Stamford Make Plans to Lay Off Firefighters

[JohnnyOV 2]

I'm a volunteer firefighter, and i'm all for volunteering, but SERIOUSLY?!!?!

Disclaimer: The next comment apply to EVERYONE, not just these departments.

If your volunteer units are slacking, you are going to have to go paid. Dont wait and see if different recruitment techniques will work, because in that time, tragedy might strike. Get off your high horse of being a volunteer and make sure the citizens you are supposed to be protecting, are protected. What is it going to hurt if you have 2-3 staffed personnel stationed at the firehouse for each piece of equipment and are supplemented by volunteers on every call? By staying traditional, you are putting the public at risk, which is the exact opposite of what we are supposed to be doing. Do a serious reality check and do the right thing.

[ltjay157 10]

Ok, the volunteers can pick and chose the calls based on the severity? How many times have we been dispatched to CO alarms and thought nothing of it only to find out that there were high readings? 1 firefighter to handle a dumpster fire? What if it extends towards a builiding? What if the dumpster is on fire due to methyethyl bad stuff being dumped in there? Didn't the city learn anything after a SPD Seargent died due to them not having adaquate training or equipment? I bet if one of the politicians homes burned down due to lack of manpower, they'd change their tune. Emergency services are based on the what can happen scenerio. I pay for car insurance for a reason, the what if's. I hate politicians. :angry:

[jps385 0]

"Until I see there's been a drastic safety issue involving a house burned to the ground or people were killed - I haven't heard any stories like that, and therefore, I feel the system is working," he said

Wow, what a profound statement. No ones died yet so why worry. Great mentality for an elected offical.

[Guest]

Well, I know one town not to get hurt in, or not to have a fire in, the Stamford area !! 1 person to a job is pathetic, volunteer or paid, if those stats are correct having an average of 0.76 is just not good enough, in fact that would mean a large number of times not a single person is turning out. Looks like the city needs to take control of all the departments and tell them to pull their heads in. If they were getting 10 - 15 people every call then I would tell the city there is no problems but that is just bad. If I was a member of the public reading this I would be very worried, it seems like the vollys are just trying to hang on to their domains. If you asked me 10 years ago I would have been the same, but now being older and wiser I realise that its all very well to have all this gear but if you can't get bums on seats then its useless. I live in the area so I would expect the fire truck to rock up if I call !! Not with 1 guy, whats he gonna do, tell me its burning !!

[Geppetto 31]

Old news already - Computer was down for a couple of days -

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...98.story?page=2

City works to put new fire plan in place

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

November 16, 2007

STAMFORD - Two weeks before a management agreement between the city and three volunteer firehouses expires, it remains unclear how those districts will be covered and what will happen to the city-paid firefighters that staff them.

Public Safety Director William Callion told city representatives last night that his department will craft a plan before Dec. 4 when city contracts end with the Belltown, Turn of River and Glenbrook volunteer fire departments.

"We have thoughts, but we don't have solid plans," he said.

Callion and volunteer chiefs from Belltown, Turn of River and Glenbrook fielded questions and concerns from city lawmakers during a Board of Representatives' Public Safety Committee meeting at the Stamford Government Center.

The meeting gave representatives the opportunity to review the city's plan to transfer 21 paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into the three understaffed volunteer firehouses. Committee members were not asked to vote on the plan and do not have any decision-making authority on implementing it.

Callion said that five months into the fiscal year, his department has already overspent by $100,000. If an agreement is not reached soon, Callion said there will be "dramatic" layoffs, but did not specify how many.

The city introduced the plan in June after an $850,000 cut to the Department of Public Safety, Health & Welfare. City officials said they needed to save money and cut down on high overtime spending in three volunteer departments, which spent $700,000 in overtime last fiscal year.

Stamford has five volunteer firehouses that operate independently of the city, but rely heavily on city funding and city-paid firefighters.

Under pressure to meet its budget, the city laid off five firefighters at Belltown and Glenbrook fire departments in July after the two departments refused the plan. Since then, a Glenbrook firefighter was rehired to fill a retirement.

Last month, Glenbrook signed onto the city's staffing plan, but labor discussions between the city and fire union have stalled the agreement. Negotiations between the city and Belltown have ceased. Turn of River took the city to court to avoid layoffs at its department and won.

Despite being ordered to mediate with the volunteer fire department, the city filed an appeal and is awaiting judgment.

City Rep. Joseph Coppola, R-15, a 47-year veteran of the Belltown volunteer department, said the city should rehire the laid off firefighters and try to work with volunteers to find a solution.

"If we can't find the money to put four firefighters back, then what the hell good are we? There's got to be a better way. The public deserves better," Coppola said. "But to lay the blame solely on volunteer chiefs and volunteers is not fair and it's not right."

According to the fire union, the termination of the management agreement at Belltown and Glenbrook fire departments could mean the loss of its paid firefighters.

Once the agreement is terminated, paid firefighters that staff the two volunteer fire departments could become employed with Stamford Fire & Rescue or be laid off. Turn of River Fire Department operates under a different management agreement with the city.

Stamford Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley said the city has not been clear on what the loss of the management agreement means and said that's unsettling.

