A new policy in the city of Rochester gives Fire Chief Willie Jackson the option to temporarily close firehouses any time he wishes. Protesters call the closures brownouts, City Hall calls the approach dynamic staffing.
Whatever you call it, it's a new way to cover fires in Rochester. City spokesman Justin Roj said it gives the fire chief flexibility.
"It allows the chief at his discretion, based on firefighter attendance, to provide for staffing the various firehouses throughout the city and ensure that we do both things -- we protect public safety, maintain our response times and save taxpayer dollars," said Roj.
The savings come from closing firehouses on a temporary basis because of a lack of firefighters -- usually because of illness or vacation -- in a fire district on a given day. Roj said the policy comes from a study that the union asked the city to conduct about staffing levels.
But City Councilmember Molly Clifford said she and other Council members have strongly expressed their concerns about the closures to Mayor Lovely Warren and Jackson.
Clifford said she and other Council members are discussing options to change the policy.
"We're talking amongst ourselves about whether there are other steps that we can take, but right now, we are being told that they're going forward using their best judgment," said Clifford.
Monday was the first day for dynamic staffing, and the firehouse at Monroe Avenue and Alexander Street was closed that evening. In a statement, Jackson said there was "no impact on response times or public safety." In another statement, Eddie Santiago, president of the Rochester firefighters union, called the move "an obvious failure to make public safety a priority."
