What You Need To Know About Your Franklin Fire Department

As you would imagine, the Franklin Fire Department (FFD) is a full-time24-hour fire department. Presently there are three shifts which have 14-fire fighters assigned to a shift. FFD policy allows for three personnel off a day for holidays and vacation, which can reduce staffing to 11 on duty per day. All members of Franklin’s Fire Department are trained and certified as Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Firefighter/Paramedic.

In addition to fire fighting, the Franklin Fire Department provides two types of medical services. Basic Life Support (BLS) is staffed by EMTs. BLS offers basic treatments which include treatment for strokes, CPR, and the splinting of broken bones. BLS personnel are able to stabilize patients until they are transferred to the hospital.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) is staffed by Paramedics and is called upon for the more serious life-threatening medical conditions such as heart attacks. FFD Advanced Life Support (ALS) personnel are trained to administer medication, breathe for patients and are able to communicate with doctors while on the scene until the patient is transferred to the hospital.

Currently the Franklin Fire Department is under-staffed and unfortunately, Mayor Taylor’s recommended 2010 City Budget does not correct the situation leaving Franklin citizens and firefighters at great risk.

Mayor Taylor had this to say about his 2010 City Budget in a recent FranklinNOW article:

"What's really important is that this is a no-layoff budget. This budget that I'm recommending, for all intents and purposes, should not significantly diminish the levels of services and programs being provided by the city."

What Mayor Taylor doesn’t mention in the article is that his $23.8 million proposed budget excludes funding for two vacant positions in the Franklin Fire and Police Departments—one in each.

Mayor Taylor’s decision to leave these two positions vacant is irresponsible and reckless, and must not stand. Mayor Taylor and those on the Franklin Common Council supporting his decision are playing Russian roulette with the lives of Franklin citizens , in order to make up for this body’s mismanagement and wasteful, over-spending of taxpayer dollars throughout 2009.

What’s the solution?

Contact your Alderman and Mayor Taylor and respectfully ask your elected, public servants to give Chief Martins the tools our fire department needs to properly protect the lives and property of the citizens of Franklin.

To show your support for our firefighters and exercise your Right to Free Speech, please make plans to attend the Joint Finance Committee-Common Council Meeting at 6:30PM on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, at Franklin City Hall.