http://www.record-journal.com/articles/2004/07/05/news/news02.txt

New Haven firefighter, Wallingford resident doesn't back down from a good fight

By Christopher Symington, Record-Journal staff

WALLINGFORD — In his career, Frank Ricci of Wallingford has already been down miles of what he calls dirt roads.

He attributes it to his upbringing, and quickly recalls a sign that hung on his refrigerator as a child, which summed up an attitude that he values still today. "Indifference is the greatest Evil," it read, and he has proven that he is never one to simply sit back and complain.

"I've always been in the fray," he said. "I blame it on my parents; I've always been exposed to issue advocacy."

As a child, he was frequently being "dragged off" to hearings, sometimes testifying in front of legislators as his mother, Nancy, fought to make Connecticut's drunken-driving laws tougher. Her brother and sister both were killed by drunken drivers, he said.

Now at 30, Ricci is a member of the New Haven firefighters union, which has filed a lawsuit against the city regarding the department's test for promotions. City officials want to dismiss the test because of its results. Scores on the exam indicated that no blacks would be promoted, and 14 of the top 15 candidates for lieutenant and captain were white, based on scores.

Ricci and some others have also filed complaints with state Human Rights and Opportunities agency.

"The test was thrown out because, on reviewing the results, it was clear there was a significant adverse impact," said Thomas Ude, New Haven's corporation counsel. "It essentially would have prevented any blacks and most Hispanics from being promoted."

Ricci said, though, he and other firefighters do not know how they scored on the test, and want the results to stand because there were no complaints about the material until results were released.

"Race is extraneous," Ricci said. "It's a merit-based exam, and you want the most qualified guys to be officers because the decisions they make could affect your life."

Some minority firefighters, who are considering leaving Local 825 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, plan to sue the union as well for "using their dollars and fighting against their advancement," said Scot X. Esdaile, president of the New Haven chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Esdaile said the NAACP will assist the minority firefighters in a suit.

"We feel the test should be thrown out," he said.

Ricci, though, who said he is "no stranger to controversy," strongly believes the fight is worth it. It's not the first time he has been outspoken about what he believes in. After completing a rigorous training program at the Montgomery College for Fire Science in Maryland, he took a job as a firefighter in Middletown, and shortly afterward lobbied to have the state's whistleblower laws changed after a dispute over a complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The law was changed and improved to allow for a more judicious process in handling complaints, he said.

"I've always led myself down the dirt road," he said. "But at the end of the path, I've been right where I needed to be."

After an injury on the job about two years ago, Ricci learned that physical rehabilitation programs for firefighters were lacking. Once he recovered, he quickly headed up a program to improve that system by educating physical trainers about the specific rigors of fire fighting. The end result, after months of work and fundraising, was the New Haven Firefighters Injury Rehabilitation Initiative, which gained the endorsement of the city and the International Association of Firefighters. Those involved say the program helps firefighters return to work sooner, in better condition, and with less of a chance for re-injury.

"Firefighter health and safety is too big of an issue," he said. "Instead of just complaining about something, we said we needed to change it, and we were able to put together this great program."

Ricci has always been concerned about making departments safer, regardless of the cost to himself, said Wallingford Fire Lt. Rick Gibson, who knew Ricci when he was a teenager.

"He's very passionate about what he does. When he puts his mind to something he really goes for it," Gibson said. "It's pretty amazing, how much he gets involved. He always wants to do the right thing and he's not afraid of what might happen to him; he's not afraid to challenge things."

Becoming a firefighter was natural for Ricci, he said. His two older brothers are both firefighters, and he has been involved in the field since he was 14, volunteering with the Yalesville Explorers. By the time he was in high school, he had become an EMT and Firefighter II.

He finds the camaraderie among his peers rewarding, he said, and the challenge and variety of the work is something he looks forward to. He knows, though, that each day could be the day that he doesn't come home from work and time spent with his wife, 4-year-old son Nick, and his stepdaughter, is invaluable.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, as Ricci sat on the brick patio he built behind his Wallingford home, firewood waited nearby for a marshmallow roasting session Nick would have with some neighborhood friends. The picnic table in the backyard was recently converted to resemble an Army tank, quite different from its past life as a pirate ship.

As his son grew anxious, wanting to start inviting friends even if it was a bit early still, Ricci spoke fondly of his role as a father.

"Somebody's gotta build army tanks," he said.

He takes pride in doing the best he can at his job, he said, and although he has no way of knowing what will come from the suit against the city, he remains firm in his position, and said he is not worried about the consequences of controversy.

"If you think what you're doing is right," he said. "You have to sometimes take the dirt road."

csymington@record-journal.com

(203) 317-2227