It is being hailed as a "win-win" for citizens and government: the final curtain in Albany's "battle to save Ladder 1."
In an effort to balance her 2015 budget, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan proposed shaving a million dollars in annual expenses by eliminating Ladder 1 from service in the South End, where it would be first responder to any oil train disaster. Firefighters and their union were up in arms. "The South Station will remain open."
Citizens were in shock. Many got the impression the mayor was using Ladder 1 as a bargaining chip to force the Common Council to approve red light cameras for 20 city intersections. At times, the rush to save Ladder 1 got emotional, drawing a wave of protest from residents across the city. During one of the mayor's town hall/community meetings held at public library branches, as caught on Time Warner Cable News, there was conflict: "Save ladder 1!" "You just wanna cut cut cut." "So first of all, no firefighters is losing their job" "That's why I'm here." "They've decided to use colorful language to make you think we are losing the firehouse!"
10th ward council member Leah Golby disagrees: "No, I never got that impression from the mayor, that she was trying... No... never got that impression. I always interpreted them as two separate items and I actually was working on both of them, one more vocally than the other, but I had been hoping that a compromise on Ladder 1 could be reached, and it's really looking like it's heading in that direction."
3rd ward city councilmember Ron Bailey believes otherwise. "I always thought it was a scare tactic to get red light cameras through. I wasn't gonna allow myself to be blackmailed into that, because I wasn't for the red light cameras, and I'm still not for 'em."
The cameras were OKed on an 11-4 vote.
Former mayoral candidate Jesse Calhoun, now running for state Assembly in the 109th district, is a staunch opponent of red light cameras: he sees Ladder 1 as a separate issue, as well as a possible problem for Sheehan down the road. "It was really a stab in the backs of the firefighters who supported her during her campaign. I think that move made her some enemies regardless of the compromise that was reached."
The compromise was announced Wednesday evening at City Hall, when Sheehan disclosed a provisionary deal with the firefighters. Ladder 1 will be kept in service in exchange for help from the Albany Firefighters union. The mission: find $1.2 million in overtime savings elsewhere in the department.
Union president Bob Powers: "Over the last few weeks we've worked hard to be part of the solution by identifying opportunities and options that would preserve the South End-based Ladder 1. In addition, we have worked co-operatively to identify operational efficiencies that would address the city's fiscal challenges. We agree EPCRs is a valuable revenue, directly related to the emergency services provided by the Albany firefighters. This agreement in principle will be presented to our complete membership for ratification under the terms and conditions of our by-laws.”
The firefighters’ solutions include restricting the number of people who can take vacation simultaneously. That one change, according to the mayor, will save Albany more than $500,000. Officials will look into ways of tracking overtime. The agreement means all city fire houses will stay open, all fire trucks and emergency vehicles will be kept operational, and no jobs will be shed. The 2015 budget that Mayor Sheehan has proposed to the Common Council remains intact.
