From The Denver Post, March 18

DENVER, CO – The union representing Denver firefighters has reached a tentative agreement with Mayor John Hickenlooper's administration on pay and benefits cuts that are expected to save the city $1.5 million.

The package, which must be ratified by union members in a vote next week, amounts to a 2 percent reduction. The city agreed to study whether it could save money by having the Fire Department handle more dispatching duties.

"It's a win-win deal for everyone," said Eric Tade, governmental affairs director for the union. "Services don't get cut for citizens. Firefighters get to keep their jobs, and the administration doesn't have to make layoffs."

Hickenlooper asked the three unions representing safety workers — police, fire and sheriff employees — to take 2 percent cuts to their negotiated contracts this year as part of a plan to close a projected $56 million budget deficit.

The union representing sheriff's deputies refused, and the mayor last week fired 11 deputies to achieve the targeted savings.

Tade said the firefighters' package suspends the city's contribution to a retirement health care plan equal to 1 percent of their salary. The union also agreed to forgo the city's pay for uniform maintenance and to suspend a birthday holiday firefighters receive.

The agreement would extend the cuts to next year if the economic downturn continues. If revenues improve, the city will lift the cost-saving measures.

Tade said the administration also agreed to study whether the Fire Department could handle dispatching duties currently handled by Denver Health Medical Center.

The city has a bifurcated system for handling such dispatching, with Denver Health taking medical calls and dispatching paramedics. Denver Health also sends medical calls to Fire Department dispatchers, Tade said, who then send firefighters, who are emergency medical technicians and first responders..

Tade said the union calculates that Denver Health has 23 dispatchers. The Fire Department has about 20 dispatchers, he said, and believes it can assume Denver Health's workload by adding 10 employees.

"If you can do dispatching quicker, better and cheaper, why wouldn't you?" he asked.