How Staffing Cuts Impact Lawton Firefighters And Public Safety

The City of Lawton and the Lawton Fire Department has had contentious budget negotiations this year. The two reached an agreement and a new contract was signed on July 1, and instantly, the City of Lawton shut down a ladder truck and moved another ladder truck from a busy station, which reduced staff by six firefighters. The Lawton Firefighters Association stated that they would have never signed the contract with city officials if they knew cuts were still to be made.

On Monday, July 14, the Lawton Firefighters Association shared on Facebook a post from the International Association of Fire Fighters that included an article about limited staffing of stations in Massachusetts, which resulted in the loss of life and significant injuries at an assisted living home.

In the shared post, the Lawton Firefighters Association indicated that Lawton is in similar situation with reduced manning at stations. And on top of that, city officials had shut down a ladder truck not long after the new contract was signed.

The Lawton Firefighters Association signed new contract with the understanding that no cuts would be made to current staff.

On Tuesday, July 15, the Lawton Firefighters Association provided an update to their previous post and indicated that within hours of signing the new contract with the City of Lawton, city officials shut down a ladder truck and relocated a ladder truck from a busy station. According to the Lawton Firefighters Association, the move "immediately" reduced staffing by six and "eliminated a vital resource for emergency response."

When the contract was signed on July 1, the association was under the understanding that there would be no cuts to current staffing levels. The association reiterated that they would have never signed the contract if they knew it would diminish protection for the community.

The issue is manpower, not lack of resources for the Lawton Fire Department.

The Lawton Fire Fighters Association posted an example of the impact to public safety in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 17. The association said Station 8 is now "cross manning," which means limited staff is having to man multiple apparatuses.

Currently, Station 8 has three firefighters that are expected to man four different apparatuses, including a ladder truck, an engine, a brush rig and a hazmat unit. According to the association, "that means when one call comes in, the rest of the equipment - and its critical function - sits unmanned and unavailable."

The association reiterated that this is not a resource issue, but a manpower issue.

"We want our community to understand: this is not safe," the Lawton Firefighters Association said on Facebook. "Not for you, your family, or your neighborhood. Seconds matter in emergencies, and this kind of staffing gamble puts lives and property at risk. Our firefighters are trained, ready, and willing to answer the call - but we need the support and staffing to do it right."

As of Thursday, July 17, the City of Lawton has not released a statement regarding the accusations made by the Lawton Firefighter Association.

Lawton's Worst Roads As Voted By You

Roads have always been a hot topic in Lawton. The local government always promises to fix them when elections are at stake, but the improvements never come. It's more of the same, crumbling roads and band-aid patches due to what the city describes as "too little funding," even though we continually vote for bonds to satisfy these issues.

Here are the worst commonly used roads in Lawton as voted by you.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Closed Lawton Restaurants We All Wish Were Still Open

Do you ever get that bummer feeling when you're craving a meal that just isn't available anymore? Or better yet, not necessarily the food as much as the people and ambiance you grew up with? Hundreds of restaurants have come and gone in Lawton, Oklahoma, but here's a quick list of eateries we all wish were still around.

Gallery Credit: Kelso