Portsmouth firefighter compensation is not competitive; stand up to gun violence: Letters

Portsmouth firefighter compensation is not competitive

May 25 − To the Editor:

As we celebrate 400 years of the City of Portsmouth, we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize those that came before us, those that serve our great city today, and those poised to do so in the future.

For nearly 150 years, permanent firefighters have honorably served our community and protected its citizens from harm. The Portsmouth Fire Department has long been revered as one of the premiere fire departments in New Hampshire and was once an attractive landing spot for new recruits.

But over the years, we have not remained competitive with others throughout the state in terms of wages or benefits. This disparity has caused an inability to attract qualified candidates and difficulty retaining others, creating a strain on our current system and operations.

Departments across the state that have felt the impact of the labor shortage have taken steps to negotiate contracts that have enticed new members to join and encouraged those already on the job to advance through the ranks. But as of May 11th, city firefighters and fire officers in Portsmouth are at an impasse with city officials, due to an inability to accomplish either of these goals.

Compelling, irrefutable data has been provided to the city that shows that the fire department falls well behind market comparators and lacks internal equity – making it easy to understand why recruitment and retention of personnel is so difficult.

As the expiration of our current collective bargaining agreements approaches, our department becomes less marketable to those looking to join the ranks, and less predictable for those already here. We are hopeful that city officials will analyze the data provided and take an active role in bringing a swift resolution to this process so that we can continue to provide the exceptional service that our citizens expect and deserve.

Portsmouth Professional Fire Officers Association, Local 4039

Portsmouth Professional Firefighters, Local 1313

Demand a future free from gun violence. Wear Orange event June 4.

May 28 − To the Editor:

On Sunday, June 4th at 4 p.m. in Prescott Park you are invited to raise your voice and demand a future free from gun violence in our communities. The Maine and New Hampshire chapters of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots gun violence prevention organization, will be hosting Wear Orange on Sunday, June 4th, at 4 p.m. at Prescott Park in Portsmouth.

To kick off the event, supporters can meet at the John Paul Jones Park in Kittery at 3:15 pm to march across the Memorial Bridge to Prescott Park. We will honor and remember those affected by gun violence with faith-based leaders, elected officials and legislators, students, veterans, and local survivors of gun violence. Their speeches and stories will inspire us to demand an end to senseless deaths from gun violence.

Friday, June 2, is National Gun Violence Awareness Day followed by Wear Orange Weekend, June 3rd-4th. Wear Orange is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan national event that recognizes the victims of gun violence and brings community partners together to raise awareness of gun violence.  In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, who had performed at President Obama's inauguration, was tragically shot and killed at age 15. On Hadiya's birthday (June 2), her friends asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color that hunters wear to keep them safe. Now, Wear Orange events are held across the country.

The threat of gun violence affects all of us, as it did when Portsmouth's schools were closed on April 13 due to a real threat to PHS. In 2020, firearms became the number one cause of death for children and teens in the US, surpassing car accidents. Our children should not shoulder the fear and anxiety of gun violence and should not carry the burden of our inaction. Hopefully, Wear Orange will show students, children and their families that we - all members of the community-  are listening and will take action to keep them and our communities safe. If you are listening and want to take action, wear orange and join us on Sunday, June 4th.

Kathleen Slover, member of Moms Demand Action

Portsmouth

NH needs to elect those who will properly fund mental health care

May 26 − To the Editor:

Back in the 1970s there was an effort to change the way we dealt with mental illness. The idea was to close or at least reduce reliance on large central mental hospitals and return as many of the patients as possible to their local communities, closer to families and familiar surroundings.  Rather than rely on one or two large institutions with, at times, limited resources, the plan was to involve a variety of resources − local medical and counseling programs, religious groups, drug and alcohol agencies, welfare departments, adult education, etc. − in providing more personalized individual care.  New or improved medications were on the market that promised an improved response on the part of the individual, a greater ability to control behavior with greater independence.  Money that had been used to maintain the old system was to be supplemented and transferred to provide support for this new program of community-based services.

The problem with all of this was that the financial commitment of the state for mental health programs was marginal even then, and it has never risen to a level that would guarantee properly funded programs at any level, whether it's mental health, drug or alcohol rehabilitation, or people with disabilities.  These agencies would not be able to function to the level they do on the basis of state funding, but they continue to exist (and many have folded over the years) only with the help of  donations, golf tournaments, 5K races, and other private fund-raising activities.  From time to time we may read of a state appropriation for some special grant to meet a particular local need, but a closer reading reveals that this is actually federal money that has been designated for a specific service.

Even with all the effort on the part of the local community agencies, salaries are low, case loads are high, and the demand is increasing.  Local police departments have been compelled to respond all too often as social workers, dealing with mental health issues where other more appropriate programs are not available.  We all are well aware of the extreme burden placed on local hospital ERs, and it has taken a lawsuit in federal court to force the state to take appropriate remedial action which, it is estimated at best, will take a year to implement.  While it is abundantly clear, on a daily basis, that the fundamental needs of thousands of our citizens are not being met, our Governor and the Republicans in the legislature have their sights set on reducing the state's tax revenues, guaranteeing that even less money will be available for these and other vital programs in the future

Will this situation ever be reversed?  We have an election coming up, and it's well beyond time to have people in Concord who will consider, not just the simple monetary issues, but the human cost to all of those caught up in the system, recipients and providers alike.

Anthony McManus

Dover

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth firefighter compensation is not competitive: Letters