Houston – The city of Houston is sounding the alarm regarding staffing for its firefighters.
After claims that firefighter shifts were being heavily impacted by the current outbreak of the omicron variant, KPRC 2 wanted to hear from those who would know if the situation was serious, and if so, how serious.
We reached out to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena who said the department’s staffing has been “heavily” impacted by the pandemic.
In a statement to KPRC 2, Pena said:
“We have over 190 firefighters sidelined by COVID-19, in addition to the normal vacancies caused by scheduled and unscheduled leave. Today, we have all units in service, but the fluctuation of available staffing during certain times forces us to temporarily idle certain units.”
The chief went on to say that Mayor Sylvester Turner has tried to address the challenges by authorizing additional cadet classes and overtime compensation, but some say the challenges are even more dire.
“Houston firefighters have been absolutely sorely understaffed for years and years,” said Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association.
Lancton agreed that COVID is having an impact on firefighters. However, he said the situation has been made worse with firefighters’ ongoing legal battle with the city regarding pay parity. Lancton said both issues have placed firefighters in a tough predicament.
“We have buried our brothers and sisters, our firefighters being out there serving the citizens of Houston,” Lancton said. “We absolutely understand that when everybody else is told to stay home, Houston firefighters and paramedics have to go to work.”
Chief Pena also acknowledged that the ongoing battle between the city and firefighters over pay is indeed having an impact on staffing levels, but said they will continue to adjust to meet the needs of the city.