and layoffs don't look well. Well see if Local 42 still has power under new regime?
9:57 The public doesn't have to post "proof" we see the proof everyday, when KCFD slacks and takes advantage of taxpayers while providing substandard service with our money.
Its really frustrating to read all these post..does the city need to make budget yes..but should it come from the public safety budget No! Thats common sense its protects the city! Now, the reason it may look as though kcfd is where the budgets need to be made is because they have people who are eligable for retirement who wont retire. There salary makes up at least 3 starting firemens salery. Now that just shows if cutts are made where to make them. Why would you cut your cheapest employee. And what happens when the older firemen decide to call it quits your goning to have a major shortage and need to hire again. And this will all start over again. Bottom line is kansas city may need to make cuts but would rather have trains downtown, stuff for the all star game (which will make tons of money for the city without the city doing anything), oh and dont forget about pay raises for certian jobs or have the city SAFE! Just wait till its you or your loved one in the burning building and the fire department cant go in because there short a man (or when they do and maybe get hurt or worse because the city made budget cuts). Not only is it the citys safety thats at risk its those 105 firefighters that have dedicated there life to the job of protecting you! What about there familys! As i said before maybe budget cuts are needed in the city but cutting the people who care and work to protect it is NOT the answer!
11:42 you are drunk or on drugs go to bed. re-read your post you look like a retard!!
5:44 Who are this Marissa and Lesa you speak of? Two women can cause the entire fire department to be fucked up? Impressive. I know some medics and emts who work for the FD and they are taking medications because they are always nauseated by the way they are being treated in their stations. Many have had panic attacks while at work. Some have diarrhea and stomach problems because the firemen refuse to help them on scenes and they do not know from one call to the next when that is going to happen. One told me that their station )on Paseo)? has told them they don't belong there and they are scum. There are so many stories, I don't want to even list any more. I have fire, police, and ems friends. By far, the ems people are being screwed in the whole thing. I don't know Lesa or Marissa but if they are trying to make things better for their coworkers, what could be wrong with that?
Remember December 29th, when Westport Presyterian the historic 100 year old church was devastated by fire? That church is just a matter of a few blocks from a KCFD fire house. Talk about epic FAILURE!!! They must have been involved in a really good XBox game and too busy to respond in a timely manner so as to save this wonderful old building. I say pay them based on their performance!!!
LOL - 7:40 - Local 42 would probably defend their poor performance on 12/29 by saying that actually saving a historic, landmark less than half a mile from their fire house isn't in their labor contract! You are correct, EPIC FAIL on 12/29!!! KCFD = Public Safety zeroes rather than heroes!
9:42. Your not listening. The GENERAL FUND budget is short. The majority of the GENERAL FUND goes to police and fire. You must cut fire and police. AND since fire had to have there three years worth of raises in a flat economy, this makes perfect sense. As far as your "we are gods and loved ones in a burning building". There will still be enough fire fighters for that.
Schulte was party to the contract negotiations. It was signed. It is a legally binding contractual agreement -- an institution that is supposed to be sancrosant to the anti-union pro-corporate crowd. And Schulte was the architect of the MAST take-over.
7:40, you're an idiot.
They were on scene within two minutes of the first 911 call.
They can't respond to a fire until it is noticed or reported.
Drug test the Fire Department. That will get rid of at least 300.
11:43 - You're an idiot. If they were there that quickly and still couldn't save the building, that makes their EPIC FAIlURE that much WORSE!!!
You all are a bunch of cock gobblers! You are all experts on how things are run in this city. You all know how firemen work. You all know what goes on in a fire house. Question is: How do you know what goes on in a fire house? Your only answer is " I heard someone say that." there's a lot of firemen in this city and you all think they are worthless? You know every single fireman? Man, you guys are experts. Expert douche bags! How would you have put out that church fire that was burning inside the wall for hours before anyone called? I'm sure you would have used some magical water or some expert way you have of thinking. Get a life you burger flippers!
4:54 Dickhead. The fire department consumes a very large chunk of the city general fund budget. That budget is short. What else are you going to do? Print money? Raise taxes so fire fighters can get a raise in a recession? Wanna turn the economy and get a raise? VOTE REPUBLICAN
Funny, someday the entire general fund budget will go to the fire department and we will still be having this debate. Wise up folks, take a basic economics class. Do something.
