Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes sues Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center
Gavin McInnes, conservative provocateur and talk show host best known as the founder of the far-right fraternal organization known as the Proud Boys, on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for damages after the group designated his work as hate speech. In a statement released after the filing, McInnes said, “They have harassed me, my family, and my friends to a level of tortious interference that goes well into sabotage.” McInnes, a Canadian immigrant and comedian, claims he is an “avowed and vocal opponent of discrimination based on race, religion or sexual preference, and of ideologies and movements espousing extremism, nationalism and white supremacy.” In a YouTube statement published November 21, 2018 McInnes formally stepped away from the Proud Boys group and gave an extensive background of their history. The video description includes this statement, “As of today, November 21st, 2018, I am officially disassociating myself from the Proud Boys, in all capacities, forever. I quit.” In the taped statement, he asserts the mainstream media has repeatedly mischaracterized the purpose of the group as well as the members beliefs. In an interview with AL.Today a spokesman for McInnes described the group saying of members of the Proud Boys, “They share a common world view, they’re pro-western values, but don’t all share the same political beliefs and have never been a hate group.” McInnes claims the SPLC has given him a “Hate Designation,” a means by which it identifies activists, political figures and groups as targets that disagree with their own ideologies and designates them as “extremists,” “white supremacists,” and “hate groups” in order to “achieve its goals and those of its donors.” The 70-page complaint was electronically filed early evening Sunday in the Middle District of Alabama outlining defamation and other tortious acts resulting in reputation and economic damages. In the suit, McInnes says the SPLC is “defaming him by use of the SPLC Hate Designations, and publishing other false, damaging and defamatory statements about him.” McInnes is being represented by noted First Amendment attorney Ron Coleman of Mandelbaum Salsburg P.C. and Baron Coleman of the Baron Coleman Law Firm. Attorney Ron Coleman emphasized the significance of the case in relation of the growing partisan divide and practice of censorship by stating, “[t]his lawsuit has implications beyond Gavin McInnes because we’re challenging the use of deplatforming and defunding to privately censor speech. If we can’t stop this phenomenon now, the First Amendment will be rendered meaningless as dissent is silenced through private actors such as SPLC and its allies.” Montgomery-based attorney Baron Coleman noting, “I wasn’t familiar with Gavin or his work prior to beginning work on this case. But there is absolutely zero excuse in America for systematically targeting someone for complete personal and financial destruction because they support a different politician or different set of political beliefs. I wouldn’t represent a racist or an anti-semite. And Gavin is neither. And the most horrific part of this entire ordeal is that the SPLC knows Gavin isn’t a racist or anti-semite or anything else they’ve labeled him. Rather, he supports a different slate of politicians with his satire and wit, and the SPLC would rather destroy him than have him out there convincing other people to see politics his way.” For those interested in donating to McInnes’s legal defense fund it can be found at defendgavin.com Read the lawsuit below:
Alabama workers built 1.6M engines in 2018
Alabama’s auto workers built nearly 1.6 million engines last year, as the state industry continues to carve out a place in global markets with innovative, high-performance parts, systems and finished vehicles. Last year also saw major new developments in engine manufacturing among the state’s key players, and more advanced infrastructure is on the way in the coming year. Hyundai expects to complete a key addition to its engine operations in Montgomery during the first half of 2019, while Honda continues to reap the benefits of a cutting-edge Alabama engine line installed several years ago. Toyota’s Huntsville engine plant also maintained its role as a critical component of the automaker’s global supply chain. Additionally, Navistar builds truck engines in Huntsville. “Alabama’s skilled auto workers have become adept at not only producing high-quality, in-demand vehicles, but also the engines that power those models and others,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “We look forward to their continued success as these companies invest even more resources and add new technology to their operations here.” Hyundai expansion Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama produced 597,313 engines in 2018, and the Montgomery facility is in the midst of transforming those manufacturing operations. Last year, Hyundai announced a $388 million plan to construct a plant dedicated to manufacturing engine heads and enhance existing operations to support production of new models of Sonata and Elantra sedans. The investment will create 50 jobs. Preparations are under way for the next-generation Theta III engine, which requires new technologies and components as part of its assembly process. So far, the new