NOFD suspends vacation time for all firefighters

The New Orleans Firefighters Association says the NOFD administration has cancelled vacation time for all firefighters. A press release from the firefighters union says, “In response to firefighters’ plea for relief from a crushing schedule of up to 96 hours a week, and moments after a press conference where he (Chief Tim McConnell) minimized the work of firefighters and accused them of exploiting the city, Chief McConnell, effective immediately, cancelled all firefighters’ vacations until further notice.”

“So we look at this as just retaliation, trying to get back to us for not doing anything wrong,” said New Orleans Fire Fighters Association President Aaron Mischler. “We are just deciding not to volunteer for extra hours, right now. The guys need to rest.”

Mischler says NOFD Superintendent Tim McConnell put a provision in the temporary directive saying firefighters who have already paid for vacations or paid for travel for their vacation will be reviewed on an individual basis, with the possibility of having their vacations granted.

Mischler adds, Mayor Latoya Cantrell and her administration has been understanding of the situation but has offered little to resolve it. “Give us a solution. Tell us what you are going to do to remedy this,” Mischler said. “Don’t just say ‘I understand’, understanding is one thing, we need action. We need them to tell us the remedy. We are giving them the solutions, tells us how to get there. That is all we are asking for.”

This afternoon, the city of New Orleans released the following statement:

We recognize that New Orleans Firefighters are among the most dedicated and hardest working employees in our city.  
As Chief McConnell acknowledged during Monday's press conference, the department is facing staffing challenges, which creates the need for voluntary overtime. 
To ensure public safety for our residents and visitors, all vacations and/or leaves are cancelled immediately until further notice.  By cancelling leaves and enacting a mandatory overtime policy, it ensures more firefighters are available to respond to the community's request for service. The temporary directive excludes employees who have made financial vacation commitments and only requires firefighters to work their regular schedule, which averages 56 hours/week.  No mandatory overtime has been ordered at this time. 
In light of the boycott organized by union leaders and the influx of visitors to the city over the next several weeks, as  emergency managers, it would be irresponsible for the City to not be prepared.  
As long as firefighters report for work on their regularly scheduled shift, there should be no need to enact the mandatory overtime policy.   
The cancellation of vacation is a temporary directive.  It will be rescinded as staffing increases or if firefighters agree to work voluntary overtime shifts.  
PLEASE NOTE:  Chief McConnell recognizes that he overlooked the 2019 recruit class of 8 individuals during Monday's press conference.  These were the last individuals on the hiring list as the staffing shortage remains.