The FD is drug-tested, more often than any other city department, in fact.
And they have the lowest failure rate of any city department.
6:39, that's no joke. Save some money by not drug testing every damn person every week. If you pass consistently, stretch the testing out. It's keeping trucks off the streets for service while they sit in an overcrowded comp care office.
Enjoy your next burger
I know I will!
Bullshit. They can piss dirty 4 Times before being fired
I hope those unreasonably high pay raises (average 15 and 16%) were worth it!
KANSAS CITY STAR
AUGUST 24, 2011 ET
Last month, the city agreed to provide raises to fire fighters that will average 15 and 16 percent.
Fire fighters at the top of their pay scale will get 8 percent raises, and newer fire fighters will get close to 30 percent, said Mark Thoma-Perry, the city’s acting budget officer. The raises were part of a three-year wage contract between the city and the fire union. They include two step increases and three cost-of-living increases.
4:54 - We're not getting paid to figure out how to put out that fire. You are!!! Pay for performance would see in everyone of you dickheads fired after your EPIC FAILURE!!! Do your fucking job! If you don't like taking 105 job cuts, if working for Kansas City sucks as bad as all you fire fighters keep inplying... QUIT!!!! In this economy, people will line up to take those high paying jobs. So, quit your bitching, and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB you worthless piece of union shit!!!
Hey @4:45am, sorry you failed the physical agility test. It is okay, not everyone can be a firefighter.
You mean that guy making 10 bucks an hour that just started after 3 years makes 13. Ya, he is ripping off the taxpayer. Get a clue. You think he is taking a cruise this summer and driving a Lexus on that salary.
I have been a FF for 14 years in a major Midwest city. I left because it was not about saving people from fires, or saving a structure and minimizing damage,or even saving lives.
The union fire service is about power and greed and being entitled because of the job we did.
I left because my co workers had no morals or values, I left because of the way women co- workers were treated in house and all of the things that were being done behind the public eye that would (if the public ever knew the truth)would in turn show them (the public) that we really are not the heros we claim to be.
Back in the day FF's were real heros, dedicated people who had a passion for fighting fires and saving lives, today its about pensions, benefits, about what more that can be gotten under the label of being a hero.
The label is turning because the public is getting smart in this down economy and if you folks that still are in this line of work think you will continue to demand the respect you think you deserve from the public then you will have to earn it, and not by selling propaganda to the public, but by being real and truthful about what the fire service in this generation is really all about.
The flies are landing on your stink and people are starting to pay more attention than you think....its time you get smart and start doing the right thing, after all that is what the public expects!!! Its time you live up to the definition of "hero" good luck with that.
Shame on anyone leaving comments w/o actually knowing what is going on! My husband is a firefighter for KC and barely makes $13/hour! That "raise" that they got back after 2 years took him from $11/hour to almost $13. This is the profession he chose, and we're not complaining, but the people that actually have the courage and discipline to do it are now being critisized and un-apprecaited. How dare people think that trollies or trains are needed more than first responders. These people do more than fight fires, and until you need 1, you won't understand. And you're all so cowardly to put anonymous, just shows you know one day you may need the firefighters you're wanting to fire. And shame on Sly James for insinuating to the fire dept's union members that he would be supportive of them, when he's just backing up Troy Schulte. No doubt he will be losing many votes next round, as well as the city council members. Not to mention they say it's b/c of cuts, but voters unanimously voted to keep the earnings tax to pay for this specific area in the budget, and now the city council has taken it upon themselves to go against what the voters wanted. It is not a matter of the money not being there, but wanting to put the money in other places. Ridiculous. Please, read and watch the meetings before you comment, and remember if you don't know someone on the fire dept. you probably don't really know what's going on! And those people you are calling names are husbands, wives, dads, moms, etc. and to my knowledge none of them are complaining about what they do, it's about how they're treated. Telling someone to quit who could potentially save your life is wrong. I think you should look in the mirror at who you are, to need to go on the internet and try to hurt people. Very sad for you.
It all comes down to when anyone has a emergency and need the fire dept to come and help and you or your family member is in a life or death situation you will wish there were enough help to come to you police and fire depts should be consider number one in the city people compain about crime and the cuts the police budget does this really sound responible I hope the train will help anyone that needs its HA HA wake up to the real needs of a city not a fancy train
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