engine head manufacturing building shell and concrete is complete, electrical work is underway and equipment for the building has begun to arrive. The project is on track to be complete by May, said Hyundai spokesman Robert Burns. In addition, the old equipment has been removed from the existing engine shop that is being updated, and contractors are prepping the interior of the building for new equipment. Hyundai’s Alabama engine operations support vehicle production in Montgomery and at the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama last year produced 356,439 engines that power the SUVs, minivans and pickups built at the Talladega County factory. Just a few years ago, Honda Alabama opened a sophisticated new engine line that represented a breakthrough in Honda’s North American engine assembly operations. The highly automated line was yet another indication of the global automaker’s confidence in the Alabama workforce, which has achieved an unprecedented schedule of new model launches and redesigns in recent years. In Huntsville, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama produced about 630,000 engines that power one-third of the Toyota vehicles built in the U.S. The factory builds about 2,600 engines per day, or five times as many engines since production started there in 2003. Toyota milestones Two keys milestones for Toyota Alabama last year included its 6 millionth engine, built in August 2018. And the following month, the facility launched a new advanced 4-cylinder engine line to produce next-generation engines as part of the Toyota New Global Architecture Program. TNGA will improve the performance of all vehicles, including increased fuel efficiency, more responsive handling and a more stable and comfortable feel while driving. It also provides a more flexible production environment that allows the company to better respond to changing market demands. Toyota Alabama’s $106 million investment in the TNGA project increased total plant investment to nearly $1 billion. “I could not be prouder to reach this milestone,” Toyota Alabama President David Fernandes said at the time. “Launching our new TNGA engine is a true testament to our highly skilled workforce. They are leading Toyota Alabama into the future of advanced engine production.” Republished with permission from Alabama Newscenter
Former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis joins Montgomery’s mayoral race
Former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis is running for Mayor of Montgomery in 2019. Davis made the announcement in a Facebook video on Monday. “I’m running for Mayor because I believe in Montgomery’s future. I hope to earn your support in this election,” Davis wrote in a post accompanying the video. Davis, who previously ran for Montgomery mayor and failed in 2015, also served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Alabama’s 7th District. He left the office in 2010 to pursue a gubernatorial run. Montgomery’s mayoral election will be held Aug. 27, 2019. Watch Davis’ announcement video below:
Kay Ivey appoints Monet Gaines to Montgomery Co. District judge, creates all-female bench
Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday appointed attorney Monet Gaines to an open judgeship in the Montgomery County District Court. Ivey’s appointment has created an all-female bench for Montgomery County’s district court as Gaines joins Judge Pamela Higgins and Tiffany McCord on the bench. Gaines, a 1998 graduate of Johns Hopkins University and a 2001 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, has served in Alabama Attorney General’s Office since 2005 where she wrote approximately 400 opinions on Alabama law for elected officials and state agencies. Prior to that she clerked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Board of Contract Appeal in Washington, DC, before returning to Alabama to work as a civil defense attorney. “I join the entire staff of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in expressing great pride in Monet Gaines’ appointment to a Montgomery County District Court judgeship,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “We know that Governor Ivey could not have made a better choice. “Judge Gaines is not only well versed as a lawyer, but she has been an invaluable member of the legal team here in the Attorney General’s Office for more than a decade. Her work is well known to officials across the state who have sought legal opinions from this office since 2005. While this office will lose an expert on the law with her departure to the bench, we know that she will serve the people of Montgomery County with the same integrity and commitment to justice and the law that she has given the people of Alabama for many years.” She replaces Judge Jimmy Pool, who was appointed to serve as a circuit court judge earlier this month. Gaines is an active member of the Alabama State Bar where she has served in many leadership roles, including Vice President and Chair of the Bar’s Diversity of the Profession Committee. With help of the members of the Diversity Committee, Monet facilitated the inaugural session of the College Minority Pre-Law Conference in 2017. She has been an At-Large Bar Commissioner since 2010. She is married to sitting Montgomery Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines. They have two children and are active members of Saint James United Methodist Church of Montgomery.
