"The Salisbury Fire Department has been understaffed for years. It has fewer personnel now than it did 10 years ago, while call volume has increased significantly to more than 11,000 runs yearly. The SFD asks the City Council for people every year; the response is: "Find your own funding." It did. This grant will fill current vacancies and soon-to-be-retired positions. We have already paid our federal taxes; why let it be spent in another city? If Salisbury had not accepted this grant, the city would likely never receive another federal grant."
From A Commenter:
"The SFD has not asked Council for new staff for years. The staffing has remained at 66 for at least five years, with no (zero) budget requests from the mayor's office to the council for more. If SFD has asked for more staffing, it's been quietly nixed at the mayoral level before the mayor's budget got to council, with council never being made aware of the request. Requests for city department staffing come from department heads to the mayor, then to the council for budgetary approval, not from department heads to the council."
Publishers Notes: Once again the Daily Times publishes complete LIES in the Grapevine. They know for a fact that this is NOT true at all. Terry Cohen stated SEVERAL TIMES on the record, "66 requested, 66 granted". "66 requested, 66 granted".
I'm sorry Folks but not only can I not stand the Daily Times, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE STARTED SALISBURY NEWS! They USE that paper to publish anonymous Grapevine comments to spew lies regularly, especially after we come out with a completely different article telling the TRUTH and making them look bad. Just pop in some convenient anonymous lies and it will make their crap believable.
My hat is tipped to Mrs. Cohen for calling the Fire Department out as well as the Mayor on this issue. The above published grapevine comments continue to prove the Daily Times is still in the Mayor's back pocket, (a figure of speech) and is in damage control mode.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
51 comments:
I completely agree with your assessment of The Daily Times biased coverage of political events.
Many who know me - know that I have also been critical of The Daily Times. The DT organization is the most liberal of the liberals when it comes to promotion of their own agenda.
Over the years I have called their staff on numerous occasions and protested their assertions on local employment statistics, job generation, budget issues, and have even provided them with actual documentation - and still they turn a 'blind eye' to factual evidence.
So now what do I now - I just avoid them altogether and encourage as many people as I know not to NOT buy their ridiculous tabloid newsprint.
The DT organization is a notorious liberal charade that embellishes deception.
READERS BEWARE - DON'T BUY INTO IT!
11,000 runs annually? i call bs. How many of them were actually fires or situations where they were truly needed. I think most of them must have been multiple trucks and personnel from different firehouses responding to the same fender bender! Please do tell us how many fires were there in the city of salisbury last year?
The DT may be exactly what you claim it to be. They misquote people on a regular basis and their reporters can't seem to get their facts straight. However, the fact rings true in this case. All dept heads have "rules" issued to them prior to budget submission. Every SFD budget for the last 10 years has had some staffing increase as a part of it with the exception of when various mayors have stated in those pre-budget rules to NOT request staffing or raises. You may choose to not believe it but it is simple fact. Mrs Cohen may not be aware of this but if she were to investigate it she would find it to be true. It's true for PD and PW as well. Any present or past mayor who denied this would not be telling the truth.
"They USE that paper to publish anonymous Grapevine comments to spew lies regularly"
Please explain how that is not EXACTLY what you do here. Please, humor us and tell us how you're any different. PLEASE.
There were approximately 2500 fire service calls last year and 9000 ems calls for service. These are individual alerts for service no matter how many vehicles responded. It is a matter of public record that if you really wanted to know you could have easily looked up. These numbers are submitted each year and are easily verified. You can also visit their website to see how many calls they run each month and what the pace is for the year. They run over twice the calls in a year than all the other county stations COMBINED. not arguing. Just providing facts that anyone can find if you care to look. I did and was surprised.
anonymous 9:13, thank you for your comment but let me just get this straight.
Let's just say your right, the FD asked for additional Firefighters throughout ALL of the years you imply.
Are you suggesting the Daily Times is RIGHT about publishing this lie? Are you suggesting Terry Cohen would ever LIE about anything?
Terry Cohen said it again and again, we have NEVER seen a request for additional staff. 66 requested, 66 granted.
NOW, you, (or anyone else) is perfectly welcome to send me a copy of the requests you imply have been sent in each year and guess what, END OF STORY.
However, UNTIL that happens, I believe the City Council and NOT the Fire Department, with all due respect.
