ADLC issues response to firefighters' complaints

Editor's note: In response to the Anaconda Leader's article on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 ("Concerns over firefighters' health, staffing, safety brought before Commission") and subsequent media coverage, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County issued the following statement. We are publishing it in its entirety.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County (“ADLC”) is aware of complaints made by members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 100 (“IAFF”) to the County Commissioners and various local media in recent days. At the outset, ADLC wants to emphasize that the health and safety of its employees and the community are of paramount importance. ADLC is constantly looking for ways to improve workplace and community safety while remaining mindful of its budget and the public funds that comprise it.

ADLC and IAFF have been engaged in the collective bargaining process since last March to negotiate a successor collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) and are scheduled to participate in binding arbitration in June. Although IAFF did not voice its recent complaints during contract negotiations with ADLC, the issues to be determined by the arbitrator will directly impact how many of these issues are addressed.

The primary complaints from IAFF relate to the fire station and current staffing levels. With respect to the fire station, ADLC is aware that its size and layout have led to challenges for AFD and its firefighters. Unfortunately, these challenges have existed since 2007, when AFD took over the ambulance service, hired additional employees, and obtained additional apparatus necessary to provide ambulance services to the community. These services are critical to the community and of the highest importance to ADLC and AFD. Consistent with these priorities, AFD recently purchased a new custom-built Braun ambulance at a cost of nearly $300,000 that will further improve the level of care AFD provides to the community.

In addition to the new ambulance, ADLC and AFD have made concerted efforts to maximize the utility and safety of the existing station itself, recognizing that an entirely new facility would require a multi-million-dollar capital expenditure ultimately borne by its taxpayers. Examples of these efforts include: (1) installation of fans in apparatus bays to mitigate exhaust exposure; (2) installation of doors to separate living quarters from apparatus bays; (3) purchase of an extractor washing machine; and (4) purchase of battery-operated equipment. ADLC is currently looking into additional options for enhancing the exhaust mitigation equipment already in place at the station.

These efforts extend to the safety of individual firefighters themselves. Examples include: (1) employer-paid annual physicals for all firefighters; (2) upgraded station and response gear; and (3) standard operating guidelines for cancer prevention among firefighters.

ADLC will continue its efforts to provide the resources AFD employees need to serve their community safely and look for innovative ways to expand the resources currently being provided to them.

With respect to employee staffing levels, AFD currently has sufficient staff to meet the staffing levels required under the parties’ CBA. Currently, the only positions within AFD that are not filled are two “floater” positions historically used to fill shifts when necessary. The use of floaters and the manner in which they are used going forward is one of the items to be resolved in the parties’ upcoming arbitration. In the meantime, the public should be assured that AFD has the staff necessary to continue providing the same high level of care the ADLC community has come to expect.

Ultimately, the complaints voiced by IAFF in recent days are ones that ADLC has and will continue to deal with as a small department. Despite these challenges, ADLC will continue to work hand-in-hand with AFD to provide high-quality emergency medical care to the community and a safe and enjoyable place for AFD firefighters to work.