By Teresa McMinn
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND, Md. 鈥� Allegany County officials on Friday said members of a local union undermined EMS volunteer efforts.
The union said they haven鈥檛 discouraged volunteers but asked their own members not to undercut career positions.
The county and IAFF Local 1715 since May have disagreed over how to handle a $2 million budget deficit at the Department of Emergency Services.
At that time, the union proposed a public safety tax that would cost the average homeowner $6 per month and generate roughly $2.4 million in revenue.
County officials refused the idea and instead laid off six EMS crew members.
On Friday, county officials said they were made aware of an Aug. 11 letter circulating at local fire and EMS stations 鈥渦rging members to not volunteer at stations鈥� during critical times.
鈥淚t appears that this request is being made in order to justify future staffing levels with Allegany County EMS,鈥� county officials said via press release.
鈥淭his letter was penned by ( International Association of Fire Fighters ) Local 203 at the urging of IAFF Local 1715,鈥� they said. 鈥淭his information has been provided by several different sources.鈥�
At a county commissioners meeting Thursday, Steve Corioni, president of Allegany County IAFF Local 1715, said the union supports volunteerism, but cautioned that more regular paid staffers are needed to adequately cover emergency calls.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna hurt the community,鈥� Corioni said at that time.
Friday鈥檚 release stated that IAFF 1715 had requested that its members refrain from volunteering at various local volunteer departments that provide EMS and 鈥渇urther requested that IAFF 203 members refrain from working part-time鈥� for the county.
鈥淲hile Corioni has accused the commissioners of engaging in reckless budget cuts, IAFF 1715鈥檚 actions intentionally sabotaging volunteer efforts is outrageously irresponsible and likely a breach of the ethical responsibilities that its members hold as licensed EMTs and paramedics,鈥� county officials said.
鈥淲hen we began examining budget cuts, we approached this in a manner that would allow us to provide service to the most members of the county possible, while cutting down on built-in overtime,鈥� Allegany County Board of Commissioners President David Caporale said via the release.
鈥淲e failed to get the union鈥檚 buy-in to move forward in that manner, but moved forward in the best way we were able,鈥� he said and called the union 鈥渄isappointing (and) entirely disingenuous to the communities they serve.鈥�
On Friday, IAFF 1715 Vice President David Crossland responded to the county鈥檚 allegations.
The IAFF constitution and by-laws prohibit members from working a secondary job part-time as a firefighter, emergency medical services worker, public safety or law enforcement officer, or in a related service, whether in the public or private sector, when the job is within the work jurisdiction of any affiliate or adversely impacts the interests of any affiliate or the IAFF, he said.
鈥淲hen the county commissioners announced they would be laying off our EMS workers to address their lack of management and budgeting skills, leadership of Local 203, which represents the firefighters of the city of Cumberland, reached out to offer support,鈥� Crossland said.
鈥淒uring these conversations, it was stated that while the commissioners are actively laying off EMS workers, our union members should not volunteer our time to fill the voids in coverage they are creating,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o union, ever, would advocate its members volunteering to do the work their coworkers were just laid off from doing.鈥�
Crossland said 1715 has 鈥渘ever told a volunteer not to volunteer,鈥� but has asked union members 鈥渘ot to undercut their union brothers and sisters.鈥�
Crossland said the county commissioners appear 鈥渕ore worried about shifting the focus instead of addressing the issues.鈥�
County officials should 鈥減rovide core services and programs to improve the quality of life for its citizens and other stakeholders like EMS,鈥� Crossland said.
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