YOU have the opportunity to make this right. IF at ANY time ANY one of you can prove Terry Cohen or ANY other Council Member lied, I WILL PUBLISH IT.
So let's call it what it is. An anonymous commenter simply saying what they know is accurate without any evidence.
I'll respectfully await your reply.
anonymous 9:21, GET REAL! How many of those calls are false alarms? I believe someone asked how many FIRES the SFD is called to each year.
Running Fire Trucks to car accidents doesn't count in the citizens eyes.
You guys twist numbers, period. 95% of the calls into the SFD are Ambulance calls.
As the years go on, people are much more careful. Most have smoke detectors. The UL code to manufacture products that caught fire in the past is much more strict. Some places now have sprinkler systems. Fire Departments aren't growing, they're shrinking.
Not to knock anyone but people need to THINK. There are far more elderly people out there calling 911 for medical conditions. Fire Departments are making a small fortune running Ambulance calls.
Heck, I have a close friend who had to be taken to Johns Hopkins and was charged $7,000.00 from the Fire Department to take them there. To me, that's a racket.
So let's see the real numbers, not the Daily Times version.
Not in any way should you take that as an implication that Mrs Cohen lied. I believe she is telling the truth that council has not received budgets from the mayor showing staffing requests. Please re-read what was written. The dept heads are instructed on what can and can't be submitted. Those "allowed" items are then considered and either accepted or denied. That then becomes what a mayor submits to council as a budget. Council may not know what the dept heads actually requested in their original budget. If dept heads were able to be forthright about it without fear of retribution they could state this but you of all folks know how that would turn out. Truly think about it Mr Albero. What organization wouldn't ask for staffing? Even if only a couple each year. The SFD has been preaching staffing since the city paid $40000.00 10 years ago to the Singer Group. That was when Brezler was chief. I'm sorry Im not in a position to give papers as the proof you ask for. It is fact though.
Plain and simple the fire department was able to operate before this grant and respond to all of "those calls" were they not? So why do they need more money now?
@9:45 so what you are saying is take up that issue with Ireton huh?
anonymous 9:45, thank you for that clarification. I just want to be sure we ALL understand it for what it is.
So your saying the Mayor refused to give the Fire Department the additional staff they felt necessary.
Let me say this Folks. There are certain requirements within the Fire Department, standards, let call them.
When a Fire Truck goes out, the national standard is at LEAST 4 Firefighters. I know for a FACT that in many, (if not most) cases they only have THREE. Mayor Ireton is well aware of this and GA Harrison's article spells it out completely. Ireton is more interested in himself than he is in public safety OR the safety of those people on the front line.
I have always stated that public safety MUST be a first priority. Until a certain time I will not be privy to the ins and outs of each Department and I'm sure Mayor Ireton is going to make it VERY difficult for me to gain such knowledge.
That being said, we'll get things right for both the SFD and the SPD. We'll figure out ways to raise the necessary money to fund BOTH Departments without it costing the taxpayers with additional taxes, as Mayor Ireton proposed in the last Budget.
Thanks to our current City Council, they found ways to NOT raise the taxes Ireton wanted to increase and that is EXACTLY why we need to retain those Council Members in the next election.
If you want tax and spend leadership in Salisbury, PLEASE VOTE FOR JIM IRETON OR MIKE DUNN. I'm NOT your man, in that case.
We as a community will fund raise in order to get the things the SFD wants and needs, like it should be. I will also make damn sure the SFD starts recruiting Volunteers again. IF they don't like it, tough. That's the route I'm going to push and those Volunteers will be proud to serve in Salisbury.
We're all going to work as a TEAM again, if I'm elected.
Joe - was your friend taken to Hopkins by commercial or 911? 98% of the time its commercial....911 won't do those runs unless it is for a special reason; however, commercial does it on a regular basis and commercial runs do not count the same as 911, nor does the fee go toward 911 companies
anonymous 10:01, it was a Fire Department.
Remember a couple of years ago when Campbell found the "shadow budget" that had been hidden by the Mayor. It contained a request for additional police that had been hidden from the council by the Mayor. It was her homework and questions that brought that to light. It seems that the common thread is that Slaisbury needs an honest Mayor that doesn't hide things about the business of the city from the council or the public.