Understanding the local amendments before Election Day
When you get to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6 some counties will see local amendments on the ballot. Here’s a look at what residents of Alabama’s largest counties need to know about the amendments: Calhoun County On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Calhoun County, proposing a local amendment to Amendment 508 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, authorizing the operation of bingo games for prizes or money in the county; and to prohibit any bingo permittee or licensee from operating bingo near a residential area. (Proposed by Act 2017-81) Vote: Yes/No What it means: If passed, the amendment would ban bingo halls from operating within 3,000 feet of any residence. On the ballot: PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO (2) Relating to Calhoun County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that any territory in Calhoun County outside of the corporate limits of a municipality would not be subject to the police jurisdiction or planning jurisdiction of the municipality if the municipality is not located entirely in the county and to provide an exception for the City of Oxford. (Proposed by Act 2018-17) Vote: Yes/No What it means: If passed, the amendment would restrict cities that straddle the county (Southside, Glencoe, maybe Piedmont) from being able to exercise police jurisdiction within the county. Only cities that lie entirely within Calhoun County would have police jurisdiction in the county. Jefferson County On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating only to the City of Homewood in Jefferson County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that existing limits on the amount of ad valorem taxes payable on various classes of taxable property in any one year would not apply. (Proposed by Act 2018-166) Vote: Yes/No What it means: If passed, the amendment would allow Homewood, Ala. residents to vote on raising property taxes above the state lid at some point in the future. Madison County On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Madison County and the areas outside the corporate limits of any municipality, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the county commission to adopt ordinances or resolutions to prohibit excess noise, to regulate, limit, and control excess noise levels, and to control public nuisance caused by excess noise levels in the unincorporated areas of Madison County and to authorize penalties not to exceed the penalties for a class C misdemeanor. (Proposed by Act 2018-167) Vote: Yes/No What it means: If passed, residents unincorporated areas, rural parts of the county would be subject to penalties if they make too much noise. Right now, they are able to be as loud as they want. Areas like Huntsville and Madison are not included in the amendment. Mobile County On the ballot: Shall Mobile County in the State of Alabama be authorized to issue from time to time and in one or more series its Pay-As-You-Go Road, Bridge and Drainage Facilities Bonds, not exceeding $60,000,000 in principal amount, for the purpose of raising funds for the construction and improvement, or either, of hard surfaced roads, hard surfaced bridges, and surface water drainage facilities, or any thereof in the county, which bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates to be fixed when they are sold, not exceeding twelve percent (12%) per annum, payable semiannually until their respective maturities, and shall mature and become payable on December 1 in the aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 in each of the years 2022 through 2031, and shall the said county be authorized to continue to levy annually a special tax, on all taxable property in the county, at a rate not exceeding six and one-half mills on each dollar of the assessed valuation of such property, for the purpose of paying at their respective maturities the principal of and interest on the said bonds and all other bonds at any time outstanding which may be payable out of or constitute a charge on the said special tax, all pursuant to the provisions of Amendment 18, as amended and modified, to the Constitution of Alabama? Vote: For/Against said proposed Mobile County Pay-As-You-Go Road, Bridge and Drainage Facilities bonds and the said proposed continued levy of the said special tax What it means: If passed, the amendment will allow Pay-As-You-Go work to be completed within the City of Mobile including the : Improvement of Zeigler Blvd. to allow traffic to increase to 20,000 daily moving from the rural and suburban parts of Mobile into the downtown area. Widening of McGregor Ave. and constructing a new roundabout at Dauphin St. Resurfacing Airport Blvd. from McGregor Ave. eastward to Western American Circle Resurfacing of Hillcrest Rd. from Cottage Hill