"I have four people laid off and six more vulnerable in Belltown. The city hasn't said what will happen," he said.

Two calls to city Human Resources Director Dennis Murphy, who handles contract negotiations, were not returned.

City Rep. Scott Mirkin, R-13, said the city's approach to improving fire protection is perceived as a takeover of the volunteer system. Input from volunteers should be included in the plan, he said.

"It's the perception that the city has a desire, one way or another, of doing away with the volunteer departments altogether," Mirkin said.

Under the city's plan, the additional staffing in the volunteer houses would boost manpower from one or two per shift, to three or four paid firefighters on duty 24 hours a day. The plan would also cut eight vacant Stamford Fire & Rescue jobs, saving the city $545,876 in salaries.

Callion said his department reached out to the volunteer chiefs unsuccessfully.

"This plan was not the original plan. We had a very short window to execute and to meet the fiscal date 2007-2008," he said.

But volunteer chiefs maintained their stance that the city excluded them and rejected alternative proposals.

Still, some volunteer chiefs, like Belltown Chief John Didelot, say their departments need help but want the city to work with them.

"Do we want to have a full compliment of firefighters? Yes. It's the method and means by which we get there," Didelot told representatives last night.

The standing-room only meeting attracted more than 40 paid and volunteer firefighters representing all five volunteer districts and Stamford Fire & Rescue.

City Rep. Rich Lyons II, D-1, chairman of the board's Public Safety Committee, said volunteer chiefs and city officials should consider the city's economic outlook.

"The city is not in a good financial picture and '08-'09 may be worse," he said.

City representatives asked the city and volunteer chiefs to provide them with copies of their proposals, records of meetings and discussions, and certification, training and response times. Lyons said the committee would meet again next year to review the material again.

City Rep. Mark Larobina, R-18, urged volunteer chiefs to look past issues of control and focus on public safety.

"I'm asking you to please get past this and please save lives," he said.

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

[Geppetto 31]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...local-headlines

City's pact with volunteer fire departments to expire

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

November 30, 2007

STAMFORD - Just days before agreements between the city and three volunteer fire departments expire Tuesday, city officials - who in June announced plans to terminate the agreements as part of a restructuring - were unclear about city-paid firefighters staffing those departments after then.

"I'm not sure how to technically answer your questions," city Public Safety Director William Callion said when asked what will happen after the agreements expire Tuesday.

Volunteer chiefs said they're in the dark.

"The city hasn't said anything. We know the agreement is void at that point, but what that means, nobody is telling," Belltown Fire Chief John Didelot said.

The management agreements cover how Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer firehouses are maintained, along with command and control of city-paid firefighters assigned there.

If the city terminates the agreements after Tuesday, it could mean the 31 city-paid firefighters who staff Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer fire departments could be reassigned to Stamford Fire & Rescue firehouses, city Director of Legal Affairs Tom Cassone said.

"But the city is mindful for the need of fire service, we are continuing to explore how we can optimize fire service," he said.

Mayor Dannel Malloy, noting that he does not want to "prejudge" what will happen after Dec. 4, said city officials and the paid firefighters' union are working on an agreement to improve staffing and fire coverage in the three districts.

"Let me assure you that there are going to be changes brought about in the month of December," Malloy said.

The mayor said the city decided to end the agreements to control overtime spending in the volunteer firehouses and increase manpower at the understaffed departments.

The city's five volunteer fire departments rely heavily on city funding and city-paid firefighters to respond to emergency calls, but under the City Charter, each operate independently.

"We are going to bring about savings, which is why we terminated the agreements and there will be changes that we hope to do as a result of discussion," Malloy said. "We're going to save money and make people feel safer."

But halfway through the fiscal year the city has spent $17,000 more on overtime costs at the volunteer houses than it did last year. And Glenbrook and Belltown have each lost nearly a third of its paid staff to layoffs.

The Turn of River Fire Department filed a motion at state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday to stop termination of its management agreement, arguing the move violates its agreement.

The Turn of River department recently won a lawsuit against the city to prevent layoffs imposed after it refused to join the city plan to improve staffing.

Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said the agreement can't be canceled unless consent is mutual.

"It's clearly under the language of the contract, they don't have the right to cancel, which makes it unique among the other management agreements. But I wouldn't be surprised if the city takes a different view," he said.

Malloy targeted the three volunteer fire departments for savings after the Board of Finance cut $850,000 from the Department of Public Safety, Health & Welfare's budget this fiscal year.

In June, he introduced a cost-saving plan that would decrease overtime spending and increase staff at Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River by moving 21 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into the stations. The moves would beef up the number of paid firefighters per shift from one or two to four.

The plan also would end the management agreements and unite all paid firefighters under one labor contract.

City officials said overtime costs in the three fire districts had spiraled, totaling $700,000 last fiscal year.

Malloy and Callion have said fire coverage would improve under the plan because paid firefighters would be distributed more effectively.

The plan also would cut eight vacant Stamford Fire & Rescue jobs, saving the city $545,876 in salaries.

But when the plan failed after volunteer fire departments did not approve it, the city said it was forced to lay off five firefighters. A Glenbrook firefighter was later rehired to fill a post vacated by retirement.

