Friday, June 26, 2009

Ketchum firefighters unionize

Group expresses concern about job safety, salary freeze


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Nine of Ketchum's full-time firefighters joined the International Association of Firefighters on Monday and formed Local 4758.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Ketchum City Administrator Gary Marks said the move to unionize was "based on concerns about job security and the current freeze on all city salaries."

Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle and Assistant Chief Robbie Englehart did not join the union.

Marks said the city has never had any plans to lay off any firefighters and that emergency-services staff are typically the last to be considered for cuts.

"We recognize the value of the Ketchum Fire Department and will do our best to navigate our way through whatever their issues might be," Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall said in the release. "Nothing would please me more than to lift the salary freeze on all city employees, but with the current state of the economy and with significant decreases in revenue, we are in a holding pattern until those dynamics change."

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Blaine County Commissioner Tom Bowman said the county also has an interest in this development, because Ketchum is contracted by the Blaine County Ambulance District to provide ambulance service to the northern Wood River Valley.

"I received assurances that there will be no change in the high quality of emergency medical service that the Ketchum firefighters currently provide," Bowman wrote in a new release on Thursday. "These folks are consummate professionals and understand that excellent patient care is always their number one priority."

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com




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