Rd. northward to Grelot Rd. In the county area, projects include: Extending the widening of Zeigler Blvd. from Schillinger Rd. to Tanner Williams Rd. Widening McDonald Rd. from I-10 to Old Pascagoula Rd. Building a new road to connect McDonald Rd. at Old Pascagoula Rd. to McFarland Rd. at Three Notch-Kroner Rd. This new road will allow traffic traveling down Snow Rd. and McFarland Rd. to have direct access to I-10. Resurfacing Three Notch-Kroner Rd. from Dawes Rd. to McDonald Rd. Resurfacing Padgett Switch Rd. from Half Mile Rd. to Hwy. 90. In total 67.9 miles would be added or improved. Montgomery County On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Montgomery County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to allow the members of the Montgomery County Commission to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System. (Proposed by Act 2018-388) Vote: Yes/No What it means: If passed, the amendment would allow the members of the Montgomery County Commission to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System that is part of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). Morgan County On the ballot: PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE (1) Relating to Morgan County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to propose a local
Maxwell AFB lands $18 million for new air traffic control tower
Montgomery-based Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base will receive $18 million from the Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2019 military construction account for a new air traffic control tower. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby made the announcement Wednesday. “Updating the Air Traffic Control Tower at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base is long overdue. I have personally climbed up the antiquated tower and can attest to how dangerous it is and how badly it needs to be replaced,” Roby said in a statement. “I am very pleased that this issue is being addressed through the recently passed military funding bill, and I look forward to seeing this improvement become reality as Maxwell continues to support the needs of the Air Force in the River Region, including the 187th Fighter Wing’s missions.” Maxwell’s existing Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) was constructed in 1955 and is one of the oldest active ATCT in Air Force inventory and fails to meet current mission requirements. “This needed upgrade will increase the base’s functionality by improving the structural conditions and enhancing the safety and visibility of all operations,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. “Without the replacement tower, the current facility’s health and safety issues could result in ground accidents and costly damage or loss of assets. Maxwell AFB is the second busiest distinguished visitor base in the Defense Department. Controllers in the current tower do not have 100 percent visual contact of all aircraft landing surfaces or ground controlled movement areas due to obstructed views. Further, the facility does not have an elevator and therefore does not meet National Fire Protection Association line safety code. It also has numerous additional health and safety issues resulting from the tower’s age and deterioration. “This allocation is more than a construction project – this signifies that the Air Force and our congressional delegation recognizes and supports the long-term national significance of Montgomery’s military installations, international students, thought leadership, cyber defense and business systems it supplies to the Air Force,” added Montomgery Mayor Todd Strange. The construction is expected to begin June 2019 and conclude December 2020.
Jim Zeigler: Change from Robert Bentley to Kay Ivey ‘removed a dark cloud over Montgomery’
Speaking to the Republican Women of Coffee County on Wednesday, State Auditor Jim Zeigler said the resignation of former Gov. Robert Bentley “removed a dark cloud over Montgomery.” He told the group he could see a real difference when Ivey took over in April 2017 after what he deemed to be “Bentley’s forced resignation.” “During the two years I served with Gov. Bentley, I was never allowed inside the governor’s offices,” said Zeigler. “Once Kay Ivey took over, I was inside the governor’s offices six times in just the first two months, working with her staff on issues.” Zeigler had been a consistent critic of Bentley. He had filed the first ethics complaint against him in March 2016. After a year of investigation, the commission found probable cause that Bentley was in violation on multiple counts. That ruling came April 10, 2017. Five days later, Bentley resigned on April 10, 2017. He urged the group not to take the Nov. 6 for granted and be “too confident.” That not going to vote would be “the quickest way to lose an election.”
