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Stateside Comment FIRE’s US Correspondent Catherine Levin reports from the world’s largest fire service: the Fire Department of New York
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n a story I shall call A Tale Of Two Committees, where only the dedicated shall persevere and watch locally elected politicians fight it out for the fire and rescue service. On a warm summer’s day in the lower part of Manhattan, in a white stucco building called City Hall, the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services meet to discuss the budget of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). It is held in a rather glorious high ceilinged ornate meeting room with grand portraits of Jefferson and Lincoln. I am in the audience to hear what the Commissioner has to say to the elected politicians from City Hall about how he will meet the proposed reduction to his budget. The audience numbers wax and wane and I would say average about 15 non FDNY staff. I am slightly puzzled by the intent of some of the audience, who seem to have brought their sandwiches and picnic blankets. They anticipate the long haul on this one, I think. I am amazed to see how many of the elected members are eating their lunch during the meeting. The ubiquitous coffee
cup is no surprise, but eating a sandwich or a bowl of salad? Members wander in and out of the meeting, and once they say their piece, they pack up and leave. I listen to the debate, much of which had been rehearsed in an earlier meeting back in March, but this time I know more; this is a dance. It is called the budget dance. The budget dance has been going on for four years
“The budget dance has been going on for four years and this time elected members say they are going to have the final dance; a slow dance” and this time elected members say they are going to have the final dance; a slow dance. Essentially what this means is that since the FDNY budget was cut a few years ago, the Commissioner puts up an
annual proposal for how he will manage with a reduced budget. The reductions are partly achieved through the elimination of 20 fire companies made up of 505 staff which cost $59 million (the overall budget is $1.7 billion). Every year City Hall votes for the FDNY to get extra money to balance the budget and ‘save’ these companies. Members acknowledge this during the meeting and ready for the new fiscal year that starts here on July 1, the budget is balanced and the companies are saved. Perhaps a new Mayor will call time on this dance? Contrast this with the summer meetings of the London Assembly and questions to the London Mayor. Against a backdrop of a proposal to shut 12 (now reduced to ten) fire stations and a similar number of staff, Assembly members were mostly unsupportive with one member wielding vast numbers of letters from locals objecting to the proposals in the draft London Safety Plan paper. I watched these meetings online (I may have been the only US statistic on their viewing logs) and as far as I could tell no one was eating, everyone
FIRE’s US Correspondent Catherine Levin
stayed put and they were not all clutching coffee cups from Starbucks. The audience was packed for one meeting and I was heartened to see primary school children experiencing local democracy in action and being acknowledged by the Chair. Chants from the audience curtailed the first meeting and it ended for me with a black screen and a high pitched noise. I doubt anyone in London would refer to these budget proposals and the highly charged debate as any kind of dance, let alone a budget dance.
Dual role can enhance fire service in Devon, Somerset and Wales, says new Chief Adviser
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hief Fire Officer Lee Howell has said his new role as the Welsh Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser and Inspector will offer benefits to both his current service and those across the border. Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell has said his new role as the Welsh Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser and Inspector will offer benefits to both his current service and those across the border.
Commenting on his new position, CFO Howell said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this post which I will undertake in addition to my role as Chief Fire Officer for Devon and Somerset. This additional work will bring in £40,000 income to Devon and Somerset at a time when all fire services are having to do more with less, including the way we deploy our senior officers. “Public sector organisations sharing chief executives and
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senior officers is not unusual in local government and, indeed, has been encouraged in Sir Ken Knight’s review of fire and rescue services nationally. The DSFRS chief will take up his consultancy role in Wales on a two-day-a-week basis as part of an agreement between the Welsh Government and the Service. CFO Howell told FIRE: “From personal experience, I formed part of the Presidential team for CFOA, including holding the role as President in 2011/12,
which required me to balance Service and external national commitments, so I’m fully aware of the need to balance workload and demands and am confident that I will be able to perform both roles effectively. “I am supported by some absolutely exceptional senior managers and staff as together we continue to deal with the financial pressures by thinking and operating differently. “This will be key to our future success.”