They knew they could lose one or even a few of their own. They
heard rumors for months on who might be axed.
But Hollister firefighters never imagined their chief could make
the list of proposed layoffs
– or that he would be the lone scapegoat among sworn members of
the department.
They knew they could lose one or even a few of their own. They heard rumors for months on who might be axed.
But Hollister firefighters never imagined their chief could make the list of proposed layoffs – or that he would be the lone scapegoat among sworn members of the department.
On Thursday, they vented. And as Fire Chief Bill Garringer recently argued to the city manager against laying off any firefighters, they asserted, vehemently, that their leader should remain.
“I struggle with what I’m saying only because I don’t want to sound bitter,” said Fire Capt. Fred Chesire. “But for a long time we have not had the leadership in this department that we have now.”
Chesire was among several firefighters at the downtown station willing to discuss the possible departure of Garringer, who joined the department about three years ago.
Fire chief is one of 36 titles named on a roll of proposed layoffs. It is one of three department heads – the finance and community development directors are the others.
A “Reduction in Force” plan was compiled by City Manager Dale Shaddox and a subcommittee of two City Councilmen. The entire Council will vote Jan. 28 on the proposal, which is subject to change.
Garringer also talked openly Thursday. In his 32 years of fire protection service, he hasn’t heard of a fire department without a chief, he said.
“There was never any previous warning or any information that led me to believe they would possibly get rid of the fire chief,” said Garringer, who, like other department heads, met with Shaddox recently to discuss the layoff plan.
For firefighters and others in the 175-person workforce, rumors circulated about those talks ever since city leaders announced in October that layoffs were pending. Fire Marshal Mike O’Connor’s position, firefighters acknowledged hearing, was originally on the chopping block.
Garringer confirmed the fire marshal position’s vulnerability. Plus, three other firefighter positions and the department’s clerical worker were also among initially considered layoffs, he said, recalling his meeting with Shaddox.
Firefighters, though, were largely unaware of the possibilities while the list was being formed.
“Initially, we were just told all departments would take a hit,” O’Connor said. “What those hits would be, nobody really knew. They were just speculation.”
Now firefighters are potentially facing a future without Garringer. And with the scheduled opening of Fire Station No. 2 in early 2005, the firefighters fear a department already awaiting transition could suffer without Garringer’s experience.
“It’s like taking a pilot away from an airplane,” firefighter Mike Sgro said. “You might have a co-pilot, but he needs direction from a pilot. And he might not have experience or training or the education to fly the plane.”
He went on: “We need a chief. It’s ridiculous not to have somebody in that position.”
The firefighters worry about safety – residents’ and their own.
In the relatively small department, Garringer is known for attending just about every fire in town.
“Most departments our size have an assistant chief, a battalion chief and maybe some deputy chiefs,” Garringer said. “We don’t have any of those things. We all wear several hats. I’m the incident commander. I’m the operations chief. I’m the safety officer.”
Without Garringer supervising, one of the six captains – whoever is on duty – would have to carry out those roles, the firefighters pointed out.
“Now the firefighter going in the house doesn’t have somebody behind him to help out,” said fire engineer Wayne Thomas.
Cheshire interjected: “There’s no firefighter going in the house,” he said as other firemen nodded in agreement. “It’s not that he’s going to go in himself. We’re not going to break the law.”
For structure fires, a state law requires at least two firefighters must be present to enter a home – plus two others operating a hose, Garringer said.
Once the plan is approved, Shaddox says, the Council will then discuss and change the city’s organizational structure.
Duties of vacant leadership roles, such as Garringer’s, would likely be doled out to remaining senior members of each department.
Garringer said he’s hopeful the Fire Department won’t have to make that adjustment.
“But I’m also hoping a lot of the jobs don’t make the final list. I also don’t see how you can run this city without a finance director. I also don’t see how you can run it without a community development director.”
Garringer came to Hollister from the San Jose Fire Department, where he was assistant fire chief. There, he said he oversaw 770 firefighters and a $70 million budget – nearly five times the city’s General Fund spending.
He has been an adamant advocate for a second fire station since he arrived. San Jose, where he was second in command, maintained 31 stations, he said.
“It’s going to be critical that there be somebody here to run the department and teach these folks how to run with two different stations,” Garringer said.
Although he hasn’t worked the minimum five years to qualify for retirement, Garringer may be eligible, he said, by “buying military time.”
But he won’t take advantage of the city’s “bumping rights” policy, which allows employees with seniority to accept demotions.
“If I went all the way back to fire captain, I would bump somebody else out the door that would be laid off,” Garringer said. “And I absolutely wouldn’t do that.”
