Privatization Of The Fire Service At SRQ Airport Starts Oct. 1st... ::: From the Newsbull Weblog of: Matt Bruce
::: Read & Respond @: http://www.newsbull.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37083 Matt Bruce
Managing Editor & Publisher, News Sarasota   A Newsbull Contributing Columnist 

SARASOTA, FL (NS/IAFF 2546) -

The Sarasota County IAFF 2546 Airport Firefighters are being replaced on Sunday October the 1st and losing their jobs to a Private Firefighting Company named as Rural Metro from Arizona...

At 8 AM ET Sunday there will be red shirted Firefighters and their supporters walking in a peaceful protest and picket along University Parkway and Tamiami Trail which is U.S. 41...

Firefighters from as far away as Jacksonville, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Ft. Myers will be joining in the protest and picket with a 'Sea of red shirts'...

The main reason brought forth by the SRQ Airport Mgr Fred Piccolo for this action was the saving of some $300,000. However this is disputed by the SRQ Firefighters because their contention is the new taxes the SRQ Airport will have to pay will eat up any savings on the Fire Service contract...

There are also issues about the management of the Airport not caring about the safety of the flying public by changing the FAA's highest rated Airport Firefighting Unit of 2005 to a newer less qualified Private company...

It has also been previously brought up about State Firefighter certifications needed to perform certain Fireground functions...

The President of the Florida Professional Firefighters, Bob Carver, said he was getting the State Fire Marshal involved in investigating anf validating the credentials of the Private Rural Metro Company Firefighters...

The SRQ Airport Union Firefighters have also called on Florida Governor Jeb Bush to get involved in the SRQ International Airport Privatization Fire Service issue...

One thing remains sure, this issue is not over yet and will be continued to be in the News for weeks, months and possibly longer...

There are numerous issues still left unfinished with the Union Airport Firefighters such as their Pension plan which the SRQ Airport Firefighters would like be allowed to go with them wherever they work next...

Stay tuned for more from the SRQ Airport and IAFF 2546 Firefighters as there's sure to be more news soon about the Privatization of the Fire Service at SRQ International Airport...

For now, that's just 'OUR' opinion...

Matt Bruce
Managing Editor
News Sarasota.com
Host Of:
"The Captain's AMERICA" Radio Show
Heard Monday Thru Thrusday On
1490 WWPR Radio
Bradenton-Sarasota-Tampa & Venice, FL...

Airport Update

Sept. 30, 2006 -

Matt: One of the airports Operations Officers came over to say goodbye to us...He told us that the new CHIEF has already gotten in trouble with the tower for an incursion of the runway...We also found out that they currently only have ten (10) men hired other than the chief...Fred has been stating that the reason rural/metro will be safer is because of the increase of manpower...None of the people hired by rural/metro other than the four men from our department, (which by the way two (2) of these men have passed both tests with Sarasota Fire Department and will hire on with Sarasota if given the opportunity), have any prior experience with a public airport...I feel the public has a right to know this....

A Fired SRQ Airport FirefighterNewsbull.com
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