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| Michelle Tuccitto, Register Staff | June 28, 2002 |
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| Fire board recommends split posts | ||||||||
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| BRANFORD — Some members of the Board of Fire Commissioners are recommending splitting the positions of fire chief and fire marshal. |
| Peter Buonome, who holds both titles, objected to the move, calling it tantamount to termination. At a board meeting Thursday night, a personnel subcommittee submitted a report on the recommendation to the full board. "I'd consider this a termination, because one of the positions would be filled with a new person," Buonome said. "We have no solid agreement on this, and I'd suggest you consult with town counsel." The board didn't take any action on the recommendation Thursday, as it lacked a quorum. However, it plans to discuss it again at either its regular meeting or a special meeting in July. "In a town this size, usually the fire chief and fire marshal are separate jobs, but not in all towns this size," Buonome said, after the meeting. "The fire chief should be involved in discussions on the implementation and impact of something like that." If the majority of the board decides to support the idea, then the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance would have to review it also, according to Chairman Robert Massey Jr. There would be an additional expense if a separate position were created. Buonome makes about $60,000 doing both jobs. According to Massey, splitting the two jobs would double the cost. Before a paid Fire Department was established in 1962, a volunteer fire chief and a separate fire marshal served Branford. Later, when the volunteer chief retired, then full-time Fire Marshal Jack Tweed assumed both roles, an arrangement that worked well for many years, according to Massey. The subcommittee, comprised of Massey and Commissioner Timothy Raynor, noted that the town saw considerable residential and commercial growth during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1997, a $30,000 study evaluating the department said that the two roles should have been split 15 years earlier. "The time has come for the Branford Fire Department to split the responsibilities," the subcommittee's report states. "The chief of the department would still be responsible for the overall function of the fire department, however the burden of the fire marshal's office would be taken from him or her." While the fire chief is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the department, the budget and fire scene command, for example, the fire marshal is responsible for inspecting businesses, fire investigations and fire prevention. The next scheduled board meeting is July 25. Michelle Tuccitto can be reached at mtuccitto@nhregister.com, or 789-5615. |
| İNew Haven Register 2002 |
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