Callion said the salary savings of the four laid-off firefighters has been about $4,400 per week since July.

From July to November, overtime spending in the three firehouses has reached $213,000, with Turn of River having the highest costs, at $100,000. For the same period last year, overtime for the three was $196,000, Callion said.

Callion said overtime would have been stayed within budgetary limits if the volunteer firehouses had agreed to the city's plan. The city did not have an alternative if three departments failed to agree, and the city rejected at least three alternative proposals offered by the volunteer departments.

Callion could not say whether his department was on target to meet its budget.

"The Plan B was the original plan. Just one plan. In six weeks, you don't come up with three other plans. In six weeks, we came up with one plan," he said, referring to the weeks after the public safety department's budget was cut.

Glenbrook is the only fire department to join the plan, but ongoing labor discussions between the fire union and city continue to postpone a final agreement. Belltown is no longer negotiating with the city; ongoing litigation between Turn of River and the city has prevented further discussions.

Springdale and Long Ridge fire departments were not part of the city's savings plan. Springdale is staffed with 16 paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters and Long Ridge operates under a different agreement with the city.

Stamford Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley said a labor agreement with the city won't be reached by Tuesday, but the union is working on a new agreement with the city that will create one contract for all paid firefighters in those districts and bring back the laid-off firefighters.

"If our proposal is agreed upon by the city and enacted, the residents of Stamford would enjoy a higher level of service and safety having crews with four people than two," he said.

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

[Geppetto 31]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...0,5140741.story

Stamford extends fire contract as talks continue

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

December 5, 2007

STAMFORD - Management agreements between the city and two volunteer fire departments that would have expired yesterday were extended two weeks as city officials continue to hash out plans to restructure the city's fire service.

In June, city officials announced they would cancel the agreements as part of a plan to increase staffing and reduce overtime spending in Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer fire departments. City and paid fire officials criticized declining volunteer membership and poor response to emergency calls.

The agreements outline how the volunteer fire chiefs operate their firehouses and supervise the city-paid firefighters that staff their stations.

Last week, the city offered to extend parts of the contract until Dec. 21 to ensure city-paid firefighters continue to staff the departments until a plan is implemented. Otherwise, terminating the agreement would mean reassigning city-paid firefighters in volunteer stations to Stamford Fire & Rescue firehouses.

The city is negotiating a labor contract with the paid fire union and developing a plan for fire protection, Public Safety Director William Callion said.

"We're still working on a plan, and we need time to transition," Callion said.

Turn of River Fire Department declined the city's offer and filed a motion to stop termination of the agreement. Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said the fire department and the city must agree to a termination or violate the agreement. In July, Turn of River used a similar argument to successfully prevent layoffs after it refused to sign on to the city's plan.

"The city is taking the position that it's above the law, and they can just breach the agreement at will," Kovack said.

Turn of River also plans to file a complaint with the state labor board alleging the city and paid fire union failed to include them in negotiations, Kovack said.

"The city has excluded us from that entire process," he said.

The city notified the departments of the extension by e-mail and a letter mailed Friday.

In a copy of the e-mail obtained by The Advocate, the city said the extension was to "assure uninterrupted emergency service protection" and could be "subject to possible further extension upon agreement of the parties."

Stamford's volunteer firehouses are autonomous under the city Charter but rely on city-paid firefighters and city funding to operate.

Belltown Fire Chief John Didelot said that the firehouse agreed to the extension in the interest of the department and public safety. The firehouse lost three of its nine paid firefighters in July, when the city laid them off after the department refused to accept the city's plan.

"I'm OK with this if we need time to work it out," Didelot said.

City, union and fire officials have been trying to work out a plan for six months. Mayor Dannel Malloy announced the plan after a $850,000 cut to the Office of Public Safety, Health & Welfare as a way to reduce overtime spending and increase manpower at the understaffed volunteer firehouses. City officials said overtime costs in the three districts reached $700,000 last fiscal year.

Under the plan, 21 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters would be relocated to the volunteer firehouses, doubling the paid staffing. The plan called for canceling the management agreements and uniting the 34 city-paid firefighters in volunteer firehouses and the 272 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters under one labor contract.

But conflicts with the volunteer fire departments led to legal battles and the layoffs of four paid firefighters. Glenbrook Fire Department was the only department to join the city's plan. Belltown rejected the plan. Ongoing litigation with Turn of River has delayed further negotiations.

Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley said an agreement has been reached on a tentative labor contract for all city-paid firefighters.

If approved, the contract calls for re-hiring the four firefighters laid off in July, Keatley said, and Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters would staff Glenbrook fire station, because it agreed to the plan.

Meetings will be held next week for union employees to review the contract. The union is expected to vote the following week, he said.

"I think the city and us both compromised, but I think we came out of it with something that is reasonable. I think it's going to be better for fire protection and public safety," Keatley said.

Whether city-paid firefighters will remain at the volunteer firehouses after Dec. 21 remains to be determined and is a concern for volunteer chiefs.

"It's more of a case of the unknown. The city needs to communicate to the other departments what they're going to do," Didelot said. "I'm still hoping we can find a middle ground on this."

