CIVILIAN
CIVILIAN FIREFIGHTERS WORKING FOR THE NAVY ARE
BLOWING THE WHISTLE THEY SAY
THEY ARE UNDERSTAFFED
OVERWORKED AND BURNT OUT
FEDERAL FIRE UNION OFFICIALS
SAY THEY FEEL HELPLESS AT
THIS POINT THEY ALSO TELL US
THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO NAVY
OFFICIALS AND LAWMAKERS BUT
THEIR STAFF NUMBERS ARE GOING
UP THIRTY NEWS NOW REPORTER
JACQUELINE LEE INVESTIGATE
THIS ISSUE. FIREFIGHTERS I
SPOKE WITH CALL THIS IT
STAFFING SHORTAGE TREMENDOUS
IMPACTING SAFETY MORE ALLEN
OVERALL IS DETRIMENTAL TO
THE DEPARTMENT THE AS
APPEARANCE IT'S ALL ABOUT
THE LITTLE MOMENTS THE JUDY
KENNEDY WORRIED HER HUSBAND
JAKE IS MISSING TOO MANY OF
THEM THE BOYS NOTICE
THE COUNTY BUT TODAY'S
MONDAY'S THAT IS TO BE HOME
WANT THE STATE RIGHT NOW LIKE
YES THE COUNTDOWN IF HE GETS
THAT PHONE CALL MORE AND AND
I HAVE TO TOWN THAT IS STUCK
IT WORKING IN TO GET SO SET
THE JUDY'S HUSBAND JAKE IS A
CIVILIAN FIREFIGHTER WITH
THE NAVY BUT THE TIDEWATER
REGION IS FACING A
FIREFIGHTER STAFFING SHORTAGE
FORTY FOUR PEOPLE SHORT OF TO
NINETY FIREFIGHTERS LIKE JAKE
ARE PICKING UP THE EXTRA
SHIPS IS US SO EXHAUSTED IS
THE C STREET SPEAKING ON
BEHALF OF ALL
THE FIREFIGHTERS TO
THE TIDEWATER FEDERAL
FIREFIGHTERS UM PRESIDENT TIM
WELSH HE SAYS THE SCHEDULE IS
SUPPOSED TO BE TWENTY FOUR
HOURS ON TWENTY FOUR HOURS
OFF TOLLING FOR SHIPS IN ONE
WEEK. INSTEAD HE SAID THIS
YEAR FIREFIGHTERS ARE
REGULARLY WORKING SIX DAYS
OUT OF SEVEN IN THE NAVY
ADMITS ON TWELVE OCCASIONS
THIS YEAR SOME FIREFIGHTERS
WORKED FIVE TWENTY FOUR HOUR
SHIFTS IN A ROW THEIR GOFF
THE RIGHT SO MENTALLY ARE
THEY ARE THEY SHARP ENOUGH TO
TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO
CALLS OTHER SHARP ENOUGH TO
TO BE A WOULD DO THAT AND
THE FATIGUE FACTOR IT'S. IT'S
MENTALLY DRAINING A
PHYSICALLY PHYSICALLY AS WELL
MANGY AND HE IN OFFICIALS
SENT A SERIES OF LETTERS TO
EVERY COMMANDING OFFICER
TEACH NAVY INSTALLATION HIM
TO ROADS IN EVERY MEMBER OF
THE HOUSE AND SENATE ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE IS CALLING
THIS A SCARY TREND OF
EXCESSIVE OVERTIME THE
FITNESS ARE ONE PEOPLE PICK
UP THE PHONE AND DOWN I ONE
ONE THEY EXPECT A HUNDRED
PERCENT ALL THE TIME NOT
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT EIGHTY
PERCENT THE UH FIRE CHIEF
KEVIN CHENEY ARGUES NOT ALL
OF THE OVERTIME IS MANDATORY
SOME IS VOLUNTARY TIME SAFETY
IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD WERE
ACQUIRED TO HAVE MINIMUM
STAFFING JUST SO WE CAN HAVE
ENOUGH PERSONNEL THE MAJOR
EMERGENCY THEY AFTER IF IN
THE MORE IN D WANT YOUR
OVERTIME. WELL WHAT TO SAY
MAYBE SAY NO ARE STILL GOING
TO HIT SO GUIDES TO SAY YES
CAPTAIN MONTE ASHLAND
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND
SAFETY FOR NAVY REGION MID
ATLANTIC WHICH SPANS TWENTY
STATES SAID HE'S AWARE OF
THE EXCESSIVE OVERTIME ISSUE
BY WORKING SEVENTY TWO HOURS
BEING OFF TWENTY FOUR HOURS
AND THEN RETURN TO AGAIN FOR
SEVENTY TWO HOURS DO YOU FEEL
THAT THAT IS SAFE
THE ULTIMATE ANSWER IS
ABSOLUTELY WE ARE ABSOLUTELY
SAFE AND GOING OUT THERE AND
DO AND ARE THEY
THE FIREFIGHTERS DOING THEIR
DAILY JOB PROTECTING OUR
ASSETS OF THE PEOPLE
THE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
THAT OUT THERE KEEPING
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT FULL
STAFF HAS BEEN AN ONGOING
ISSUE TAKE A LOOK
THE STAFFING SHORTAGE SPIKED
IN TWENTY FIFTEEN WITH FORTY
SIX VACANCIES THE NUMBER
STAMPED GROWS BACKUP AND
TWENTY EIGHTEEN TO FORTY FOR
MAKING MATTERS WORSE ON
BOARDING PROCESS IS TAKING
LONGER TO EIGHT MONTHS FOR
EACH NEW FIREFIGHTER TO PASS
DRUG TESTS PHYSICALS AND GET
NECESSARY SECURITY CLEARANCES
ASHLYN SAYS IT HASN'T ALWAYS
TAKEN THIS LONG AND MUCH OF
THAT IS OUTSIDE NAVY REGION
MID ATLANTIC CONTROL CAN PLAY
BY THE FOR ME BECAUSE OF THIS
A THAT HAS NOT HISTORICALLY
BEEN EIGHT MONTHS. WHY IS IT
NOW EIGHT MONTHS WHY I DON'T
KNOW YOU KNOW WHY IT'S WHY
IT'S EIGHT MONTHS RIGHT NOW I
KNOW THERE ARE CERTAINLY
EVERYBODY IS FEELING
THE STRESS OF A LACK OF
MANPOWER TO COME DOWN TO AN
HR A FINGER POINTING GAME ON
WHERE AND WORSE WE'RE STILL
SITTING BACK WORKING THE OVER
TIME IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE
ANYBODY WANTS TO FIX IT
THE REALITY THAT THE THEME
WAS AT HOME SAY JUST ISN'T
FAIR. SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
THEY CAN'T KEEP MAKING
THE GUYS WHO ARE THEIR DO AND
NAVY REGION MID ATLANTIC
DEVELOP A PILOT PROGRAM IN
JUNE TO SHORTEN ON BOARDING
PROCESS TO LESS