Public school reputation weighs on Air Force base in Alabama
The poor reputation of schools in Alabama’s capital city is creating friction with the city’s Air Force base. Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of Air University and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, says the state of schools in Montgomery is putting a strain on his job, with airmen arriving on base alone and faculty members reluctant to accept positions at the base. More than 56 percent of airmen in last year’s Air War College came to Montgomery without families, Cotton tells the Montgomery Advertiser, with schools being the top reason cited for separation. “The reality is, ‘If my kids aren’t happy, I’m not happy,” Cotton said of airmen. “If I have to try to spend so much time trying to understand how to get them ready and prepared for secondary education, then I’m not doing my mission as far as taking care of you, and making sure that I protect our country.’” Rachel Scott said she started a side business to raise tuition to send her oldest child to a private high school, but would rather save the money for college. She said her family is looking at buying a house outside Montgomery by summer to seek better schools. Until now, they’ve relied on Maxwell’s on-base school, but it ends after eighth grade. “We moved on base primarily for the school because my husband did research before we moved here and found out that the school systems were rated really low,” Scott said. “Their ratings are so low, I feel like my kids would fall behind.” In the 2016-2017 school year, 34 percent of Montgomery County seniors were deemed to have graduated without being college or career ready. The district’s five regular high schools had a combined average ACT score of 16, failing to meet the minimum score of 21 for enrollment at the University of Alabama. On the state’s report card, 66 percent of the Montgomery public schools received grades of D or F. Montgomery County Superintendent Ann Roy Moore wrote in an email that more than 600 students in the system are identified as military dependents. She said the system understands such students “unique needs.” “We are meeting with Maxwell representatives and the Military Child Transition Coalition team to identify ways we can show military families we care about their needs, and that we are working daily to improve academic achievement in our school system,” Moore wrote. The impact is a double-edged, with Montgomery failing to accommodate the men and women that serve this country, and failing to accommodate its biggest economic impact, with the base contributing $1.2 billion annually to the city. Montgomery, Scott said, is losing money because people are forced to live outside the city. Opening the base’s school to military families living off base, however, is not an option the Air Force has. Cotton declined to comment when asked to discuss potential solutions the Air Force is exploring to assist military members who are struggling because of the state of the school system. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Montgomery VA Medical Center earns 1-star facility rating, others improve
A new report from the Veterans Administration shows two Alabama VA medical centers have made some improvements in its quality of services over the past year, while another remains stagnant. As part of their efforts to remain transparent and hold VA facilities accountable, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) on Wednesday released end of fiscal year 2018 (FY2018) hospital Star ratings, which evaluate and benchmark quality of care delivery at VA medical centers (VAMCs) across the nation. In Alabama, on a 1 through 5 star scale, they rated: Birmingham: 4-star (score went up) Montgomery: 1-star (trivial change, did not improve) Tuscaloosa: 3-star (score went up) “With closer monitoring and increased medical center leadership and support we have seen solid improvements at most of our facilities,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Even our highest performing facilities are getting better, and that is driving up our quality standards across the country.” The Star rating designation is designed to help VA identify best practices of its top performing hospitals and share them across VA’s health care system to achieve system-wide improvements. “There’s no doubt that there’s still plenty of work to do, but I’m proud of our employees, who work tirelessly to move VA in the right direction for Veterans and taxpayers,” Wilkie added. Birmingham Birmingham remains a bright spot for veterans within the Alabama care system. Over the past three years it has steadily improved having received a 3-star rating in 2016, going up to a 4-star in 2017 and now pulling another 4-star with additional signs of improvement. “Providing high quality healthcare and benefits to our nations Veterans is one of our most fundamental obligations,” said Rep. Terri Sewell. “I’m proud of the tireless work that VA professionals are doing in Birmingham to save lives and improve healthcare quality standards for our Veterans and service members. Here in Congress, I have supported VA reforms like the Veterans’ Access, Choice and Accountability Act, a bill which allowed Veterans to receive care from private doctors when there’s a backlog and which increases accountability and transparency within the VA. I also introduced and helped pass a VA hiring amendment that encouraged the VA Secretary to select eligible employees for its fellowship program who represent rural areas. I’ve visited the Birmingham VA and met with the staff there, which is why I am not surprised to learn that they have maintained their 4-star rating. Our fight to provide Veterans across Alabama with timely and responsive access to quality care is far from over, and I applaud the Birmingham VA medical center on the strides it has made.” Montgomery In 2015, the director of the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHCS), or Montgomery VA, was removed from his post when a pattern of gross mismanagement and systemic malfeasance was exposed. Weeks later he became the first VA official in the country fired under our new VA accountability law. Since that time the Montgomery VA has been under a federal microscope and was making many improvements. However, after improving from 2015 to 2017 and receiving a 3-star rating for two years in a row, the state’s capital city VA hospital dropped to a 1-star, out of 5, in 2018. Someone who has been working hard to hold the Montgomery VA accountable and improve their service is Alabama 2nd District Rep. Martha Roby. She calls the newly released rating “unacceptable.” “The news that the Central Alabama VA has dropped from a 3-star rating to a 1-star rating is completely unacceptable,” Roby told Alabama Today. “Our veterans represent the very best of this country, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure they receive the best possible care we can provide. Significant work is needed to achieve this goal. She continued, “I have been and will remain actively engaged with CAVHCS Director Dr. Linda Boyle and other VA leadership to improve care for our veterans so that it is easily accessible and of the highest quality. As always, I encourage veterans in Alabama’s Second District to contact my office with problems related to VA casework. I am deeply disappointed in this rating, and my top priority continues to be that we treat our veterans properly.” Rating methodology The VA uses a comprehensive performance improvement tool called Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL) that includes key metrics used by the private sector as well as additional metrics that are important for addressing access to care, quality of mental health care, employee perception about the organization, nursing turnover, efficiency and capacity. The metrics are organized into 9 Quality domains and one Efficiency and Capacity domain. The Quality domains are combined to represent overall Quality. Each VA medical center is assessed for overall Quality from two perspectives: Relative Performance compared to other VA medical centers using a Star rating system from 1 to 5. Improvement compared to its own performance from the past year. Both relative performance and size of improvement are used to guide improve efforts.
