Bengal News Reporters
When the alarm sounds inside the firehouse of Engine 19, a flurry of activity begins as the firefighters rush onto Forest Avenue. They reach the scene on the West Side, running into a burning building to beat back the roaring inferno.
They attack the flames from inside, trying their best to keep damage minimal; of course fire is an unpredictable and uncontrollable animal. Firefighters like the ones on Engine 19 take risks few others are asked to take.
“If a firefighter is injured on duty, the City of Buffalo is responsible for his medical coverage, his doctor bills, everything,” said Daniel Cunningham, the Buffalo Professional Firefighters Association Local 282 representative. “Unfortunately, in this business sometimes your health degenerates and you can’t pinpoint it to a certain injury.”
Cunningham said that until a contract is negotiated and consummated, the City of Buffalo is responsible for every 282 Firefighters Union member who changes to the 901 plan, including their co-pays and premiums.
This will cost the City of Buffalo more money to keep putting off negotiations with the fire department. However, Cunningham said that if the City of Buffalo was to sit and negotiate they would more than likely go back to what the contract called for before.
“We do a different job than white collar workers, we do a different job than the streets workers. (In) the history of the City of Buffalo, fire and police have always had better health coverage,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham has urged firefighters to change from basic health plans they may be on, to the premium 901 plan offered by the city in order to get better coverage. Firefighters declined comment because a gag order was issued.
“The 901 traditional health care plan, the most expensive health care plan, is the best plan that’s available out there,” Cunningham said.
Firefighters currently have three plans to choose from, all provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield. There are two basic level plans; the 201 and 201 plus. The 901 plan is the higher-level plan.
“The 201 plan restricts what doctors you can go to. You have to get permission to go see another doctor. (With) 901, you are unlimited to who you can go to,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said that a judge awarded firefighters free health insurance from the City of Buffalo, however, firefighters are currently paying their own costs with the expectation of being paid back once a new agreement is reached. This was awarded in 2004 after the city dropped to one health care provider.
Any new firefighters would have to pay a percentage of their health care costs. Cunningham said that new firefighters pay 25 percent if they are single and 15 percent if they are married for the basic 201 plan.
Over time firefighters pay less and less. If they upgrade to the 901 plan, however, they must pay a percentage again until they have reached a certain number of years on the job.
“Municipalities are like other employers, they are feeling the crunch of health care costs, and many of them are looking to trim down the number of options that are being offered to their employees,” said Leslie Moran, senior vice president of New York Health Plan Association.
In 2004, the City of Buffalo forced firefighters to accept one health care provider, which was Blue Cross Blue Shield. Prior to the change they had the option of choosing between four companies: Univera Healthcare, Independent Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
“Every member of local 282 is entitled to if they wish to take the most expensive plan, for free of course,” Cunningham said. “Unjustly the city is charging them.”
Councilmen David Rivera and Darius Pridgen were unavailable for comment on the issue.
Edited by Mike Chiari and Tim Daniels
The Buffalo Fire Department has been in existence longer than the City of Buffalo itself.
ReplyDeleteAccording to buffalonian.com, the city’s fire department dates back to Dec. 16, 1824 when then village president Oliver Forward appointed people to the company.
The first engine house was established on June 18, 1826 when $100 was levied on the village property to build the first firehouse.
Then in 1831, two more fire companies were established. They were called the Hook and Ladder Company and Engine Company 3.
The City of Buffalo wasn’t incorporated until 1832.
Later in 1832, two more companies were established in Buffalo Engine Company 4 and Washington Engine Company 5. --Paul Kasprzak
The volunteer fire departments in the area had been the only ones to participate in putting out the fire and cleaning up the area following the crash of Flight 3407 in February 2009.
ReplyDeleteBuffalo Fire Department Union representative Daniel Cunningham said that the fire was put out by the emergency responders from the airport who used special foam to put out the jet-fuel fire. A jet-fuel fire can’t be put out by just water.
Cunningham also told me that on the Saturday following the crash, various Buffalo Fire Truck and Engine companies were called to the scene to do a large part of the clean up work. They spent four days on the scene doing a majority of the work on the crash site. -- Chris Koss