The numbers are what they are. If you or someone you care for is involved in an accident you will be glad to have their response. And the numbers are factual. They are dispatched calls for service. They may not be fires. No arguments about that but the fact is someone called 911 and the call was sent out. No FD has control over what they're called to. Many are just that. BS! That doesn't change the fact it was a call. Complain to those people abusing the service. Not the responders. If they called and the FD didn't come they would be complaining that no one showed and griping about their tax dollars being spent and not getting service. The FD can't win. And no one was carried by any SFD ambulance to Hopkins. The SFD hasn't transported private patients for 20 years. And if they were charged $7000 they need to complain to Medicare because ambulance services base rates on what Medicare allows. I imagine your friend was transported by a local private company. SFD ems billing is also based on what medicare allows. The charges can't be more than that by law. No argument. Just fact that is public and accessible if you choose to look. Call any ambulance company. The rates may differ if there is no insurance involved and the transport is a private pay.
Mr Albero your right. They did ask for actual fires. I haven't seen that number and don't know it. That doesn't change the amount of calls they're required by law to respond to though. It's still a very busy dpt for its size. No one can take that from them. Sorry for misreading the request
No way would Cohen lie and any time she has been mistaken, she has always thanked the person for pointing out her error. (I wonder if she ever got an apology from Laura Mitchell for Mitchell's false accusation against her?)
I probably shouldn't say anything because I would not want anyone to take my words as coming from Mrs. Cohen. But I have talked to her about the fire dept. many times including staffing. What she was saying Monday night was just that the fire chief and the mayor had not told council at budget time that they just got to have more staff. Now, surprise, it's a "crisis."
The council has at times stuck their necks out to get something more for a department when they found out about a problem another way. But don't forget Veto Vinny, aka Jim Ireton, fights them on every good thing they try to do.
This grapevine comment said:
"This grant will fill current vacancies and soon-to-be-retired positions."
Joe, this sounds like a firefighter wrote it. Terry Cohen directly asked Hoppes if this grant was to fund "3 frozen positions and 9 new one." He said yes.
She said positions, not people, so where does this grapevine writer get that this will cover "soon-to-be-retired positions"?
Okay, who is lying this time, the comment writer or Hoppes?
One think I would like to know and it's a legitimate question. When was the last time the Salisbury Fire Department had an actual working structure fire in the city limits?
Anonymous said...
There were approximately 2500 fire service calls last year and 9000 ems calls for service. These are individual alerts for service no matter how many vehicles responded. It is a matter of public record that if you really wanted to know you could have easily looked up. These numbers are submitted each year and are easily verified. You can also visit their website to see how many calls they run each month and what the pace is for the year. They run over twice the calls in a year than all the other county stations COMBINED. not arguing. Just providing facts that anyone can find if you care to look. I did and was surprised.
August 30, 2012 9:21 AM
Thank you for this information, but you have never identified how many of these calls were fires where actual "firefighters" were needed. Please give us that information instead of making us guess with your fudge factors.
Anonymous said...
Mr Albero your right. They did ask for actual fires. I haven't seen that number and don't know it. That doesn't change the amount of calls they're required by law to respond to though. It's still a very busy dpt for its size. No one can take that from them. Sorry for misreading the request
August 30, 2012 10:34 AM
WHAT LAW ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?????
Please cite the law that requires the Salisbury Fire Department to respond on any call. Please tell us what law.
JoeAlbero said...
Let me say this Folks. There are certain requirements within the Fire Department, standards, let call them.
August 30, 2012 10:00 AM
Joe, lets make this very clear. A standard is not the law or and adopted code or a requirement. If the standard says four on a fire truck then factor volunteers in that equation.
August 30, 2012 11:00 AM
The writer was Hoppes. He has been lying all the time and now he is lying to cover his own lies.
The commenter said "This grant will fill current vacancies and soon-to-be-retired positions."
That is not true.
10:27, so now you admit most of the calls are bs. so rather than reform the system so that resources aren't wasted needlessly we'll just cry for even more money and resources to be wasted!
Sounds like a true democratic obummer supportor to me!
I do believe that Mrs. Campbell, and Mrs. Cohen do have the best interests of Salisbury and the taxpayer at heart. At least, Mrs. Campbell asks the tough questions and strives to find out the answers. That is more than what we have had before.
