Post by district5 on Sept 2, 2011 17:28:22 GMT -5
Over-the-Rhine fire station to get bullet-resistant glass
Sep. 2, 2011 CincinnatiEnquirer.com
Written by
Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Fire Department is adding a surprising safety feature to its Over-the-Rhine station: bullet-resistant glass.
Firefighters and Cincinnati's new fire chief, Richard Braun, agreed to add the glass - at a cost to taxpayers of $8,000 - after two bullets hit the Engine 5 station.
One bullet pierced garage door window; the other lodged in a window. On the other side of the window: a lieutenant's desk.
"Firefighters leave their house every day knowing it could be there last because of how dangerous the job is," said Cincinnati Firefighters Local 48 Union vice president Matt Alter. "A stray bullet should not be what takes their life."
Firefighters announced the change at a press conference Friday aimed at defeating Senate Bill 5. It was part of a statewide media blitz - including a new TV ad - organized by We Are Ohio, the labor-backed group seeking to repeal the law.
Right now the fire union can negotiate over safety issues with the city. Under Senate Bill 5, they would still be able to talk about the problems. But, if the two sides can't agree, management would have the final say. Firefighters said they were worried a cash-strapped city might not see replacing a window with bullet-resistant glass as a necessity.
"We have to be able to negotiate over safety," Cincinnati Firefighters Local 48 Union President Marc Monahan said.
The pro-Senate Bill 5 group, Building a Better Ohio, said the changes in Senate Bill 5 would allow elected officials, rather than unelected arbitrators, to decide what safety equipment to buy.
But, the example highlights a bigger issue: firefighters working in high-crime neighborhoods have to worry about more than burning buildings.
Other bullet holes - though nobody can say how many - have been repaired over the years in the same Over-the-Rhine station. And it's not the only station where firefighters are plagued with worries about gun violence. Last year the city replaced the single-pane windows at Engine 29 in the West End with glass block windows after a bullet came through a window. Nobody was injured.
Although not bullet-resistant, Alter said the glass block is thicker and more likely to resist fire power.
Braun was on vacation Friday and could not be reached for comment.
Assistant Fire Chief Ed Dadosky, who oversees fire station maintenance as part of his job, said the station wasn't a target, just caught in the shooting crossfire.
Firefighters took the issue up through their union. When new chief Braun heard the request in June during the presentation he said, 'Let's move on it right away,' Dadosky said.
The glass - which takes eight to 12 weeks to deliver - was ordered last week, Dadosky said.
"Once it's here, it will be installed quickly," he said.
Sep. 2, 2011 CincinnatiEnquirer.com
Written by
Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Fire Department is adding a surprising safety feature to its Over-the-Rhine station: bullet-resistant glass.
Firefighters and Cincinnati's new fire chief, Richard Braun, agreed to add the glass - at a cost to taxpayers of $8,000 - after two bullets hit the Engine 5 station.
One bullet pierced garage door window; the other lodged in a window. On the other side of the window: a lieutenant's desk.
"Firefighters leave their house every day knowing it could be there last because of how dangerous the job is," said Cincinnati Firefighters Local 48 Union vice president Matt Alter. "A stray bullet should not be what takes their life."
Firefighters announced the change at a press conference Friday aimed at defeating Senate Bill 5. It was part of a statewide media blitz - including a new TV ad - organized by We Are Ohio, the labor-backed group seeking to repeal the law.
Right now the fire union can negotiate over safety issues with the city. Under Senate Bill 5, they would still be able to talk about the problems. But, if the two sides can't agree, management would have the final say. Firefighters said they were worried a cash-strapped city might not see replacing a window with bullet-resistant glass as a necessity.
"We have to be able to negotiate over safety," Cincinnati Firefighters Local 48 Union President Marc Monahan said.
The pro-Senate Bill 5 group, Building a Better Ohio, said the changes in Senate Bill 5 would allow elected officials, rather than unelected arbitrators, to decide what safety equipment to buy.
But, the example highlights a bigger issue: firefighters working in high-crime neighborhoods have to worry about more than burning buildings.
Other bullet holes - though nobody can say how many - have been repaired over the years in the same Over-the-Rhine station. And it's not the only station where firefighters are plagued with worries about gun violence. Last year the city replaced the single-pane windows at Engine 29 in the West End with glass block windows after a bullet came through a window. Nobody was injured.
Although not bullet-resistant, Alter said the glass block is thicker and more likely to resist fire power.
Braun was on vacation Friday and could not be reached for comment.
Assistant Fire Chief Ed Dadosky, who oversees fire station maintenance as part of his job, said the station wasn't a target, just caught in the shooting crossfire.
Firefighters took the issue up through their union. When new chief Braun heard the request in June during the presentation he said, 'Let's move on it right away,' Dadosky said.
The glass - which takes eight to 12 weeks to deliver - was ordered last week, Dadosky said.
"Once it's here, it will be installed quickly," he said.