KCK firefighters union picket City Hall following station closure

The IAFF Local 64 picketed outside of the Unified Government city hall for a fire station closure and response times.

K-C-K...LED BY A FIREFIGHTERSUNION CONCERNED ABOUTSAFETY.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKEIS THERE.The KCK firefighters unionsays they've brought upmultiple issues to theirmanagement and the UG withno response.

They say this leftthem no other choice but topicket City Hall.The IAFF Local 64 and theUnited Auto Workers Local 31teamed up to protest theclosure of Station 15 in theFairfax district, which they sayis leading to longer responsetimes.These are serious firefighterhealth and safety issues,public safety issues so we'reout here to bring awareness toit, hopefully get some resolveto some situations.The Unified Governmentcommission voted to shutdown Station 15 in thesummer, and in July thatcompany was moved to thenew fire station in Piper.

Thisleaves the industrial Fairfaxdistrict with no fire station.Theclosest is in Quindaro.They say hey, it's dollars andsense and logically this andlogically that.

But can you puta dollar amount on a life evenif you only saved one life?

Idont understand that.Both unions and the FairfaxIndustrial Association opposedthe closure.The Unified Governmentissued a statement that readin part: The Commission isfurther committed to investingsignificant resources inbuilding new fire stations andremodeling existing stations inorder to improve livingconditions for our firefighters.The firefighters union alsosays they have a shortage ofladders in the western part ofthe country, which the UGsays they were not aware of.Sarah Plake 41 action news