Franklin Fire and Rescue employs 66 career staff and approximately 10 volunteers and junior members. The department has 3 Engines, 2 Aerial Apparatus, 1 Rescue Truck, 1 Brush Truck, 4 Medic Units, 1 Technical Rescue/Support Trailer, a 19′ Carolina Skiff Rescue Boat, a 14′ john boat, a Safety House Trailer for Public Fire Education, 2 UTVs, 2 Drones, a Shelter Support Unit, 2 Emergency Response Units, and 4 staff vehicles.
Franklin Fire and Rescue operates out of Station 1 Downtown and Hunterdale Volunteer Fire Department, and Pretlow Substation. The department also provides fire and EMS personnel to support the four volunteer rescue squads within Southampton County, Boykins Fire & Rescue, Capron Vol. Fire & First Aid Squad Inc, Courtland Vol. Rescue, and Ivor Vol. Rescue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There is really no starting point to describe this department. The department has a problem: the morale is low, the mandatory overtime is high, and the lack of leadership within the organization.
Starting off on top, the Chief, Vernie Francis III. Chief Francis stays in his office for majority of the day. Instead of asking his employees about issues, he downplays it and always wiggles out of issues presented to him. Chief Francis also treats his employees like dogcrap. He is disrespectful, he downplays the issues that they bring to him, and all he cares about is a damn button up shirt- not fixing the problems in this organization. When he treats his employees like crap, he will claim that he is “stressed,” but this is an excuse that gets older by the day. There is no reason to treat your employees, the people who keep the organization running, like crap.
Onto the next, Deputy Chief Gerald Griffith Jr.. There are two words that describe him- micromanager and lazy. DC Griffith only cares about himself, and himself only. He is almost like the Chief, but worse. One of the prime examples is that DC Griffith teaches the Recruit Academy’s EMS portion. The recruit’s schedule is from 8am-5pm. DC Griffith leaves at 3:30pm, ON THE DOT. The recruits are left in a “study time” for the remainder of the day. How is this leadership? The DC took on a responsibility and he cannot even do it fully, because he cares about leaving exactly at 3:30pm.
This organization is lacking Line Officers. There is 1 Captain and 4 Lieutenants for 3 shifts. Last year, the department hired an external Lieutenant, which he cares about his rank more than anything. He treats his crew like crap, he writes a “notebook” of people’s wrongdoings so he can run to the chief so he looks good, and cannot properly run a shift. While some may say, mainly the administration, that this is a prime example of leadership, this is just one of the many reasons people are jumping off the sinking ship.
The turnover in this department is higher than McDonalds. In the past 5 years, there has been over 60 people who have resigned. The main reason is, the leadership and mandatory overtime.
Currently, each shift is operating at minimum staffing, with 4 people at Station 1, 2 people at Station 5, and 8 people in the county. At one time, there is a minimum of 6 firefighters within the city limits, for a CITY that is 8 sq miles and over 7,000 residents. This does not meet NFPA standards, in fact, if the NFPA or OSHA showed up, the doors would be closed here.
The mandatory overtime is also through the roof. There are times that firefighters are working 72 hour shifts, in a row. While that may be normal to some, people have lives, families, and other stuff outside this place. If you are on the mandatory list, expect to be told you have to stay over. This organization is so short staffed, we are one fire from a disaster. Hell, even the chief said that “people will die and it’s just a part of doing this job.” No it is not, Chief.
Communication is not too good as well. There is no communication from administration to the people on the floor. There are times that you will be hit for mandatory overtime, and not even be told. They expect you to look at the schedule every hour of the day.
Overall, just look somewhere else to get hired. There is other departments that offer amazing benefits, higher salaries, and a better leadership.
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1 Review on “Franklin Fire and Rescue”
There is really no starting point to describe this department. The department has a problem: the morale is low, the mandatory overtime is high, and the lack of leadership within the organization.
Starting off on top, the Chief, Vernie Francis III. Chief Francis stays in his office for majority of the day. Instead of asking his employees about issues, he downplays it and always wiggles out of issues presented to him. Chief Francis also treats his employees like dogcrap. He is disrespectful, he downplays the issues that they bring to him, and all he cares about is a damn button up shirt- not fixing the problems in this organization. When he treats his employees like crap, he will claim that he is “stressed,” but this is an excuse that gets older by the day. There is no reason to treat your employees, the people who keep the organization running, like crap.
Onto the next, Deputy Chief Gerald Griffith Jr.. There are two words that describe him- micromanager and lazy. DC Griffith only cares about himself, and himself only. He is almost like the Chief, but worse. One of the prime examples is that DC Griffith teaches the Recruit Academy’s EMS portion. The recruit’s schedule is from 8am-5pm. DC Griffith leaves at 3:30pm, ON THE DOT. The recruits are left in a “study time” for the remainder of the day. How is this leadership? The DC took on a responsibility and he cannot even do it fully, because he cares about leaving exactly at 3:30pm.
This organization is lacking Line Officers. There is 1 Captain and 4 Lieutenants for 3 shifts. Last year, the department hired an external Lieutenant, which he cares about his rank more than anything. He treats his crew like crap, he writes a “notebook” of people’s wrongdoings so he can run to the chief so he looks good, and cannot properly run a shift. While some may say, mainly the administration, that this is a prime example of leadership, this is just one of the many reasons people are jumping off the sinking ship.
The turnover in this department is higher than McDonalds. In the past 5 years, there has been over 60 people who have resigned. The main reason is, the leadership and mandatory overtime.
Currently, each shift is operating at minimum staffing, with 4 people at Station 1, 2 people at Station 5, and 8 people in the county. At one time, there is a minimum of 6 firefighters within the city limits, for a CITY that is 8 sq miles and over 7,000 residents. This does not meet NFPA standards, in fact, if the NFPA or OSHA showed up, the doors would be closed here.
The mandatory overtime is also through the roof. There are times that firefighters are working 72 hour shifts, in a row. While that may be normal to some, people have lives, families, and other stuff outside this place. If you are on the mandatory list, expect to be told you have to stay over. This organization is so short staffed, we are one fire from a disaster. Hell, even the chief said that “people will die and it’s just a part of doing this job.” No it is not, Chief.
Communication is not too good as well. There is no communication from administration to the people on the floor. There are times that you will be hit for mandatory overtime, and not even be told. They expect you to look at the schedule every hour of the day.
Overall, just look somewhere else to get hired. There is other departments that offer amazing benefits, higher salaries, and a better leadership.