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Skinner: closing station risk to citizens, firefighters

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Saturday, August 7. 2010

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Interim Barrow County Emergency Services chief John Skinner issued a stern warning to commissioners Friday in response to concerns that budget problems could result in the closure of one of the county's six fire stations.

In a press release issued August 6, Skinner said closing a fire station would result in unnecessary risks to citizen and firefighter safety.

Skinner said with fewer stations and personnel, response times would be delayed increasing risks to both life and property.

"A fire will double in size every 30-60 seconds," Skinner said. "Time is crucial in medical as well; studies have shown that if CPR is initiated within 4 minutes the survival rate doubles. The same study states that survival rates decreases by 5.5 percent with every minute that passes without any treatment."

In the past three years, the department has experienced a significant increase in the number of calls. In 2007, the department responded to 3,631 calls for service. This year, according to Skinner, the department is on track to handle 7,000 calls.

"With this information at hand, do we really want to consider this option of closing a station and lay-offs?" Skinner asked.

Skinner further warned that manpower reductions or station closures could result in higher ISO (Insurance Services Office) ratings for the county. A higher rating could cause homeowner insurance premiums to double or even triple, Skinner said.

"You as commissioners will also have to look at the impact this will have on commercial properties and business within the county," he said. "A 9/10 ISO rating will not assist the county in an economic turnaround which we are in need of."

And if concerns about citizen safety and increased costs were not serious enough, Skinner said personnel reductions or station closings could also compromise firefighter safety.

"We may be years away, if ever, from meeting the NFPA standard for staffing. It is still our goal to continue to strive to achieve this," he said. "Fireground effectiveness will be compromised if we fall below our current minimum staffing levels, which is well below any standard today."

In closing, Skinner requested the opportunity to meet with commissioners if the possibility of closing a fire station remained on the table.

"Our department has been through some tough times within the past year and it has tremendously hurt the moral of the department, retention of employees and recruitment of new employees when needed," Skinner wrote. "We as a department have made it our immediate goal to get our department back on its feet as well as striving to provide the best possible service to our citizens. This will require support from the Board to do so, and a permanent chief to be in place to carry this department to the next level. We also must not close any of the existing fire stations or layoff any personnel in order to provide this service and move forward."

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#1 Anonymous on 08/08/10 at 11:16 AM [Reply]

BOC - go ahead and close fire stations and lay off firemen. Just make sure, the fire station you close is the one closes to your homes, not mine.

And I want the fire station close to my house FULLY staffed. You want to under staff stations make sure it's at station close to your house.

#2 Concerned citizen on 08/08/10 at 03:28 PM [Reply]

Interim Chief Skinner has always been a professional employee and member of the Barrow County Fire Department. Why oh why the Commission didn't appoint him to be Fire Chief I don't know. He is a longtime employee, knows his department and it's team members, always has his ducks in a row, and truly has the best interest of the citizens and Barrow Fire and Emergency Services in the forefront. Please Commissioners: please listen to Interim Chief Skinner and DO NOT close any fire stations within Barrow County OR layoff ANY Barrow County Fire and Emergency Services staff. We already are hurting on response times - no matter what Chairman Yearwood may tell you or the citizens. Staffing is already stretched and retention rates of quality employees are as well. Please if you are considering layoffs, look at some of the dead weight in other departments OUTSIDE ALL of Public Safety. And by Public Safety, I mean Fire and Emergency Services, 911, and the Sheriff's Office. Please do not touch the services of staffing of and in any of these offices/departments. Please look at the staffing levels in the Annex - while some departments and offices have been cut to the bone, others could still stand to take some cuts in staffing. However, please remember that SOLELY, layoffs will NOT balance the budget. They sure didn't balance it last year either.

#3 Jack Legg on 08/08/10 at 08:53 PM [Reply]

If that idiot Yearwood wants to save some money from the budget then he can take a pay cut, just looked at the budget and he has himself down for something like 85000 a year.If he thinks he is worth that much then he needs a serious attitude adjustment.Cut your own pay moron and leave the public safety jobs alone those are the ones we need in trying times.

#4 Hugo Klenyan on 08/08/10 at 10:47 PM [Reply]

Ya know, this poor guy is doing all the hard work with regards to the budget, and seems to be doing a heck of a job as the interm chief (yet again). It would be a shame if he wasn't made the permanant fire chief...

#5 Anonymous on 08/09/10 at 08:29 AM [Reply]

As I understand it, one of the problems with Chief Skinner is that the county has a nepotism policy and Chief Skinner's brother works for the fire department. His brother doesn't want to quit - don't blame him - but that makes it kind of difficult for the county commissioners. They could change the policy, but then they would have to change it for everyone - and folks, that isn't a very good idea. I agree that he is doing a good job.

#5.1 In the know on 08/09/10 at 02:04 PM [Reply]

For those who don't know. Nepotism is already in full swing at the county. Not naming names, but there is already someone who works at the annex who currently is over another family member as a direct supervisor. Now as far as the nepotism policy is concerned it has been beat in the Supreme Court and yes here in Georgia. And as far as Chief Skinner and his brother are concerned there are three officers standing between them. So what is the difference in letting Chief Skinner work as Interim Chief as opposed to Permanent Chief?

#5.2 Hugo Klenyan on 08/09/10 at 08:28 PM [Reply]

The county nepotism policy only prohibits one relative from directly supervising another. There is noting to prohibit family members working together. There are many people at the county working in the same agency or department as their relatives.

#6 Eb Scrooge on 08/09/10 at 10:27 AM [Reply]

Teachers and firefighters are the new breed of welfare queens. Of course, it isn't p.c. to point out this painful truth. Not when all those 9/11 heroes (and their adulterous widows) figure into the polluted stew.

#7 TickedOff on 08/09/10 at 03:33 PM [Reply]

Keep those Sheriffs cars in the lot instead of them driving home. That alone will pay to keep the station open and not compromise service, nor result in any layoffs. Hire Skinner, hes already the interim, and at least we can trust him not to steal cable TV from us. Here's a chance to do the right thing Mr. Yearwood. So man up. By the way, have we collected all those back taxes from those past due developers yet?

#7.1 Anonymous on 08/09/10 at 07:46 PM [Reply]

Does Danny drive a county car home at night? Just wondering - there is a county SUV parked in his parking spot during the day, but it's never there after hours? Didn't we lose a good fire chief over this issue?

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