Sub Base Fire Department May Escape Privatization Ax
Firefighters haven't been told they will be retained

By ROBERT A. HAMILTON
Day Staff Writer, Navy/Defense/Electric Boat
Published on 11/11/2004

Groton— A dozen employees of the Naval Submarine Base Fire Department station in Navy housing off Route 12 are waiting to hear whether they still have a job now that the housing is being privatized, though Navy and town officials said the agreement calls for the station to stay open.

One firefighter who asked that his name not be used said the Navy and GMH/AB/Centex Military Communities, the consortium of companies hired to operate the housing, originally set a deadline of Oct. 1 for letting the firefighters know if they would keep their jobs, but that slipped to Nov. 1, and they still have not received formal notice.

“We have 12 guys here who haven't heard anything — we've been told maybe they will pick us up, and maybe they won't,” he said. “We have to find out in the newspaper that the contract is signed, and still don't know what happens to us.”

GMH officials were unavailable for comment on Wednesday, but Lt. L.T. “Tommy” Crosby, a spokesman for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, D.C., said he has been told the firefighters will keep their jobs, although he was not sure where the funding will come from.

Groton Town Manager Mark Oefinger said GMH approached several local departments about providing coverage to almost 2,000 units of Navy housing off Route 12, but was rebuffed.

“As I understand it, none of the numbers made sense, so none of the other fire districts were interested,” Oefinger said. He said not only would it require the largely volunteer departments to construct new equipment bays and buy new trucks, it would mean hiring more full-time personnel.

In addition, the local departments would lose some important capabilities that the base fire department provides under a mutual aid agreement.

“The base fire department is the regional hazardous materials team,” Oefinger said. “It's not just a question of providing fire protection for these units, it would mean having to rebuild this capability that exists now.”

“My understanding is that the off-base fire department is going to remain in place, and those folks in that operation will be primarily if not entirely funded through the housing budget,” Oefinger said.

GMH has signed a contract with the Navy that calls for the companies to invest $600 million over the next six years to renovate or replace many of the 5,600 Navy owned homes at seven bases in five Northeastern states.

In Groton, GMH will build 995 new units of housing and renovate 275 more, while demolishing 1,290 units, leaving a total of 1,796 apartments, GMH officials said earlier this week.