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

[Geppetto 31]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...local-headlines

Glenbrook department fined for safety, training lapses

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

December 12, 2007

STAMFORD -The volunteer Glenbrook Fire Department recently paid a $1,260 fine for violating worker safety standards and failing to complete firefighter training.

The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the department failed to meet a federal safety standard, and that firefighters lacked quarterly interior structure firefighting training and yearly fire hose testing.

OSHA fined the department $420 for each violation and deemed all three serious, meaning they could threaten the lives and safety of firefighters.

According to OSHA rules, a fire department does not have to turn in records of training and certification unless a complaint is filed.

The city's paid fire union filed a complaint against the department and the city in September after a paid firefighter was injured during an attic fire he fought alone until backup arrived. A federal safety standard known as "two-in, two-out" requires two equally trained and equipped firefighters at the scene for every two who enter a burning building or other hazardous situation.

The city funds the independent volunteer fire department and provides them with city-paid firefighters to respond to emergency calls.

Glenbrook paid firefighter James Fountain suffered an eye injury on Sept. 9 as he battled an attic fire on Courtland Avenue for at least four minutes inside while a second paid firefighter manned equipment outside.

According to the union, at least four minutes passed until additional firefighters from Stamford Fire & Rescue, Belltown Fire Department and Springdale Fire Company responded.

Glenbrook Volunteer Fire Chief Frank Passero said his department's 12 volunteers and seven paid firefighters have received the required training and testing since the OSHA complaint was made, and that a recent agreement involving the city's paid fire department will help improve staffing.

Layoffs in July cut the nine paid firefighter staff by one-third, and limited volunteer responses have hindered the department's response to calls. One firefighter was later rehired to fill a vacancy caused by retirement.

Passero said he assumed weekly drills at the fire department were sufficient to meet OSHA training and testing standards, and was unaware the department was violating standards.

A call to the state agency yesterday was not returned.

"I guess nobody just thought of it. We thought the current training would satisfy," Passero said.

Passero said the fine was reduced from $3,500 after he met with an OSHA employee in October and agreed to correct the violations. The report was issued last month.

"We took care of what we needed to take care of. We're in good shape," he said.

Union president Brendan Keatley said the reported deficiencies are further evidence of the city's troubled volunteer fire system.

"It verifies what the union has been alleging about these departments for a long time. They do have deficiencies in training and record-keeping which is one of the reasons we're trying to reach an agreement," Keatley said.

The union, city and three of the city's five volunteer fire departments have been fighting for control over the autonomous firehouses since June. Union and city officials have said low volunteer turnout to calls, diminishing volunteer membership and gaps in training are jeopardizing public safety.

The city reached an agreement with Glenbrook in October to increase paid staff at the fire station with Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters. Similar agreements offered to Belltown and Turn of River volunteer fire departments were rejected, resulting in layoffs and legal battles. No agreements have been reached yet with those departments.

City Risk Manager Anne Marie Mones said the city's safety and training officer, Phillip Cundiff, worked with Glenbrook to resolve the violations and continues to ensure the department meets safety standards.

Keatley said the city was named in the complaint as a procedure because Stamford pays the salaries and benefits of paid firefighters.

This is the second time a volunteer fire company has been cited by the state within the year.

In February, Long Ridge Fire Co. was fined more than $1,000 for failing to provide hazardous material training and test firefighters for use of breathing masks.

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

[Geppetto 31]

The word on the street is that Stamford re-hired it's firefighters who were laid-off. Any confirmation on this? And if it's true - Merry Christmas and welcome back.

[x152 179]

It must be true because the news is on local786.org. Congrats on their return and sorry to see them go through what they endured. Best of luck to Brothers.

Joe:

Just because it is on www.local786.org does not make it true (the guy who runs that thing is a lunatic). However, I did hear from a reputable source that the 4 members were back this morning and working with the Training Chief to get some logistics and orientation issues worked out. What a nice holiday gift to have them back to work and welcome back.

[Guest]

If it is true that they are back to work, CONGRATULATIONS.

Best wishes for a long, safe, and rewarding career.

[pjreilly 6]

Joe:

Just because it is on www.local786.org does not make it true (the guy who runs that thing is a lunatic).

x152 YOU ARE CORRECT, THE GUY WHO RUNS LOCAL786.ORG IS A LUNATIC. As for the laid off workers, it is official that they are back to work.. From reliable sources, that was the top priority after the agreement was reached. Welcome back brothers. Looking forward to working with all of you. Merry Christmas to all and Happy New year too.

[Geppetto 31]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...local-headlines

Firefighters joined by single contract

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

December 21, 2007

STAMFORD -For the first time in more than 50 years, paid firefighters now at three volunteer firehouses and Stamford Fire & Rescue will be unified under one labor contract.

Paid firefighters staffed at Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer fire departments voted earlier this week to join Stamford Fire & Rescue.

Under the new contract, the 34 paid firefighters will report to downtown Fire Chief Robert McGrath and boost staff at Stamford Fire & Rescue to about 272 firefighters.

Previously, the paid firefighters were hired, under a different labor contract with the city, to beef up the understaffed volunteer firehouses and follow the command of their respective fire chiefs. Stamford's volunteer firehouses are autonomous under the City Charter but rely on city funding and employees to operate.

