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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Community fire watches will continue, Mayor Tony George said Thursday, adding they&#8217;re worth the price of the extra fuel for the vehicles patrolling the city.</p><p>George maintained the watches he stepped up in mid-August as a public safety measure are a good use of the department&#8217;s resources, even though the firefighters&#8217; union has criticized them as wasteful for a city that is struggling financially.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not stopping,&#8221; George said, adding the watches aren&#8217;t as big a financial burden as the firefighters&#8217; wages and benefits.</p><p>Their average compensation &#8212; including pay, health insurance and pension contributions &#8212; is $109,354 a year, the mayor said.</p><p>He raised the point about compensation in response to a story published Wednesday in the Times Leader that listed firefighters&#8217; base wages in his budget for this year.</p><p>The wages, based on time of service:</p><p>&#8226; Firefighter A: $64,810.</p><p>&#8226; Firefighter B: $58,810.</p><p>&#8226; Firefighter C: $51,847.</p><p>&#8220;The cost (of the watches) is minimal compared to their salaries,&#8221; George said.</p><p>The firefighters drive the vehicles only a couple miles on the patrols or park them in a highly visible location. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think its burning that much gas,&#8221; noted the mayor.</p><p><strong>Tracking fuel</strong></p><p>Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters has kept track of the fuel usage before and during the watches and also documented when a vehicle goes out of service, reportedly due to breakdowns caused by overuse on the patrols.</p><p>Mike Bilski, president of the Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department Local 104, said Engine 2 used approximately 118 gallons of diesel fuel from Aug. 3 -15 and nearly 301 gallons from Aug. 16 to Sept. 1.</p><p>Engines 1 and 2 are in the shop for repairs and in their places reserve apparatus has been activated. Aerial ladder Truck 6 has been in and out of service for repairs too.</p><p>&#8220;Our biggest concern is we&#8217;re not going to have anything left soon,&#8221; said Bilski.</p><p>The mayor said the department has 22 vehicles in its fleet. &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to be out of vehicles,&#8221; he said. Those that are taken out of service go in for repairs at either the Department of Public Works garage or to a private garage.</p><p>As a backup, the city has mutual aid agreements with fire and ambulance departments in surrounding municipalities to respond to emergencies.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department&#8217;s Engine 2 is seen on its way out of town for repairs Thursday. The firefighters&#8217; union says the fixes needed are due to wear-and-tear from patrols mandated by Mayor Tony George. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_TTL082818engine-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department&#8217;s Engine 2 is seen on its way out of town for repairs Thursday. The firefighters&#8217; union says the fixes needed are due to wear-and-tear from patrols mandated by Mayor Tony George. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>George: Patrols cost less than wages and benefits</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

WB mayor: Fire watches cost less than firefighters’ wages and benefits