Aug. 2--STAMFORD -- A judge ruled Monday that an injunction blocking the city's plan to lay off five paid firefighters will remain in effect until the matter is resolved through mediation.

The volunteer Turn of River Fire Department sought the injunction in June after it was threatened with layoffs for its refusal to participate in a city proposal to merge three volunteer companies and Stamford Fire & Rescue into a single paid system.

The Turn of River company argued that the plan to shift 32 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into the Turn of River, Glenbrook and Belltown fire departments was a violation of the city Charter and a 1995 management agreement between the city and volunteer fire companies. Under the plan, the city also said it would end the agreement with each department Dec. 4.

State Superior Court Judge Edward Karazin said the city wrongfully terminated the agreement and said the 30 percent cut to the 17-member paid staff would cause "irreparable harm" to residents and to the jobless firefighters.

Karazin set a Sept. 17 deadline to resolve the dispute through mediation and, if that attempt is unsuccessful, through arbitration.

City and fire officials have not set a date for mediation.

Turn of River Fire Chief Frank Jacobellis said the ruling was a relief but said egos needed to be set aside to improve the system.

"It's not like I'm going to pound my chest like we won. There's really no win. We have to improve the system," he said. "I think now we'll have a chance to sit down with the city and mediate and not have to worry about our firefighters getting laid off."

Firefighters at Glenbrook and Belltown weren't so lucky. The city laid off five firefighters at the departments after volunteer firefighters and executive board members voted against the consolidation. The two departments had tentatively signed on to the change by the city-imposed July 1 deadline.

A court hearing to reinstate the jobs of the laid off firefighters is scheduled before a state Superior Court judge today.

Pat McHale, the attorney for Belltown and Glenbrook departments, said he's hopeful the Turn of River ruling would lead to an optimistic outcome for his clients.

"Our case is essentially the same case. The judge has already made a decision, and the agreements speak for themselves," he said.

Volunteer chiefs and the city clashed over how the firehouses would be staffed, managed and equipped. The volunteer departments receive city funding, but they operate and staff their firehouses independently.

In Karazin's decision, it is unclear whether the city's Dec. 4 termination date for previous agreements with the fire departments still stands. The agreements determine paid staffing and operational duties at the volunteer departments.

City attorney Tom Cassone said the city plans to ask Karazin for clarification on the decision, but he would not specify his concerns.

After a $2.4 million budget cut to the Office of Public Safety, Health and Welfare, more layoffs are to be expected if an agreement can't be reached, Mayor Dannel Malloy said.

So far, 28 city employees have been laid off since the budget cut.

Malloy said officials are looking for other ways to save money, including removing an engine or truck from Stamford Fire & Rescue and perhaps laying off other staff. About 247 firefighters work for the department.

"I didn't want any of this, but the budget was cut substantially, and we have to look for alternatives," Malloy said.

The consolidation plan was expected to save the city $560,000, city officials said. Reassigning paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters at the volunteer firehouses was expected to improve fire coverage while cutting down on high overtime costs, city officials said. Last fiscal year, all three departments spent $700,000 on overtime.

At the Belltown and Glenbrook companies, each of which now has nine paid firefighters assigned, volunteers have stepped in to fill the empty 24-hour work shifts, fire officials said. But Belltown Chief John Didelot said volunteers, who have day jobs and chose when to respond to calls, can't maintain the routine forever.

"It's not something that can be ongoing on a permanent basis. These guys are sacrificing their time," Didelot said of the 10 volunteers taking additional shifts at the firehouse.

Union President Brendan Keatley of the Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association, said he was pleased the firefighters would keep their jobs but was concerned about future layoffs.

"I still realize there's a big hole in the city's budget, and I'm kind of wondering where the city is going to come up with those savings now," he said. "We don't want to see anybody lose their jobs."

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