Firefighters association calls for public safety priority, more resources

Cape Girardeau Firefighters Association has taken to Facebook to express its concerns about loss of employees and to request the city's support and attention.

While commending city leaders for their efforts to enhance the community, the group emphasized the importance of prioritizing public safety.

"Growing our community and efforts to improve the city must also include public safety. Currently your fire department does not have an adequate number of firefighters capable of responding effectively and efficiently. Even worse, the City has not focused on efforts to attract or retain experienced firefighters to provide the emergency response our citizens deserve. Instead, we are losing experienced firefighters to other communities. This is unacceptable, we need them here," the association said in a social media post.

The public comment comes after Cape Girardeau Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 51, comprised of Cape Girardeau police officers, lobbied for higher pay over the past few months.

The firefighters association is calling on city officials to place public safety at the forefront and allocate the necessary resources to recruit and retain qualified and experienced firefighters. According to Ethan Essner of the association, its commitment is to ensure the safety of residents and hold city leaders accountable for providing experienced firefighters to handle emergencies.

"If our city does not prioritize public safety and the well-being of their firefighters, they risk losing more qualified and experienced firefighters and further complicates their ability to recruit replacements. This leads to an inferior service, delayed response times and jeopardizes the safety of the citizens we have sworn to protect," Essner added.

Essner said the Fire Department is allocated 11% of the city's annual budget, while similar departments in other municipalities are allocated up to 26% of the budget.

The association claims to have lost 21 firefighters over the past five years. The reasons for the departures have not been disclosed.

City of Cape Girardeau's Human Resources Department reported since Jan. 1 2020, 22 personnel left the Fire Department. Among those, three accepted jobs in other fire departments, seven retired, one passed away, two were terminated, six changed careers, one accepted a job in their hometown, one went back to a previous employer and the departure for one was unknown.

Currently, the city reports only one vacant firefighter position, with one firefighter preparing for retirement. The vacant position resulted from an employee having changed professions to become a full-time police officer.

City manager Kenneth Haskin said the city's budget is tight.

"There has been no change in the city's financial status since the last time this subject was brought up," he said.

According to the city's records on its website, the Public Safety Department, encompassing both the fire and police departments, receives 57% of the city's General Fund budget, with the Fire Department set to receive $7,240,993 in this fiscal year, which accounts for 22% of the General Fund budget.

City officials also noted in response an improved ISO Fire Score determined by a Public Protection Classification conducted last September. Cape Girardeau Fire Department currently holds a 3/3X ISO rating, making the department one of the 3,583 fire departments across the nation to hold this rating. The ISO (Insurance Services Office) Fire Score is a rating that determines how well the fire department can protect the community. In the ISO rating scale, a lower number is better: one is the best possible rating, while a 10 means the fire department did not meet ISO's minimum requirements.