COHOES, N.Y. — Recently, Cohoes city councilman Bill Smith (D 1st Ward) called on Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler to keep the Vliet Street Firehouse open around the clock.
“The Mayor made the promise during his campaign that he would quote: “keep the Vliet Street Firehouse open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and that we must begin to prioritize public safety” those are his words, I have them,” Smith said.
Smith contends that after nearly two years and three city budgets, the Mayor has not lived up to that promise. According to Smith, from Jan. 1, 2020, to Sept. 28, 2021, the station has been closed 265 of those 635 days.
“To be honest, I’m not sure what his priorities are. He has had now nearly two years to live up to his promise. I’m not sure how much more time he needs. He can’t blame covid because we received nearly 1 million dollars in relief funding. The residents of the hill section of our city pay some of the highest taxes and they deserve a firehouse that is open 24-7. This is just common sense,” Smith commented.
IAFF – Local 2562 President Rob Wattsman noted that he’d like to see all three stations operating every day.
“The members of the Uniformed Firefighters of Cohoes (IAFF – Local 2562) believe the best approach to protecting our residents, visitors and firefighters is to ensure that our three fire stations are fully staffed and operational each day,” Wattsman stated.
In response, Keeler stated that public safety is his top priority and concurred that he would also like to see the station be fully operational. While the fire department, on the whole, is fully staffed, Keeler noted that it’s a matter of practicality in being cost-effective for Cohoes taxpayers.
“Public safety’s my top priority and it’s one I take very seriously. The fact of the matter is the fire department is appropriately staffed. Beyond that, my 2022 budget provides for the highest number of firefighters in decades,” Keeler said.
“The fact is the hill could be open 24/7 if the firefighters all showed up. So, presently there’s 32 firefighters plus a chief, and when six show up, the hill is open. The problem is that collectively these guys take about 220 sick days a year, and a sick day in fire department terms is a 24-hour shift, so for a normal eight-hour shift that 660 sick days a year, so it’s tough to keep the firehouse open under those conditions,” Keeler continued.
“For example, [Wednesday], we had three firefighters on sick leave, one was on vacation, one took his birthday off, so to backfill it costs property taxpayers $3,300 in overtime. [Thursday,] a firefighter is on vacation and two of them are off on union business and Saturday we’re right back to where we were [Wednesday] where three guys have already called in sick for Saturday and two more are taking the day off, so again $3,300 overtime cost to taxpayers,” Keeler explained.
“Fire department staffing is appropriate. It could and should be open if the guys showed up. They’re contractually entitled to vacation days, birthdays, and sick days and they exercise those options. Again, public safety is my number one need but I also am very much accountable to the taxpayers, and currently, 40 percent of the dollars paid by Cohoes property taxpayers goes to the fire department budget, 40 percent. Now the fire department union [Wednesday] told members of the common council that we should simply raise taxes. I don’t think that’s a good idea, I don’t think it’s necessary. We meet all the needs of the fire department,” Keeler added.
Cohoes Fire Chief Joseph Fahd echoed those sentiments, noting that his department is in better shape than most in the area when it comes to staffing.
“I’ve been here since ’03 and staffing has been at 32 for decades and now we’re adding one guy more to it thanks to the mayor,” Fahd said.
“Surrounding communities were talking about layoffs just a year ago, we never publicly had those conversations, we never laid anybody off and now we’ve filled all the vacancies and actually created an extra position,” Keeler noted.
“If you look at Troy and Albany, they’re short positions, we’re not. We have what we’re budgeted for and one extra, so we’re fortunate,” Fahd added on the department staffing.
In addition to the Hill Station, Smith expressed the need for a new centrally located firehouse.
“I would like to know how far along we are on that process. Have we looked at locations, secured a site, or have we done any preliminary design work? What’s the status on this?” Smith said.
Keeler noted that the discussions remain ongoing regarding planning.
“There is and there has been for a while, we have a committee, the chief, myself, members of the fire department union, the city planner but these things don’t happen overnight. We’re talking about it, we’ve been talking about it. It’s a process,” Keeler responded on the status of a potentially new firehouse.
Smith also called on the mayor to include funds in the new budget for a new engine pumper.
“Our firefighters are running with equipment older than my son. Again, he made the promise to prioritize public safety and I’m now calling on him to live up to that promise. I won’t support a budget that doesn’t include the proper funds for firefighter staffing for the Hill Station and new apparatus,” Smith said.
According to Chief Fahd, the pumper Smith is referring to is a backup.
“The pumper he’s referring to is a reserve piece. Our fleet’s getting older but it’s not 25 years old, the front line apparatus. We use that piece when one goes out for oil changes and stuff like that, so it’s not in service every day,” Fahd explained.
“That is a reserve truck. Like the chief said, it’s a backup when the main trucks are out. It’s basically used and parades and stuff but we have the backup in place because that’s proper management. The front-line trucks are all new. In fact, [in] 2018 they got a $1.2 million dollar ladder truck,” Keeler added on the status of fire equipment.
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