From Firehouse.com: One Chillicothe firefighter has new job duties on each shift -- walking around the firehouse to make sure the place isn't on fire. Chillicothe Fire Station No.1, the only one staffed in the city following budget cuts, is officially considered a potential fire hazard. The fire-detection and alarm system at the main station downtown on Water Street hasn't worked for at least a year, perhaps longer. And, the sprinkler system had not been inspected. To avoid being ordered to vacate its only station, the department now must assign firefighters -- who can perform no other duties -- to a 24/7 "fire watch." The state fire marshal's office put the fire department on notice last week that it must correct three fire-code violations or face fines of up to $1,000 per violation per day....
Until it's installed, a firefighter will continue to stand "fire watch." When the department has 10 or more firefighters on duty, one will be assigned on his regular shift to stand guard. When only nine firefighters, the minimum staffing, are on duty, an additional firefighter will be paid overtime to repeatedly walk from the basement to the second floor and back. (emphassis mine)
I can't even comment on how stupid this is. It's really beyond words about the stupidity of having a firefighter stand watch over an occupied fire station to make sure it doesn't catch on fire.
The common sense thing to do, if they have to stand watch is to work in shifts. 10 firefighters means someone stays awake 1 hour at night to make sure the station doesn't burn down. And if the station goes on a call, well, they take their chances about the place burning down and don't do stupid things, like leaving the stove on.
This is almost as bad as CCSD hiring fire marshals at schools when the alarms goes down. Sometimes they had the marshals at schools during school time when the classrooms are occupied. It's not like no one would notice a fire and run around school and notify other classrooms if there was a fire. Just a huge waste of money.
This is just another example of government run amok.
picture courtesy of Western Wrangler: http://www.thewesternwrangler.com/
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