Kevin Siedlarz would like to join the New Haven Fire Department, but the entrance exam was scheduled when he was serving overseas in the National Guard. Peter Hvizdak/Register.

Friends and family came out with flags and cheers to welcome Kevin Siedlarz and his fellow soldiers home April 21 after their yearlong tour of duty in Afghanistan. But when Siedlarz wanted to be considered for a firefighter’s job in his hometown of New Haven, the reception wasn’t so warm.

This is a story of bureaucracy and tangled regulations. The upshot: Siedlarz won’t be able soon to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a New Haven firefighter.

In West Haven, it might happen. Meanwhile, Siedlarz is planning for a fall-back career as a plumber.

Maybe things were simpler when his dad, Theodore Siedlarz was a fireman. He held down that job for 27 years, until he retired in 2001.

His son had grown up hanging around firehouses, dreaming of the day he too could go out and fight fires and save lives.

In 2004, he passed the firefighter test. He was on the "waiting for hire" list, but it was thrown out in December 2005 because Civil Service lists expire after a year.

In January 2006, Siedlarz was deployed with the 102nd Infantry, Connecticut National Guard. (He originally enlisted with the Army in March 1998 and was on active duty, stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C.)

As an infantryman in Afghanistan, Siedlarz was in one harrowing firefight. "We had a lot of casualties coming in, mostly Afghan police and army."

He showed me an Achievement Medal he won for his service there.

In December 2006, Siedlarz was home on Christmas leave and discovered the city would begin accepting applications in January for a new firefighter’s exam. He completed the application and gave it to his sister, Lisa Siedlarz, who filed it on his behalf.

She was told the city of New Haven had scheduled the exam for Feb. 10. She was also told by city officials that if anybody could not make it on that date, that was their tough luck because it would not be offered any other day.

When she contacted the Human Resources Department, she said she was told nobody would be given "preferential treatment," not even people fighting in the armed forces overseas.

And so she wrote to Mayor John DeStefano Jr. The result was a letter from then-Chief Administrative Officer John Buturla, saying the city is unable to test any applicants "other than during the scheduled test times."

When I visited Kevin and Lisa Siedlarz in the house they share on Pearl Street, she showed me the pile of letters and said, "I thought by putting enough pressure on them, the city would do the right thing."

Kevin, who is 28, said, "I feel like I’m being punished because I was deployed to go to war. I’m just looking for a fair test."

Meanwhile, he is a volunteer firefighter in West Haven and plans to apply for a professional firefighter job there. Their test is Wednesday.

Because of his father’s tradition with the New Haven Fire Department, Siedlarz would prefer to do that job here rather than in West Haven. "But I’m not going to be picky.

"It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do," he said. "Going to a call, trying to make a difference in people’s lives. I’m just trying to save lives. There’s no better job."

When I contacted Robert Smuts, DeStefano’s new chief administrative officer, he said he and other officials had studied Siedlarz’ case, but saw insurmountable hurdles.

"We decided it would be impractical to give a makeup test for one individual," Smuts said.

One big reason, he said, was the cost. He estimated it would cost the city $50,000 to $90,000 to give this one test, because it requires flying in several out-of-state test administrators.

Smuts said the city also wants to be fair to the 1,300 applicants, who might see favoritism in a special makeup test for one person.

"We do appreciate the sacrifice of people who’ve served in the armed forces," Smuts said, noting veterans get five points extra on the test and property tax relief.

Smuts said Siedlarz will have to wait 2½ to three years, when the next firefighters’ test is offered.

Lisa Siedlarz told me, "I keep thinking about how my brother gave up a year of his life here to fight for our country. Thousands of military men and women have given up a life of stability and safety to make sure that each of us has a safe and stable life."

Noting Smuts’ test cost argument, she said, "It seems to me the city of New Haven is putting a price tag on these rights. I find this shameful and distasteful."

Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com or 789-5766.