TRUMBULL — A Fairfield County organization of black and Latino firefighters is raising questions about the firm the Police Commission hired to help choose applicants for the police force.

Other agencies had high praise for Municipal Police & Fire Registry, the firm operated by Bruce Muller.

But in the week since the Police Commission enlisted Muller to help screen qualified officer candidates in Trumbull, the Firebirds, an organization that is part of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, has questioned the firm’s record with other departments.

Firebirds President Ronald Mackey said his organization believes that use of Muller’s Registry resulted in a drop in hiring of minorities for the Stratford Fire Department, adding to an overall decline in minority hiring over the last 10 years.

"We started dealing with Dr. Muller and the Stratford Fire Department in 1998," Mackey said. "We were very disturbed by the lack of hiring of females, Latinos and blacks by the Fire Department."

Stratford fire officials could not be reached.

Stratford Police Chief Robert Mossman and Mark Palmer, deputy police chief in Norwalk said they have used Muller’s registry with no problems for nearly 10 years.

Members of the Firebirds, though, say they were outraged this month to receive 10 pre-paid application packages from Muller, principal operator of Municipal Police & Fire Registry of Chicago.

Typically, Muller’s firm charges $400 per candidate applicant to conduct testing and include the applicant’s name on a statewide hiring list.

Muller was not available for comment by telephone. Mackey said his group is returning the applications to Muller.

"We want no part of it because we have yet to be assured that Dr.

Muller’s testing process is equitable to minorities," he said.

Mackey said he received a note attached to the packages written by Muller. The memo states: "I hope that we can achieve progress in this way toward our shared goal of increased minority representation in the Stratford Fire Department."

But Mackey said his organization sent a letter to the Town of Stratford last week informing police and fire officials of the decision to return the applications.

Stratford has employed the services of Muller’s Registry for at least two years, Mackey said.

"They insist on using this company but it’s cost prohibitive.

It locks out poor people. And it also denies whites who…can’t afford the $400," he said. "I know the Registry has just been hired up in Trumbull, nd we are very concerned about that."

Meanwhile, Easton Police Chief John Solomon had glowing praise for Muller: "We’ve found his services to be very satisfactory and certainly worth the cost," he said.

He said the Municipal Police & Fire Registry has successfully administered written exams and psychological evaluations as well as polygraph testing for his force "for the last several years."

Solomon said Muller recommended candidates that scored 70% and better on written exams.

However, the three police officials acknowledged that Muller’s testing did not entirely suffice in the hiring process, and that the departments also had incurred the costs of extra testing.

"In addition to Muller’s services, we like to conduct our own oral tests and background checks," Solomon said.

A brochure provided by Muller’s firm says the Registry is not an employment or placement service.

The company is an "assessment and counseling" service, the brochure states. The brochure also says that although the company’s name contains the word "municipal" it is not "connected, contracted or employed by any police or fire department."

Muller’s company claims to have recommended police officer and firefighter candidates to departments in Easton, Stratford, Wilton, Fairfield, North Branford, Norwalk and Shelton as well as to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

A spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s office said the company is part of an out-of-state corporation authorized to transact business in Connecticut.

Some details about the company remain unclear.

Fred Hunter, owner and operator of Hunter & Associates, of DuPage County, Ill., said last week his firm is involved in a partnership with Muller. Later in the week Hunter claimed his company had no affiliation with Muller.

Hunter said Nelson Gwynne, former president of the Burns International Detective Agency of New York City, sold the Municipal Police & Fire Registry to Muller about three years ago.

Sen. Alvin Penn, D-Bridgeport also has verified that he received 10 free applications from Muller on May 8. He said he would not distribute the applications to interested candidates until he has spoken with Muller.