"We have historically changed how fire services will be delivered in Stamford," fire union president Brendan Keatley said. "It's a victory for the firefighters and citizens of Stamford."

City and fire officials said the new arrangement will increase fire protection in the volunteer districts by sending more downtown paid firefighters into Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River to respond to emergency calls. Staffing will be increased from one or two paid firefighters per shift, to three or four.

"There will be more paid and highly trained firefighters responding 24/7. We will be on one accord," McGrath said.

The new contract also calls for four paid firefighters laid off at Belltown because of budget cuts to be rehired with Stamford Fire & Rescue, Keatley said.

The contract is pending final approval from the city's Board of Finance and Board of Representatives, according to city Human Resources Director Dennis Murphy.

After months of contentious battle for control over Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer fire departments, Stamford is inching closer toward implementing a uniformed standard of fire coverage.

The termination of management agreements between the city and the Belltown and Glenbrook departments was the final hurdle the city needed to gain total oversight over paid firefighters in those districts.

The agreements determined how the volunteer fire chiefs operated their firehouses and supervised the city-paid firefighters that staff their stations.

The city officially terminated the agreements today.

City and paid fire officials have long criticized volunteer firehouses' declining membership, spiraling overtime costs, lapsed training records and poor response to emergency calls.

Exact numbers of volunteers, and adequate certification and training records from volunteer departments have been hard to pin down, city officials have said.

In June, Mayor Dannel Malloy unveiled a plan to restructure the city's fire service by transferring Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters to the three volunteer stations.

A similar model exists at Springdale Fire Co., which has been staffed with 16 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters since 1997.

The city plan was announced, after an $850,000 cut to the Office of Public Safety, Health & Welfare, as a way to reduce overtime spending in the three districts that reached $700,000 last fiscal year.

The city plan was met by opposition from volunteer chiefs who argued it would kill the volunteer system. Their resistance later resulted in layoffs and litigation.

Glenbrook Fire Department is the only fire department to agree to the city's plan.

Belltown has declined it, as has Turn of River, which has several ongoing lawsuits against the city, including a motion to stop termination of the management agreement. Through an injunction sought in July, Turn of River prevented layoffs at its department after it refused the city's plan.

Under the new arrangement, Glenbrook will be the only station fully staffed with Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters. Additional paid firefighters are scheduled to move in there Jan. 2.

Six paid firefighters now at Belltown will be removed from the firehouse and redistributed throughout downtown's five fire stations.

Belltown Fire Chief John Didelot said yesterday his volunteer firefighters will be able to run the firehouse as a strictly volunteer unit. He declined to comment further.

"It's too premature to be discussing this. We need to work our way through with how it's going to be taken care of," Didelot said.

Paid firefighters are to be removed from Belltown on Jan. 2, McGrath said. There are about 12 active Belltown volunteers.

Turn of River is set to have paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters move into its two North Stamford fire stations in July, Keatley said.

But ongoing litigation may stall the plan.

Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said the department plans to file a lawsuit today to stop the implementation of the labor contract and the city's restructuring plan.

Earlier this month, the department filed a complaint with the state labor board alleging the city and fire union, the Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association, excluded them from negotiations - violating their management agreement.

A meeting with the state labor board is scheduled for the first week in January, Kovack said.

"The city gave Turn of River that right to bargain collectively with the union for representing the paid firefighters, we were excluded," he said.

City Public Safety Director William Callion said despite resistance from the two volunteer fire departments, Stamford Fire & Rescue will continue to provide automatic assistance in those districts to ensure consistent fire protection.

Callion anticipates the city will see a decrease in overtime costs.

"The whole purpose of this plan was to improve fiscal performance," he said.

In Turn of River and Belltown, McGrath said residents still will receive fire protection and timely response from Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters. The city's five firehouses are about a half-mile to 1.5 miles away from the three volunteer districts and will respond within four minutes to calls. A national standard recommends a six-minute response, as a fire doubles in size every minute.

All paid firefighters will receive the same training and certification, which will improve accountability standards for firefighters and record-keeping, McGrath said.

Keatley said the restructured fire system will help cut down on worker safety complaints and ensure all fire departments are meeting national firefighting standards.

"For the people that live there you'll get that level of protection you deserve and you're going to get if for the first time," Keatley said.

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

[Geppetto 31]

And in other news -

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local...local-headlines

Fire rift escalates as Springdale chief locks out four

By Donna Porstner

Staff Writer

December 23, 2007

STAMFORD - Springdale Fire Chief Shawn Fahan locked paid firefighters out of the firehouse last night over a spat about which radio system to use.

Fire Chief Robert McGrath said four of the paid firefighters assigned to that firehouse were returning from a call at about 6 p.m. when they found the entrance to the garage barricaded.

"When they returned, Shawn Fahan pulled the ladder truck -the engine - and put his personal chief's truck where engine No. 7 would normally enter. When they asked what was going on, he told them they had to leave," said McGrath, who arrived on the scene after being summoned by Deputy Fire Chief David Jones.

"Evidently, the fire chief (Fahan) and one of the captains . . . had a dispute over which of the radios they were using and locked our people out of the building," McGrath said in a telephone interview last night.

