The Piercing Truth

This is right from the dictionary and seems to describe Albuquerque, Berry and Schultz. Fascism (f ash ,izem) noun An authoritarian right wing system of government and/or social organization. (in general use) extreme right wing, authoritarian, chauvinistic and/or intolerant views or practices. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one group over another, national, ethnic, especially social strata or monetarily; a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach. Compliments of one of our Eyes

Aug 12, 2013

Redlining Rescue Away

While much of the attention of Albuquerque's current mayor, RJ Berry has focused on his endless shortcomings and failures with the economy, APD, his extracurricular activities, and his absence of any public debate, it's time to turn our attention to the other half of the city's public safety: the Albuquerque Fire Department.
 
And by that we do not mean the hard working efforts of all our firefighter friends out on the street and in the stations across town. Unlike AFD Chief Breen who seems to think that as long as he tells his boss, Rob Perry that all is fine and so what if a few firefighters can barely make ends meet, that everything is fine in AFD and the citizens they serve. Let us be clear, we fully support the men and women of AFD who are assigned to ladder, pumper, hazmat, and rescue crews. But it seems when it comes to rescue crews, some areas of the city get abandoned by Breen's operations. You see, our Eye's have been busy telling us, and we have confirmed, that there are some glaring holes in the rescue coverage provided by AFD's rescue services.

Rescue crews are highly trained medical personnel that respond to persons in need of immediate medical attention and who require immediate transport to the hospital. They are the folks who respond to victims from anything to heart attacks to gunshots to overdoses and "scoop and run" the patient to the hospital while performing emergency life saving triage.

And while one could say these holes in the service areas are mere oversight by Breen, we know that nothing in the operations of the Berry/Perry administration are by accident.

They are by design.
 
You see, if you drive south on University from Gibson SE, you enter a very isolated and self contained neighborhood known as the Kirtland Addition--or "The Kirk" as many locals refer to it. This neighborhood is recognized as having one of the highest concentration of African-Americans in the state. It is also a very poor community, plagued with significant amounts of drug activity and violence. It's an area where even APD officers of the Southeast Area Command do not go alone, and rarely stage tac-plan operations. In many ways, and sadly, it has been abandoned by Perry, Berry, and Breen.
 
And right across the street, just north of Gibson, AFD installed a new station almost complete with a tanker and ladder truck. But you guessed it, there is no rescue unit assigned to a neighborhood that sees more overdoses than almost anywhere else in the city.

If you look at the map, all the dots in blue are AFD stations that have Rescue Units. The dots in red are stations that don't. If you notice, stations without Rescue Units run almost up the center of the city and correspond with predominately minority populated areas.
 
Not having a Rescue Unit in your area means an increase of at least 10 minutes to respond to a medical emergency. This means while your loved one who is dying from a heart attack, gun shot, vehicle collision, stroke, seizure, or your baby has choked on a grape will have to wait even longer for a Rescue Unit.

With the station on Gibson is so new, it's hardly a coincidence that Breen failed to assign a Rescue Unit to it. And as you travel north up the Valley, you'll see that there are two other stations without Rescue Units as well. The one at Coronado Park, near 4th NW/I-40 and the one on Rio Grande NW/Candelaria.
 
We have to ask, was "The Kirk" left without coverage of a Rescue Unit accidental or by design? Because if you look up through the rest of the city, it is clearly well covered with Rescue Units....
Thanks to Berry, Perry and Breen, one's survival in the areas not covered by Rescue Units have been highly impaired. And as one of our Eyes told us, "...that extra 8-10 minutes means a 50% reduced chance of survival in an emergency."
 
This week the Eye On Albuquerque will discuss the blunder and clear disparity in how the city treats APD compared to AFD. Is it political gain Berry is seeking? Is it Berry's "speed of business philosophy?" We already know APD is in ruins and we know the administration must be replaced but what about Breen and his inept ability to lead? Is Breen to busy kissing Berry's...Uh, ring to do the job of the fire chief? Why can't AFD recruit cadets? Why are some cadet on "State Welfare?" All this will be address...

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's called the "Kirt", with a 'T', not Kirk with a K. As in the Kirtland (AFB) addition. I glaring, oversight in an otherwise interesting article. As always, Eye, keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Rescue units are a basic necessity for public safety. Whats the problem here Berry?

It appears with what has happened to APD and now AFD public safety is not a priority in this city.

Anonymous said...

Breen was on TV last night saying he has taken family influence out of selection process to get in fire academy. What a joke. Breen has institutionalized nepotism with his written "legacy" hiring policy and preference points. If you have a family member in the Department, like Breen's son got in, you get in with a preference, even when your less qualified than other applicants. First time applicants who have relatives already in the Department get in without any problem.

Anonymous said...