Montgomery City Council approves expansion for newly opened EJI
During its regular Tuesday night weekly meeting, the Montgomery City Council voted to approve the sale of property to allow the recently opened Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to expand. The council approved the sale of property, a parking lot, located at 401 North Perry St., to EJI to open an entertainment center. The space is 0.4 miles away from EJI. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the group is looking to “possibly add a restaurant, more retail space and a bus shuttle location.” The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a six-acre site overlooking the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery opened to the public on April. It is a project of EJI. Since that time, more than 200,000 visitors have come through the site.
Amid budget overages, Montgomery Fire/Rescue receives much-needed $3.5M grant
Just when things were starting to looking fiscally grim, as news broke that the Montgomery Fire/Rescue (MFR) Department had shockingly exceeded its overtime budget by over $2M thus far in 2018, the city was awarded a much-needed federal grant that will help keep operations running smoothly. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby on Tuesday announced the $3,553,843 award as a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. “The funding will ensure the city has the proper resources and staff to adequately respond to emergency medical, fire, and rescue incidents throughout the area. I am proud that FEMA has awarded this SAFER grant to facilitate increased safety and security in the City of Montgomery,” said Shelby. As of mid-August, MFR had spent $2.2 million on overtime. That amounts to $2,079,470 more than expected, or 1,411 percent over budget. The $3.5 million grant will be used to help hire additional firefighters and first responders over a three year period to achieve and maintain proper staffing levels. “We could not be more grateful to Sen. Richard Shelby for his role in helping Montgomery secure this SAFER grant to increase the number of firefighters who serve and protect our capital city,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange. “The additional 33 firefighters provided by this grant will help us meet the increasing demand for suppression and emergency medical services. Sen. Shelby’s support for this grant award speaks to his abiding commitment to the public’s safety and his unflagging work on behalf of our city and state.” SAFER grants are awarded to fire departments and national, state, local, tribal, or territorial organizations that represent the interests of firefighters.
Montgomery Fire/Rescue shockingly exceeds overtime budget by over $2M: Montgomery Advertiser
The city may have just passed its 2019 budget, but according to the Montgomery Advertiser, the Montgomery Fire/Rescue (MFR) Department is operating way over budget in 2018. “As of mid-August, MFR has spent $2.2 million on overtime. That amounts to $2,079,470 more than expected, or 1,411 percent over budget,” the Montgomery Advertiser reports. Apparently a multiyear worker shortage is the culprit, leaving the current staff working extra, overtime hours due to so-called minimum manning requirements, which should be four workers on pumping-hose trucks, four on ladder trucks and two on medical calls according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to have firefighters in place,” Mayor Todd Strange told the Advertiser. “You can’t understaff.” But MFR going over budget is nothing new. In 2017, the department exceeded its overtime budget by a cool $2 million. However, in 2018, MFR is expected to surpass that number by $500,000. MFR officials hope to up their up their recruiting numbers in the future, help ease the burden of current firefighters. “We’re hiring! Take the 1st. step to an exciting and rewarding career with Montgomery Fire/Rescue by applying NOW at jobaps.com/mgm,” MFR posted on Facebook last month.
