The city of York faced a budget crisis last year that resulted in cuts to the fire department, effective Jan. 1, 2015. This meant reporter Teresa and I spent much of Dec. 31, 2014, shadowing one of the four laid-off firefighters on his final shift. Clifton Frederick IV was gracious to let us follow him right up to the end, and I wish him all the best.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. From left, York City firefighters Don Newcomer, Clifton Frederick and Joe Portner relax in Station 2’s lounge on West Market Street on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014. Frederick is one of four firefighters who was laid off as a result of the York City Council’s budget that calls for eight firefighter positions to be eliminated. His 7 a.m.-5 p.m. shift Wednesday was his final shift. Three of those positions had been vacant, while another firefighter announced his retirement effective Jan. 2, 2015, resulting in four firefighters being laid off effective Dec. 31, 2014. Frederick, hired in July, was the last firefighter hired by the department. He started volunteer-firefighting with the Yorkana company with his father as soon as he was old enough, and left a welding job to join the York City company.
We also caught up with another firefighter on his final shift (the other two who were laid off had already worked their last day):
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Steve Bowman, Jr., stands for a portrait inside Station 5 on East Market Street. The York City Council passed a balanced budget for 2015 that cuts eight firefighter positions. Three of those positions had been vacant, while another firefighter announced his retirement effective Jan. 2, 2015, resulting in four firefighters being laid off effective Dec. 31, 2014. Bowman, Jr., hired in July, was one of the last firefighters hired by the department. His father, also Steve Bowman, has long worked in the York City company.
But we spent most of the day with Frederick, who went out on a medical call, installed smoke detectors and took in his last hours as a York City firefighter.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, carrying his medical pack, returns to a Manor Street home where he had been installing smoke detectors when he was radioed to a medical call on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, center, makes light conversation with fellow firefighters, including Don Newcomer, right, as they wait to see whether they need to assist in a medical call in a West Cottage Place home on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick works to install a smoke detector in a Manor Street home on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick installs a smoke detector inside a second-story bedroom in a Manor Street home on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick, right, returns some gear to a firetruck as fellow firefighter Don Newcomer, left, stands by at Station 2 on West Market Street on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick’s accountability tag is Velcroed below Don Newcomer’s on the truck they worked out of on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014. The tags work much like a military service member’s dog tags, to help keep track of which firefighters are where.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick stands in the Station 2 bay to help guide a firetruck backing into the bay on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
© 2015 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. York City firefighter Clifton Frederick folds up his jacket before placing it in a bin to turn in at the end of his final shift Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014.
To view more photos, click here. You can read Teresa’s story here.
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