There was a day when APD was not hesitant to operate inside the Kirtland Addition. What is the Southeast Commander doing or not doing?

Anonymous said...

I've always known Kirtland as the Kirk. I know it should be Kirt, but the folks I ran into from their called it Kirk with a K so go figure. And yeah, no ODs, gunshots, stabbings, or health issues over there. That's only in hoods like Tanoan.

Anonymous said...

I memmer trying to get on AFD 20 years ago, I had no ties to AFD, but a friend of friend assigned to the 4th/Greigos station told me for $1K he would get me in??? WTF..... SOS in the 505...and no I didn't do it, too much integrity..

Anonymous said...

If AFD has a "legacy" policy then you need to file suit in District or Federal Court. Legacy hiring is blatanly illegal and there are plenty of attorneys who will jump at the chance to sue Berry. He pays out our money.

Anonymous said...

Dare any 5th floor official to come out and ride along with any officer in the SE. The manpower is pathetic and the criminals are calling the shots and they know it. Drug deals in public, prostitition and burglaries in broad daylight. Wish the public knew how dire things are within APD it's pathetic with what manpower we have on any given shift. Yet we still have useless units such as the nite detectives, who are a bunch of lazy rooks or the pawn shop detail, hiding officers who are to lazy to take calls.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps part of the problem is that no Emergency Services personnel would WANT to be stationed in that environment. Think about it. Back when home-delivery of dairy products were popular and profitable, Milkmen refused to deliver in there.

"It is also a very poor community, plagued with significant amounts of drug activity and violence." (Quoted from your post)

Not trying to accuse anyone nor defend anyone - but reality is reality.

Anonymous said...

Coronado Park, 4th & I40, that would be Station 4. Ladder 4, Engine 4, Squad 1/Hazmat, Battalion 1, and RESCUE 4!!! Get your shit straight.

Anonymous said...

Rescue 4 was moved out of that house and renumbered a rescue 17, so there is no rescue 4, for the 2:18 post. Its not there anymore!

Anonymous said...

NOPE @ 12:39 4TH N GRIEGOS WOULD BE STATION 6 BUDDY.....

Anonymous said...

They moved RESCUE 4 to station 17... Get your own shit straight. Breen had the opportunity to get funding from City Council for R2 in May and he declined it. He declined money he didn't even have to ask for. At the same meeting he declined huge dollars for training. It was an amazing feat of stupidity.

Anonymous said...

To the men and women of APD and AFD. An opportunity is staring us in the face. Since Berry took office he has shit on all organized labor and in particular, APD and AFD. He has treated us as the red headed step-children. He has had the power to do that. But the power is shifting. APD and AFD staffing levels are dropping drastically. I don’t have exact numbers and statistics, but we all know they are. Throughout the city APD sergeants are frantically making phone calls and texting to try to get officers to come in to work on their days off because our manning levels are dangerously low, for the citizens and for the officers. APD can’t get recruits. AFD can’t get recruits. All police officers and firefighters have been treated as disposable trash. The city council wants to give us some lame 2.5% raise. What a joke. After taxes that will amount to about $28 a pay check. I am pretty sure that won’t help my moral. Will it help yours? The power is now in our hands. Berry and the City Council have finally realized that we are not so disposable. WE are not replaceable. As our numbers dwindle and replacements can’t be found they are scrambling to meet their obligations to the citizens of Albuquerque. We are in control. Officers need to stop helping out supervisors and going in when they can’t meet their staffing levels. I know that is hard to do because those 8 hours of OT is pretty tempting. But it is time to join together and say no. Say enough is enough. We don’t want your lame 2.5%. We want our contracts honored. We want new contracts in place that are representative of our value to the city. The mayor can’t strap on a badge or turn out gear. The city council can’t take calls for service and make arrests. They can’t just run into a burning building. We all have specialized training that they can’t replace. Without all of us the city would be in utter chaos. We all have honor and integrity so we go in to work day after day, night after night. We put our lives on the line for pennies. We struggle to make ends meet. We get slapped in the face every day by Berry and his administration. I think most city employees are fed up with Berry. We all talk crap and pray that he is not re-elected. I think it is time for us to show the citizens how we really feel about him. We need a Blue and Red Flu! The city will definitely survive. Supervisors from APD and AFD will be forced to dust off their gear and get into the trenches again. The city would be in a world of hurt if they had to pay out that much overtime for just one week. Berry and the City Council will be forced to understand that we deserve better. We at APD are only asking that you honor our contract and not shit on us again with 2.5%. There is strength in numbers, but the city knows how to divide us. Now is the time to stand together. Let’s show Berry HE is replaceable!!!

Anonymous said...

Berry is a place holder. He will crumble under any direct scrutiny. I wish we'd all unify. This shit would NEVER fly back east. Not even for a second.

Anonymous said...

