= Mansfield Fire Fighters Union Local 266
140 EAST THIRD STREET MANSFIELD, OHIO 44902
LES PHONE (419) 755-9818
To the citizens of the City of Mansfield,
Over the past few years, the Mansfield Fire Department has maintained and operated witha
minimum of 19 firefighters and paramedics working each day across the City’s 5 fire stations. The City’s
recent proposalto have fewer firefighters on duty is not in the best interest of the safety of those who
live, work, or visit our great city.
Every day that the firefighters and paramedics on duty drops below 19 the safety and protection,
of the citizens are at risk in the form of increased response times to emergencies or incomplete fire
crews being dispatched when team size matters most. Any cut or reduction of firefighters and,
paramedics on duty will have a domino effect on the entire City. If there is notan adequate number of
firefighters and paramedics at each fire station, resources from the other fire stations around the city
will have to respond to the emergency which ultimately leave the area/district they vacated less
protected aswell, Firefighters and paramedics are also on the frontline of the Coronavirus pandemic.
As the first link in the chain of public health MFO is responsible for providing emergency care notonly to
those with symptoms of Coronavirus butto the thousands of other citizens who call every yearwith
other medical issues including heart attacks, strokes, traumatic injuries, imminent childbirth, and auto
accidents.
The Coronavirus has certainly affected usall through stay at home ordersand a “new normal’
But firefighters and paramedics have risen to the challenge. Our response to medical emergencieshas
taken on additional precautions as we use more protective gearto keep our citizens and ourselves safe,
but our dedication to the health and safety of our City has never been higher. Thatis what makes the
decision and timing to reduce the number of firefighters and paramedics on duty each day that much
more frustrating and counterintuitive. Cutting emergency responders during the emergency is never
advisable. We don’t send our firefighters back to the station while your home is still on fire or filled with
smoke and the City should not be cutting fire department resources duringa pandemic.
‘These are unprecedented times and our economy is certainly impacted. But the decision of the
City to reduce firefighters and paramedics has the potential to make a bad situation much worse for far
too many citizens of Mansfield.
Due to the reduction on firefighters and paramedics each day fire stations will either be
temporarily closed or operating at 50% capacity.
Citizens of Mansfield do fee|that their safety isimportant. The citizens of Mansfield have
supported, voted for, and renewed aSafety tax levy that has beenin effect since 1988 and more
recently the citizens supported, voted for, and renewed a PRIDE tax levy that has been in effect since
2013. With the revenue generated from these two additionaltax levies the City Administration has
been able to create special revenue funds in the form of a Budget Stabilization fund and a Separation
fund. Both the Budget Stabilization and Separation funds were established “to ensure the City can
Aftiated with International Association of Fire Fighters blo Associaton of Professional Fee Fighters