Where’s the beef in redeployment plan?

As a recently retired 27 year veteran of the Kenosha Fire Department, I have a keen interest in the newly implemented “redeployment plan.”  I think the fire chief grossly underestimated the intelligence of the City Council, his firefighters and the public that they serve.  He called his plan a “huge success.”  It reminds me of a popular hamburger commercial a few years back, where a little old lady is peering at a huge hamburger, until she lifts the bun and sees there is very little meat.  She cries out “where’s the beef?”  That’s what many people are asking about this new plan.

Some points to consider.  The fire chief went out of his way to praise the firefighters for their recent dramatic rescue of a woman trapped in a burning building downtown.  He tried to take credit for having Rescue 1 readily available to respond from the downtown station.  That’s the same Rescue Squad that he tried sending to the northside fire station when he shut down the Municipal Building fire station.  That ambulance and manpower are still scheduled to be transferred to the north side.  Downtown aldermen and residents should be asking “where’s the beef?”

The fire chief would have you believe response times have not increased under his plan.  Again, check out his figures very closely.  Southside residents are routinely felt without an engine company in their district, as Engine 2’s calls have skyrocketed as they daily respond to calls preciously covered by the downtown fire engine that was moth-balled.

Somers and Pleasant Prairie residents should have more than a assign interest in the new “redeployment plan.”  Why?  Because their fire and rescue crews are now routinely spending time filling in at Kenosha fire stations courtesy of the new plan.  I didn’t notice that mentioned in the plan.

Conveniently left out of the fire chief’s plan was any mention of the $35,000 that city administration, fire department and Local 414 spent collectively to hire a consultant to help implement both conflict resolution and strategic planning on the fire department.

I think City Council should have a “strident” interest in that.

The only thing “huge” here is the chief’s ego.  “Where’s the beef?”

Richard A. Bosanko

Retired Battalion Chief

Kenosha Fire Department

Taken in its entirety from the Kenosha News Voice of the People - March 8, 2005