Who only knows about your "moral" and how high it is, but, considering your penchant for poor spelling and run-on sentences, I'd say you are probably overpaid for whatever work you are not doing. Where exactly you have sunk yourself in the vast ocean that is the "inside" jobs at the APD? Is it possible for you to remember you were called to this line of work as a servant to the good people of Gotham? That you were willing to forgo a high paying gig to do that which only the chosen few can do? I can only hope that you would do the city a favor and leave. Anywhere your heigh skewl education can take you. Make no mistake you wanna-be hero, that's all I have as well. But I'm going to find ways to make ends meet to continue doing a job I love that gives me a new problem to solve every night and a free car with free gas(taxpayer funded). I am most certainly replaceable and I can only hope that the good supervisors left out there find fools like you and run you out of here. Do you really believe that a raise is going to end the nightmare that has become our department? I don't think you have the mental capacity to delve into such a serious issue so I'll simplify the query to this. Even if you were truly deserving of some huge pay raise or you were screwed somehow by the Mayor, Do you really believe abandoning the citizens you swore to protect is a just and noble thing? If we got back to doing what we are supposed to do, and we quit listening to the ultra-radical minority on blogs like this, and we actually tried sticking up for one another, then perhaps we could begin to rebuild this department. so you and your friends, none of whom work for APD anymore I bet, take your bad attitudes and your hate-filled rhetoric to the Dinelli/Heh headquarters and try to become an asset instead of a bunch of asses. You guys were onto something for a while, but I believe you don't want to see APD thrive.

Anonymous said...

Back east give me a frighten break... We are no where near what officers and firefighters are from back east. Back there they have unions that are stronger then most political figures and that STAND behind their troops.. All we have here is a FRAT HOUSE mentality. Around election time we endorse the person (s) that promise us the world and then deliver DICK... If there is ANY talk of a raise "They got our votes". I honestly don't know what the answer is but lets try and get Berry out of office so that he and all his minions can hit the bricks and MAYBE then APD & AFD can get back on track.

Anonymous said...

2.5% RAISE IS A SLAP IN THE FACE AND A SPIT AS WELL! WHAT A JOKE! WE SHOULDVE BEEN AT $28/HR 3 YEARS AGO AND THIS 2.5% WOULD PUT US AT STILL UNDER $26/HR 3 YEARS LATER. PFFFFFT. JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON EVERYONE AND GO ELSEWHERE WHERE U GET AT LEAST BETTER PAY FOR RISKING YOUR LIFE EVERYDAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SEEING YOUR FAMILIES FACES FOR THE LAST TIME AS YOU SHUT YOUR DOOR ON THE WAY OUT TO WORK!

Anonymous said...

All the bargaining units from clerical to APD suck. They are a joke. No guts no balls nada. They take our dues and do nothing.before we start trying to replace our Mayor we need to put the screws to our union reps.tell them to show up at council meetings....speak out in favor of us. Tell the council how poorly we are treated...they need to start doing their jobs NOW!

Anonymous said...

Eye,
Keep on the story about the woman with the luggage and note for Berry at city hall the other day. That shit caused a callout and it disappears into thin air because that sissy punk ass Berry knows exactly who it is. Get this woman to a media outlet so that she can spill the beans on Berry. That was done that way because the person on the receiving end of it was to know exactly what it meant. The note and tangible object known as the "briefcase" which was indeed not a briefcase and indeed a midsized carry on luggage bag would have been known to the person it was meant for, otherwise the message would have been more detailed as to what this shit was all about. Berry, the PD and his media minions think the citizens of Albuquerque are stupid.
Put this filthy laundry out there for all to see!

Anonymous said...

Geeee who was at the table for the APOA....Ron Olivas of course.

Anonymous said...

Hard to believe, but Berry and his administration are more corrupt than the Chavez Administration.

Anonymous said...

@7:59 pm...(Slow clap) How noble it is up there on your lofty peak! I am glad you love your job that challenges you. I am quite sure you are one of the "good" officers that throw good cops under the bus, (read Doyle & Woolever), and support scum like Darren White and Ray Schultz. I believe you are a puppet of the APD administration. If your job currently is so grand, why can APD not recruit an academy class? If your job is so challenging, why has APD manpower shrunk to a level that is almost a decade old? Keep talking and attacking the "minority" that reads this blog...you obviously are part of that minority...you read it! Just another poser acting like a street 34!

english teacher said...

7:59,
This blog is what every citizen in Albuquerque thinks along with the city employees who don't have the balls to say it. Wipe the pubes from your eyes and get the nuts off of your chin. Oh, and you know what a run on sentence is...That must make you great at your job...
Ha Ha Ha... What a smacked ass!

Anonymous said...

News Flash.....Councilor Ike Benton wants to now fund these stations with Rescue Units....coincidence?