WS Chronicle

Local firefighters are speaking out against the Winston-Salem Fire Department’s (WSFD) decision to cut overtime and reduce staffing numbers.  

The WSFD announced last week that they were projected by as much as $600,000 over budget for the fiscal year. To address the projected average, the department announced that they would be reducing their daily minimum staffing numbers from 89 to 79, canceling overtime and most out-of-town and off-duty training.  

While every fire station will remain staffed, many units will operate with three personnel instead of four. According to a press release, Chief Trey Mayo said daily training will continue and even with staffing reductions, the WSPD will still respond to building fires with more personnel than most of its peer departments. The department will also still exceed the number recommended by the National Fire Protection Agency.   

Despite the assurance from the chief that service will not be impacted, Ashton Parrinello, president of the Winston-Salem Professional Fire Fighters (WSPF), said the changes implemented last month puts lives at risk.   

“This decision threatens the safety of everyone in our city,” Parrinello said. “Fires double in size every minute, and seconds count in a medical emergency. Fewer firefighters on scene means critical tasks will be delayed – putting lives at risk.”  

Parrinello, who is the newly appointed president of the WSPF, said he wants to inform city officials that staffing changes will not save money. Parrinello encouraged firefighters and their family members to attend the city council meeting on March 17 to show their support.   

Chief Mayo said that the staffing changes are only temporary, and normal operations will resume on July 1. They also mentioned that from April 2020 until Jan. 2021, the department operated at a minimum staff of 79 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

“Fire administration does not take lightly the decision to reduce minimum staffing. Acting as early as possible is intended to prevent the need to further reduce staffing that could burn out fire stations. The safety of residents and firefighters is always the top priority. On-duty chiefs have full authority to make on-scene operational decisions to support this goal. Administration staff will evaluate the effects of these adjustments and work with city leaders to ensure the quality and safety of the Fire Department’s services continue,” Mayo said.   

During the Winston-Salem City Council meeting on Monday, March 17, City Hall was filled with firefighters, both the city chamber and the overflow room were packed, with fire fighters who were eagerly waiting for the public comment period to share their grievances with the staffing changes.  

Parrinello was one of the first to speak. He said firefighting isn’t a profession where you can cut corners. He said the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a minimum of four firefighters per truck. “They do this because they know what happens when fire departments are stretched too thin,” he continued.  

“They know the risks of sending understaffed crews into burning buildings, and yet here we are being asked to do more with less while our call volume continues to rise and our city continues to grow. While overtime may seem like an easy place to trim a budget, I assure you what you cut in dollars today we will pay for in lives tomorrow.”   

Captain Jason Gore, who has served as a firefighter for over 30 years, said the Weaver Plant Fire three years ago should have been a wakeup call for the city. On Jan. 31, 2022, a fire broke out at the Winston Weaver Company Fertilizer Plan on Cherry Street. 

At the time that the fire erupted, an estimated 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 600 tons of ammonium nitrate were inside the plant. To put that in perspective, in 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas that took the lives of 15 people and destroyed 150 buildings, had about 240 tons of ammonium nitrate inside.  

Firefighters battled for hours but were only able to contain the fire. Everyone within a one-mile radius of the fertilizer plant was asked to evacuate. The WSFD used social media, media outlets, and reverse 911 calls to inform residents. First responders also traveled through neighborhoods using loudspeakers to let people know how to evacuate.  

Gore said the Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire, which is included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of chemical fires, would have never been contained if it wasn’t for overtime. “The incident reinforced the importance of pre-incident planning coordinated response strategies and public awareness of chemical hazards,” Gore said.  

“Firefighting is not just about courage; it’s about science and decision-making.”  

Daisy Rodriguez, whose son has served on the WSFD for seven years, said she was concerned not only for her son, but for all the firefighters who risk their lives every day, and the communities they serve. 

“The cut from four to three on a truck may not seem like a big deal, but when you are in a situation where one extra person is needed to help in an emergency, it can be the difference between life and death,” Rodriguez said.  

Quamekia Shavers, community activist and founder of The Pink Vote, said a well-staffed fire department is essential for ensuring swift responses in emergencies and safeguarding lives. Shavers said when she was a young mother dealing with medical emergencies with her daughter, the WSFD was always the first to arrive and get the situation under control.  

“I was 19 years old … and when my daughter would have a seizure and she would stop breathing, she would turn black and blue quickly and I was a young mother, and I was scared. The first people on the scene was always the fire department,” Shavers continued. “They never treated me like I was a bad mom or like I was a person who was abusing resources … that’s why I’m here, to stand up for them.” 

Forsyth County Commissioner Dan Besse also spoke during the meeting. Besse, who served on the Winston-Salem City Council from 2001 until 2020, said although he understands budgeting and making necessary cuts late in a budgeting cycle, this isn’t the way to go.  

“I understand the pressures of budgeting, including that it may sometimes be necessary to find savings … however,  in my experience its highly unusual to take a discretionary step to reduce on-shift staffing levels of critical public safety positions,” Besse said.