Firefighters have two radio systems - an 800-megahertz system and a 154-megahertz system - because the radio coverage in Springdale can be spotty.

"It was a miscommunication, actually," McGrath said.

Fahan did not return phone calls at the firehouse seeking comment last night and no one answered the telephone at his home or his cell phone.

Fire union Vice President David Davis, who had responded to the scene at the firehouse, said Fahan was the only one there when he arrived. The four paid firefighters had gone to the nearby Stamford Twin Rinks parking lot to wait for fire officials.

Davis said Fahan was upset because the paid firefighters weren't using the 154-megahertz system used by the volunteers.

Fahan said one paid firefighter, a captain, was disobeying his command to stay on the air as he responded to a routine alarm call in Glenbrook, Davis said.

When responding to calls out of district, paid firefighters often press a button on a laptop computer connected to the dispatch center to keep radio traffic at a minimum, Davis said.

"Chief Fahan basically said, 'If you cannot follow my directives, you will leave my firehouse,' " Davis said.

Davis said a disagreement over whether all four were ordered to leave or just the captain was part of the confrontation.

Police also were called to the scene.

"It sounds like our involvement was quite limited," said police spokesman Lt. Sean Cooney, who was not present but was briefed on the incident. "I don't even know what the dispute was about or how it was resolved."

Police Chief Brent Larrabee and city Director of Public Safety, Health and Welfare William Callion reportedly also were on scene but could not be reached for comment last night.

For years, the city has staffed the Springdale firehouse with paid personnel who report to McGrath but take direction from top-ranking volunteers at fire scenes.

The arrangement is a model Mayor Dannel Malloy is trying to emulate by making the paid firefighters at the Belltown, Glenbrook and the Turn of River fire departments employees of Stamford Fire and Rescue under McGrath's command.

The Turn of River volunteer department is fighting the merger in court.

Malloy could not be reached for comment last night.

The Springdale firehouse is not part of the planned merger of the paid and volunteer fire systems but has a long history of tension between its members and the city's paid fire personnel.

By the time McGrath left the firehouse last night, Fahan had allowed the paid firefighters back into the building, and McGrath said the dispute was resolved. McGrath said he other city officials plan to sit down with the Springdale volunteers and the fire union to address the dispute during a meeting the first week of January.

"I'm hoping we can work things out with the volunteers to provide the fire protection in the district to keep everyone safe," McGrath said. There won't be any confusion over which radio system to use once the new radio system is up and running in the spring, he said.

Davis said the dispute, which began at about 5:30 p.m., was over by about 8 p.m.

"It was a least a two-hour ordeal," he said.

Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

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4 fire recruits to join city force

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

December 25, 2007

STAMFORD - Four Stamford Fire & Rescue candidates hired several months ago will be brought on board before the end of the month, city officials said Friday.

The Fire Commission selected the candidates from the hiring list in September, but the city was unable to hire them until funding was available.

The Office of Public Safety, Health & Welfare, which oversees the downtown fire department, was cut by $850,000 this fiscal year. City officials had hoped to hire the candidates by Dec. 31.

Public Safety Director William Callion said the new hires will reduce overtime spending, which should cover the $539,000 needed to pay their salaries and benefits.

Last week, paid firefighters who work at three volunteer fire departments joined a labor contract with Stamford Fire & Rescue. Under the new contract, 34 paid firefighters who worked at Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer departments will transfer to Stamford Fire & Rescue and will respond to calls in five districts. The new hires should bring the total number of downtown firefighters to about 276.

The contract must be approved by the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives, which meets next month.

City officials did not say whether the candidates were notified of their start dates. City Human Resources Director Dennis Murphy did not return two telephone calls.

Callion said the department will meet the end-of-the-year hire deadline.

"The more you have a full complement of people, the less overtime you're running, and a fuller staff will allow us to operate on a more normal basis," he said.

The four candidates will join four recently rehired veteran firefighters to fill eight vacancies.

In July, four paid firefighters at Belltown and Glenbrook volunteer fire departments were laid off after the departments refused a city plan to cut overtime spending and increase staffing in those districts.

Because the city pays the salaries of career firefighters stationed in volunteer districts, they were placed on a mandatory re-employment list that gives them priority as positions become available.

The veteran firefighters reported to Stamford Fire & Rescue on Thursday and are undergoing a week of refresher training, Chief Robert McGrath said.

In February, the new hires will start a 14-week course at the state fire academy in Windsor Locks and must complete a two-week training course with Stamford Fire & Rescue before they can respond to emergency calls, McGrath said.

The candidates are Christopher Brennan of Norwalk, son of former Fire Commissioner E. Gaynor Brennan Jr.; Paul Esposito of Stamford, son of city Rep. Paul Esposito, D-4; Dominick Errico of Stamford; and James Doherty of Fairfield.

McGrath said the group was expected to join Stamford Fire & Rescue by mid-June.

The rehired firefighters are three former Belltown paid firefighters - Fabio Basile and Paul Melchinonno, both of Stamford, and Michael Orawsky of Darien - and former Glenbrook paid firefighter Herman Naring of Norwalk.

McGrath and Callion said they are waiting for approval to hire two additional firefighters in January to fill positions that opened because of retirements.