Thank you
Less than 3% of the call volume for the Salisbury Fire Department is actual house fires. The rest of the fire engine responses are to boost their call volume by self dispatching and chasing ambulance calls. The need is for paramedics to cover the thousands of ambulance calls and not to staff the fire engines. Call on the volunteers to staff the fire trucks.
What happens when the volunteers scratch 12:50?? Who would be there to cover the call because YOU dont feel like getting off your butt.
I'm sure we'll hear soon that Station 16 wants to abolish volunteers all together. They'l;l claim there just aren't enough of them to make things work.
BEFORE that happens I'm calling BS on that NOW.
Station 16 is doing nothing to agressively recruit Volunteers. IMHO, I see them creating their own internal kind of union.
As I recall from the way they designed the new building, it was to house College Students interested in living there while volunteering. HOW'S IT WORKING FOR YOU?
We also learned years ago that the SFD is afraid of Volunteers because they can't "control" them like they can paid Firefighters.
We need to break away from this impression. There are far too many Fire Stations across the nation that have both and I'm not going to put the City Taxpayers in a position in which the SFD will want all paid Firefighters.
Things are going to change come April 2013.
Last house fire Hazel Ave Aug 21. You can't add for volunteers that don't show. Standards are not law. Very true. BUT standards are what the dept will be tried against in a court. Happens all across the country. Look up the requirements yourself. I've already provided you with a bunch of facts that all you want to do is argue over with opinion. Do some of your own leg work and educate your ignorant self. If the FD didnt respond watch the city get sued and your question will be answered
They need more cops! Sorry, but anytime a small agency has more cops on patrol on any given shift than salisbury, 30 times its population there's a problem.
@1:56 standards are not law.
Boils down to this:
As long as Jim Ireton is mayor, the FD and everything else will suck.
As long as Rick Hoppes (run by Bill Gordy of return fireworks fame) runs the FD, the FD will suck.
The only thing standing between "sucks" and "sucks worse" has been Debbie Campbell (and not quite as much but still good, Terry Cohen).
Without Debbie Campbell, you people wouldn't know jack about what is going on in your government. Your taxes would be way higher and the privileged few would be even higher on the hog at your expense.
Of course, love him or hate him, you have to give Joe Albero credit because he has revealed things to you that the so-called media pros have hidden from you.
Anonymous said...
The commenter said "This grant will fill current vacancies and soon-to-be-retired positions."
That is not true.
August 30, 2012 12:38 PM
Who are the people who will be retiring soon? Please name names or we will consider you a liar. I asked around and found out their are only 3 people that can retire within 2 years and one of them happens to be Rick Hoppes. Please name the other 9 if you would be so kind. As a matter of fact I was told Rick Hoppes can retire in 2 months so please have him retire.
Joe I have to agree with August 30, 2012 3:55 PM. The people need to be informed about this important information that you are explosing. Please move this article to the top so that we may see what else is exposed. Thank you sir.
Yes please move this to the top to continue exposing the lies and corruption coming out of the Salisbury Fire Department from Rick Hoppes and John Tull. The Salisbury Fire Department is fairly young these days and Hoppes and Tull are like a cancer that spreads which will infect them.
Joe, in all fairness as a journalist, as well as someone wishing to be the next Mayor, I ask that you pleas get both sides of the stories that you post from the volunteer as well as career members. Your source is obviously a volunteer because your comments are somewhat one sided. I urge you to meet with both sides before you become Mayor so that you fully understand how this situation works , as well as the issues. The current Mayor didn't even realize that the SFD was a combination department untill he was mid way through his campaign. Thank you.
I agree with am earlier comment that Rick Hoppes and John Tull are corrupt. Bill Gordy is in the background for Hoppes and Jeff Simpson is running offense for John Tull. Simpson is trying his best to get Debbie Campbell to get Tull promoted to fire chief.
