Bruce Philpott’s 04-29-08 Budget Study Session Presentation

I have been presenting ways to save $15 million annually in the fire department that will enhance operational effectiveness by cutting response times and staffing at a level that will meet the safety needs of the public. That is an on-going effort that is now occurring during oral communications on Tuesday evenings.

There are two other budgetary items that can capture nearly one million additional dollars each year. A big part of the savings occurs with the elimination of the battalion chief’s driver and administrative aide. With a full cost burden for one aide at $225,000 per year, the total annual savings comes to somewhere around $800,000 when position coverage overtime is included. While that represents only 10% of the savings you would realize if you decided to staff back to three on engine and truck companies, it is still significant.

Neither Pasadena nor Burbank fire departments staff such a position. There are only two departments in the county that do: Los Angeles City and Beverly Hills. The aide’s administrative duties can be assigned to the captain of Truck Company 21. That truck company is located at the same fire station that houses the battalion chief. Since the truck company averages less than thirty minutes per shift responding on calls, this supervisor has available time to perform administrative duties for the battalion chief. To manage the driver function, one of the firefighters assigned to Truck or Engine Company 21 could perform the duties of driving the battalion chief to calls that require his presence. This is a cost-effective way to use existing personnel resources.

To address the second issue that can recover some additional overtime in the fire department, it first is necessary to cite some statistics: Glendale firefighters average 504 hours of compensated time off each year. That factors into 21 shifts, or over two months of non-work per year. You can easily see how position coverage overtime can get out of control.

Fire management has to get better controls on how it dispenses overtime. I will show you two slides to illustrate this. The first slide shows two firefighters working overtime for the same position. As soon as the first paid overtime firefighter gets to work, he immediately leaves to attend a union function for 12 hours. While he is gone, a second firefighter is paid overtime to fill this same position.

The second slide shows the same two firefighters working overtime on another day. This time the captain, who is a union representative, immediately leaves again to attend another union meeting, this time for eight and a half hours. The obvious question is why hire someone to work an overtime shift when he is going to be gone for a significant portion of the shift. These kinds of management decisions do not bode well for the taxpayer.

Prepared by:

Bruce Philpott

240-8949

logicpoint@aol.com/