| Tie vote sinks city Fire Department test results | ||
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| NEW HAVEN — Two contested promotional exams in the Fire Department were thrown out Thursday, in a vote that confused and confounded many firefighters who had come to learn their fate. For months, emotions were rubbed raw in anticipation of a dramatic vote by the Civil Service Commission on whether to approve or scuttle the results from the two tests that divided the department along racial lines. The vote finally came Thursday night. The tally was a 2-2 tie. "That’s it? They don’t break a tie?" one firefighter asked another. "What happens now?" Civil Service rules dictate a majority is needed to certify a test, so the exams were dead. "This has been a divisive issue," Karen DuBois-Walton, the city’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement afterward. "But given the remarkable dedication of the men and women of the New Haven Fire Department, we are confident that everyone will be able to work together to strengthen our fire services." City officials said they hoped to start healing the wounds at the department. But if the aftermath of the meeting is a barometer, that healing process will be slow. "It’s clear that the mayor of the city got what the mayor of the city wanted," said an angry Patrick Egan, fire union president. "The only thing that was sure here was that politics won out over public safety and that’s a direct reflection of what Mayor John DeStefano feels about this city," said Firefighter Frank Ricci, who, along with 15 other firefighters, retained a lawyer and pledged to sue if the tests were thrown out. Asked if they still planned to file suit, Ricci said "guaranteed." When the meeting began, a string of city officials strongly urged the commission not to certify the tests, which cost the city about $100,000. Last year, a consultant administered two examinations for fire lieutenant and fire captain. When the results came back, 14 of the top 15 people in line for promotion were white. City Corporation Counsel Thomas Ude Jr. said that adverse impact on minorities would open the city to litigation. Addressing the commission, Ude and Human Resources Director Tina Burgett questioned whether the current format of testing revealed the best qualified candidates. Fire Department promotions have written and verbal components, weighed 60-40 respectively. "This is a process that has been embraced by the city for over 20 years," said Egan. "I think their actions were disgusting." City officials maintain the results violated federal civil rights laws by creating discriminatory work practices. Promotions in the Fire Department are coveted, in part because the exams occur only two or three times a decade. Firefighters often spend hundreds of dollars on books and study for months. Before the vote, Civil Service Commission members pressed the city to undertake civil service reform before the same thing happens again. "If the results are the same, are we going to throw out every exam?" asked Commissioner Francine Caplan, who voted to certify the tests. "Civil service laws have become an obstacle rather than a solution." For Fire Lt. Matthew Marcarelli, blame for the mess was easy to place. "We are trying to fix a problem that was flawed from the beginning," he told city officials. "You fix the cart before you utilize it, not after you spill all your fruit. "It’s your fault. Hello!" William Kaempffer can be reached 789-5727 or wkaempffer@nhregister.com |
| İNew Haven Register 2004 |