Nov. 6 -- After receiving at least three letters with complaints and meeting with the local firefighters association, the Augusta Fire Department wants to set the record straight about claims made against it.
Michael Meyers, the department's public information officer, said the majority of the allegations made by Augusta Professional Firefighters Association Local 3357 President Charlie Coleman in a series of letters since Sept. 21 were not true. An additional letter was sent by the International Association of Fire Fighters to the city stating that the city was attempting to suppress the organization's voice.
Coleman said last week that he met with Augusta Fire Chief Chris James on Oct. 19 but that the meeting didn't go well. Meyers said Monday the meeting actually went well.
"I guess he is just, in a sense, talking out of both sides of his neck. His comments seem to be counterproductive. The meeting, from everything I gathered from Chief James, went well," Meyers said. "He was happy that members of that association came to speak to him and that they were able to talk in an environment that will seem conducive to try to come up with solutions."
Meyers referenced the letter from the IAF in which IAF President Harold Schaitberger stated that "based on the information provided to me, it appears that the communications were fairly productive, and that Fire Chief James was responsive to at least some of Local 3357's concerns."
In a letter sent Sept. 21 to James, Coleman cites an Aug. 13 incident in which a firefighter experienced a heat-related injury during training and claims conditions during the session posed an extreme threat for injury. Coleman stated that the temperature measured at the time of injury was 93 degrees, but Meyers claims the temperature never exceeded 87 degrees.
According to AccuWeather, the high on Aug. 13 was 91 degrees. James did respond to the Sept. 21 letter, stating that the allegations are under review and a response will be provided. Meyers said they are still conducting an investigation.
Meyers said the injured firefighter was attended to by EMTs and requested to go back to work. Meyers disputed Coleman's claim that a policy requiring a firefighter who receives medical treatment be taken to the hospital for observation and then sent home with pay for the day had been taken out or changed.
Coleman also claimed that no patient care report was completed Aug. 13. Meyers said EMTs are required or supposed to complete a report that will be part of the investigation by the department.
"It doesn't matter if it's a firefighter or a person on the street, anytime an EMT or we administer any type of care, a report should be done," Meyers said.
The department does have heat index guidelines in place, Meyers said, and they were in place during the Aug. 13 training. The guidelines state that when you hit a certain temperature, precautions need to be taken, which Meyers claims the department exceeds.
"Everything that we do, we exceed in reference to what the guidelines are," Meyers said. "No different from that, no different from how we handle training. We make sure that we exceed those guidelines."
In an Oct. 16 letter sent to James and Augusta Regional Airport Fire Chief Michael Beal, Coleman expressed concerns about the working relationship between the two departments. Airport Executive Director Herbert Judon and Beal both said the relationship with AFD was positive.
Judon, who arrived almost 2½ years ago, and Beal, who started in March, acknowledged there were some past challenges and history between the two departments, but they are looking forward to the future.
"There are some aspirational goals that we have, some things that we want to improve on and do better, but I think the foundational relationship is strong and positive," Judon said.
The IAF letter claimed Beal has been threatened by "certain city officials" for supporting Local 3357 and were pushing him to "suppress organizing efforts under fear of reprisal." Beal said he wasn't aware of any such instances and said he has no relationship with the association.
Meyers said the two departments often work together on a variety of things, but the Augusta fire department doesn't want to take anything away from the airport that might be needed in an emergency.
"When you pull something away from the airport, it could potentially slow something down at the airport or cause them not to be able to respond, if something were to happen there," Meyers said. "We don't want to, in a sense, take away from the airport to cover something outside the airport, when we have the manpower to do it ourselves."
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