I must be crazy, but I thought the purpose of the fire department, was to protect citizens, and their property when and if fire strikes. From what I'm reading, it sounds more like a major tug of war between union (paid employees), and volunteers. When the union gets involved, everyone and everything goes south quickly. I think the department has completely lost sight of their core values, and mission. I'm not saying I'm against the firefighters; they are very much needed and the work they do is life-saving. They are an intergral part of the community. What isn't needed is the corruption of the leadership that distorts and deceives all the good work the firefighters do. Check the attitudes at the door, move positively forward and work together and not against each other and everyone will benefit. Thank you
Another idiot. I am not in the fire department, but have known John Tull for years. Don't know Hoppes, but as far as John Tull....he is a great guy...a family guy. You know Joe...it is a shame that you, who are running for mayor, or say you are, will allow this crap to be posted about good honest people, yet you won't allow a simple comment to be posted that differences with your opinion. I have had just about enough of this crap. If you ever thrown your hat in, be prepared for some very pointed public questions about the way that you have allowed this blog to operate. I have been quiet for years and not said anything, and really did not want to use my name, but you WILL know my name when/if you are running for Mayor. THAT is a promise.
Well, it seems you have answered your own question. Sounds like a quarter of the positions will be filled by retirees, and maybe the rest by people that aren't cutting the mustard.
You are twisting. While the calls may turn out to be BS, the fact is that a call comes in and it has to be responded to. You can't send out a squad that goes out and screens the calls for real or BS idiot.
50 percent of fire calls are a joke they show up for every car accident there is to justify their pathetic existence Salisbury Fire Dept is a traveling circus.
I disagree with you Joe on not having an all paid fd. If you can't control them this is what you get.
Arguing, bickering, distractions, in-fighting etc.
They come and go as they like. They show up or don't show up when it suits them.
It's more of a status thing with them than it is of being a professional firefighter/emt.
And I'm sure that could be said for some of the paid ones too. But a house divided will not stand. And it sure looks like the SFD is divided.
Anonymous said...
Well, it seems you have answered your own question. Sounds like a quarter of the positions will be filled by retirees, and maybe the rest by people that aren't cutting the mustard.
August 30, 2012 9:51 PM
HUH?
Anonymous said...
50 percent of fire calls are a joke they show up for every car accident there is to justify their pathetic existence Salisbury Fire Dept is a traveling circus.
August 30, 2012 10:01 PM
Actually 95% of the calls for fire truck responses are a joke. That was proven by the $40,000 study the city paid for under Brezler. Hoppes and Tull came up with a policy that states the officer in charge of a fire engine crew is mandated to go on most ambulance calls or they will face charges and discipline. This is call self dispatching which is a liability and could find themselves in court if they wreck that big fire truck while enroute to an ambulance call a wreck killing car load of children. All of this in the name of job security. Speaking of wrecking didn't one of the volunteers wreck a fire truck from Station 2 on a Hebron fire they self dispatched themselves on?
I would bet you are a TICK in Salisbury
Anonymous said...
Another idiot. I am not in the fire department, but have known John Tull for years. Don't know Hoppes, but as far as John Tull....he is a great guy...a family guy. You know Joe...it is a shame that you, who are running for mayor, or say you are, will allow this crap to be posted about good honest people, yet you won't allow a simple comment to be posted that differences with your opinion. I have had just about enough of this crap. If you ever thrown your hat in, be prepared for some very pointed public questions about the way that you have allowed this blog to operate. I have been quiet for years and not said anything, and really did not want to use my name, but you WILL know my name when/if you are running for Mayor. THAT is a promise.
August 30, 2012 9:48 PM
Ok I will take your word for it. You don't know John Tull and you aren't in the fire department, but you know John Tull is a "great guy." What does being a great guy have to do with running a fire department and stabbing real "great" people in the back. I smell a lie here. Is this you John? Is this You Jeff Simpson? What about Beverly or mommy?
I think this person is trying to bully and intimidate Joe with threats and bullying. This is what John Tull and his few followers are all about. Guess what my friend Joe and his supporters aren't worried about your threats. Bring it on!!
So now the fd is full of crap?
Is that the volunteer fd. or the paid fd?
Would that include the EMT's or just the ff's?
Or is it just the EMT's and not the ff's?
I'm not going to put the City Taxpayers in a position in which the SFD will want all paid Firefighters.
What if that's what the City Taxpayers want?
You gonna go against their wishes? Too.
Joe:
Please send this post to Gannett's headquarters -- not to the hotshot they sent here from NY -- and ask that they can Bassett and his cohorts.
PS - at least 365 of those annual runs are to get stuff at Giant -- for which a huge truck or engine is used.
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