"We'll always be a couple of firefighters short," McGrath said.

The fire commission must reinterview candidates from the hiring list, which includes 120 candidates grouped by written test scores, McGrath said. The list expires in September.

The commission's hiring practices have come under criticism in recent years.

In 2005, the commission was accused of nepotism and unfair hiring practices after applicants with lower scores were offered jobs over those with higher scores. The controversy prompted the commission to change its hiring polices, for the first time adding a score.

Starting salary for city firefighters is about $41,700. It increases to about $64,000 in five years.

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Volunteer firefighting dispute still smolders

By Natasha Lee

Staff Writer

December 30, 2007

STAMFORD -Lapsed training, dwindling volunteer membership and poor response from volunteer firefighters spawned a heated debate among the city, the fire union and three volunteer fire departments over whether the city has adequate protection.

Volunteer firehouses rely heavily on paid firefighters to respond to emergency calls, but in recent years have struggled to increase their volunteer membership. Volunteer fire chiefs also have failed to provide the city with updated records of certification and training among the volunteers.

In June, the city unveiled a plan to improve fire coverage by restructuring the current system. The plan would move Stamford Fire & Rescue paid firefighters into Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer fire departments to beef up staffing, and unite paid firefighters under one labor contract.

Mayor Dannel Malloy and public safety director William Callion touted the plan as a cost-effective move to cut down on spiraling overtime costs: The three volunteer departments spent $700,000 on overtime in the 2006 fiscal year, and the restructuring plan was expected to save the city more than $500,000.

Volunteer chiefs said the city was trying to destroy its system and argued they were autonomous under the city Charter. The city funds all of its five volunteer fire departments, but the Charter gives volunteer chiefs the authority to operate and manage their firehouses.

City officials also announced in June plans to cancel management agreements with the three departments Dec. 4. The agreements determine how firehouses are staffed and operated.

All volunteer firehouses are staffed with paid firefighters to respond to emergency calls, particularly during the day, when volunteers are not readily available.

City officials said to maintain spending, volunteer firehouses had to agree to the plan, or else they would have to dismiss paid firefighters to meet their budget.

The city's plan sparked a battle of control for the volunteer firehouses, eventually leading to layoffs, lawsuits, counter proposals and public animosity.

Belltown and Glenbrook initially agreed to participate in the city's restructuring plan, but later reneged after its volunteer membership voted against it. Turn of River was successful in getting an injunction to block layoffs at its department, arguing the move was a violation of its management agreement with the city.

Belltown and Glenbrook lost their court battles.

Five paid firefighters at Belltown and Glenbrook were laid off in July after the firehouses failed to reach an agreement. The loss cut Belltown's nine-member staff and Glenbrook's nine paid firefighters each by a third.

The Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association joined the fight, citing statistics of poor response times from volunteers and arguing for a more uniform fire system. Statistics supplied to The Advocate for July showed that, on average, fewer than one Glenbrook volunteer firefighter responded to emergency calls; one Belltown volunteer firefighter responded in that district.

Volunteer chiefs did not dispute the numbers. The union filed complaints against the departments alleging unfair labor practices and unsafe working environments.

In September, the union filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration when a Glenbrook paid firefighter suffered an eye injury after he battled an attic fire alone for several minutes until backup firefighters arrived. The fire department was later fined $1,260 for violating a federal safety standard.

City Board of Representatives remained quiet about the city's plan, voicing opinions only during a review of the plan last month.

As the deadline for the management agreement approached, Glenbrook Fire Department agreed in October to join the plan. The city later extended its management agreement until Dec. 21.

By Dec. 21, the city had reached an agreement with Glenbrook to staff its firehouse with Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters. The paid fire union also voted to unify all paid firefighters at the three firehouses under one labor contract.

The new agreement is pending approval from the city's Board of Representatives and Board of Finance.

Under the new contract, the 34 paid firefighters will report to downtown Fire Chief Robert McGrath and boost staff at Stamford Fire & Rescue to about 272 firefighters. Termination of the management agreements with the departments also relinquishes total oversight over paid firefighters to the city.

City and fire officials said the new arrangement will increase fire protection in the volunteer districts by sending more downtown paid firefighters into Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River to respond to emergency calls. Staffing will be increased from one or two paid firefighters per shift, to three or four.

Belltown and Turn of River, however, have never agreed to the city's plan. Belltown will lose its paid staff Wednesday, and be fully staffed by volunteers. Turn of River continues to file motions against the city to block any intervention of management or operational control.

Stamford Fire & Rescue will continue to supply automatic aid to the districts, but it remains to be seen how all departments will handle the change.

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Belltown becomes all-volunteer unit

By Donna Porstner

Staff Writer

January 3, 2008

STAMFORD - The Belltown Fire Department began a new era yesterday as a strictly volunteer department after refusing to cede control of its paid firefighters to Stamford Fire & Rescue.

Eight of Belltown's nine paid firefighters reported for duty at Stamford Fire & Rescue headquarters yesterday morning, seven months after Mayor Dannel Malloy proposed merging the Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River volunteer departments with the paid downtown departments to have more staffing flexibility and reduce overtime costs. The ninth Belltown firefighter retired.

