Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734

The Mayor’s Recommended Budget proposes staffing one fewer fire suppression company daily to save approximately $2 million.

Let that sink in.

At a time when firefighters across this country, and right here in Baltimore continue to make the ultimate sacrifice, this administration believes the answer is to reduce frontline suppression staffing. Haven’t our members suffered enough loss? Haven’t we learned the lessons written in blood about the importance of adequate staffing and available companies on the street?

Once again, the burden of correcting fiscal shortcomings is being placed on the backs of firefighters and paramedics who are already being asked to do more with less every single day. Cutting frontline resources while call volumes, staffing shortages, and operational demands continue to rise is not a sustainable solution, it is a dangerous one.

Every suppression unit taken out of service increases response times, stretches remaining companies thinner, and puts both firefighters and citizens at greater risk. Fires do not wait. Cardiac arrests do not wait. Baltimore residents deserve fully staffed fire companies ready to respond when seconds matter.

NIOSH reports and internal committee recommendations have repeatedly emphasized the importance of improving fireground operations, accountability, and safety. Those lessons cannot be ignored. Reducing suppression staffing moves us in the wrong direction and creates unnecessary danger for both firefighters and the communities we protect.

Public safety starts with boots on the ground, staffed apparatus, and enough firefighters to do the job safely and effectively. We will continue to fight for the safety of our members and the citizens we serve.
-Matthew Coster President, Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734