'Dodging a bullet'
Thursday, December 23, 2004 11:40 AM PST
Jessica Keller Argus Observer
ONTARIO
Illness could make a bigger impact on the Ontario Fire and Rescue Department than it has in the past because budget cuts have left the agency with fewer full-time firefighters.
Illness became a concern last week when the department was short-staffed because three of the seven full-time firefighters were sick, leaving Ontario Fire and Rescue Chief Randy Simpson wondering if certain services would have to be temporarily cut because not enough staff were on hand to answer all the calls.
While the fire department pulled through without such measures, the possibility remains a lingering and unresolved issue in the future.
"I dodged a bullet, as they say," Simpson said of last week's illnesses.
Two firefighters from one shift, and another from a different one called in sick - two from a flu-like virus and one from strep throat, which is contagious prior to treatment. Simpson said for a short time, he was afraid the strep throat would work its way through the department.
That worry, Simpson said, made him aware of the impact of any other illness sweeping through the department.
"It's just a reality check, I guess more than anything," he said.
Since the last round of budget cuts, the fire department's number decreased from eight to seven, not including Simpson and the deputy fire chief.
When one or more firefighters become ill, the fire department only has a limited amount of firefighters to draw from, including Simpson and the deputy fire chief and the few part-timers who are qualified shift relief workers. Simpson said it is getting more difficult for any part-time firefighter, of which the department has 25 active, to be able to leave work during the day for an emergency.
Plus, surrounding fire departments can only be called in a major event, Simpson said.
Simpson said if full-time firefighters are ill for an extended period of time, that makes it even more difficult to perform calls because no firefighter is allowed to pick up more than two shifts in a row. The department averages four to five calls per shift, which is 24 hours long, Simpson said, but the department can easily have more. On the first day of bad weather a few weeks ago, the department answered 18 calls in one day. Which is why Simpson is hoping his firefighters stay healthy this year, especially considering no firefighters received flu shots, although some opted for the nasal flu vaccination.
"So we're hoping the flu bug stays away this year," he said. While illness has been a concern this year, especially because of last week's scare and decreased staff to fall back on, Simpson cannot do more than encourage hand-washing as the budget situation hasn't improved.
"You take the eggs that are given you and try to keep them in your basket and make it work," he said.