"As far as I know, it's a permanent situation," Belltown Fire Chief John Didelot said.

The city decided to pull the paid firefighters from the Dorlen Road station last month after Belltown's management agreement with the city expired.

The 34 paid firefighters assigned to Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River voted for a new labor contract that makes them employees of Stamford Fire & Rescue.

They were city employees assigned to the volunteer houses and represented by the same union as Stamford Fire & Rescue but were under a separate labor contract.

Yesterday, Stamford Fire & Rescue moved an engine into the Glenbrook firehouse on Arthur Place, bringing the total paid staff there to 16, up from nine.

"They are up and running with four-man staffing, 24-seven, up from one or two," said Stamford Fire & Rescue Chief Robert McGrath, who now commands the entire Glenbrook staff.

Stamford Fire & Rescue wanted to put paid firefighters in Belltown, too, but McGrath said the department's board of directors wouldn't allow the paid firefighters or apparatus in the building.

"They chose to operate as a volunteer fire company," he said.

Didelot said his department offered an alternative plan, but the city was not willing to negotiate.

Until yesterday, the paid firefighters working in Belltown and Glenbrook reported to the volunteer chiefs in those districts. Stamford's volunteer firehouses are autonomous under the city Charter but rely on city funding and employees to operate.

Volunteer firefighters still report to the volunteer chiefs in their districts.

The new arrangement is modeled after the Springdale Fire Co., which has been staffed by Stamford Fire & Rescue employees since 1997.

The 16 paid firefighters who work in Springdale report to McGrath and volunteers report to Springdale Chief Shawn Fahan.

The reshuffling will allow for a more efficient use of manpower, saving more than $500,000 a year in salary and overtime costs, city administrators said.

Malloy targeted the volunteer departments for cost savings after elected officials cut the public safety budget last spring.

Director of Public Safety, Health and Welfare William Callion said calls in Belltown now are handled by the closest paid firefighters working out of the Springdale, Glenbrook, Turn of River and Stamford Fire & Rescue firehouses.

Response times will not suffer, he said. He could not predict how long it will take paid firefighters to arrive because it will depend where in the district the emergency occurs, Callion said. "As far as I am concerned, we are covering it very well," he said.

Didelot said he's worried the wrong firehouse might be dispatched initially.

"The only thing I'm concerned about is that they enter the right stuff into the 911 system so that the right units respond," he said.

McGrath said three fire captains spent the last week re-entering data into the computerized dispatch system to reflect the changes.

There were no problems with the two calls Belltown responded to yesterday, but Didelot said time will tell whether there are bugs to be worked out.

Police Capt. Gregory Tomlin, who oversees the 911 center, did not return a phone call yesterday.

Didelot said that, as long as there are no computer glitches, the only noticeable difference should be that an additional truck will respond to Belltown calls in case volunteers don't show up.

In the past, two fire companies typically responded to calls - Belltown and the nearest department - for a total of four to 10 paid firefighters on every scene, Didelot said.

Now a typical response for all non-medical calls will require 14 firefighters - two engines, a ladder truck, as well as a deputy chief or assistant chief, McGrath said.

City officials have said paid firefighters are more reliable. They have long criticized volunteer firehouses' declining membership, spiraling overtime costs, lapsed training records and poor response to emergency calls.

Exact numbers of volunteers, and certification and training records from volunteer departments have been hard to pin down, city officials have said.

Belltown has 20 active volunteers, Didelot said.

Volunteers at the firehouse waiting to respond to calls yesterday morning said sending 14 paid firefighters on every call is a waste of taxpayers' money.

"They are counting on us failing. It ain't going to happen," said Tom Alessi, a Belltown volunteer of 32 years. "Even when there were paid guys here, we had two or three guys hanging around."

Volunteers said taxpayers will feel the pinch.

"It's going to incur more expenses," said Alan Shaw, a Belltown volunteer for 11 years.

According to the city's Office of Policy and Management, the merger costs taxpayers in the CS tax district an additional 50 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value - $250 a year on a home assessed at $500,000.

Callion said there will not be a noticeable increase in taxes next year because the increased cost was built into this year's tax rates.

Alessi said he continued volunteering in Belltown after he moved to Darien six years ago because he's trying to keep taxes down for his parents, who live in the district.

The fire union approved the merger because most of the paid firefighters do not live in Stamford and a fully paid system ensures job security, he said.

"Most of the people employed live out of town, so what do they have to lose if taxes go up?" Alessi asked.

Callion said sending 14 men on a call is "standard protocol all over the world." Waiting to send units could cost lives, he said.

When four new hires enter the fire academy in February, there will be 278 paid firefighters in Stamford, including the 17 at Turn of River - down from 285 positions in this year's budget, McGrath said.

Whether the number of Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters changes will depend on the results of a study the city plans to do later this year, he said.

The city selected a firm but has not yet signed a contract, Callion said.

The results of the study likely won't be ready until after next year's budget is set is May, but officials might have preliminary information that will help them make spending decisions, Callion said.

Callion said he's confident the staffing changes will reduce the $700,000 Belltown, Glenbrook and Turn of River spent on overtime last year.

"We've got six months to prove that, don't we?" he said.

Copyright © 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.