By Natasha Lee
Staff Writer
August 23, 2007
STAMFORD - A judge has denied attempts by Belltown and Glenbrook volunteer fire departments to reinstate the jobs of five career firefighters laid off last month after the departments backed out of a city consolidation plan to cut overtime costs and beef up fire protection.
The volunteers sought an injunction to dismiss the layoffs, saying the plan to shift 32 Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into their departments violated the city Charter and a 1998 management agreement between them and the city. The five volunteer departments are funded by the city, but operate independently.
State Superior Court Judge Edward Karazin ruled that the management agreements do not prohibit layoffs and the departments would not suffer from the loss of employees.
The management agreements do not set staffing requirements that obligate the city to keep the number of paid firefighters at a minimum, Karazin said.
The city plans to end the management agreements Dec. 4.
Attorney Joseph McQuade of Kainen, Escalera & McHale, a Hartford law firm, said the departments are considering an appeal but would not comment further.
Karazin said neither the city nor the volunteer departments are obligated to negotiate a new agreement.
The city proposed the consolidation, which included volunteer Turn of River Fire Department, after substantial budget cuts. The Office of Public Safety, Health and Welfare's budget was cut $2.4 million this fiscal year. City officials said the consolidation would save the city $560,000 and departments that didn't merge faced layoffs.
Belltown and Glenbrook signed on by the city's July 1 deadline, but pulled out when volunteer firefighters and executive board members from their departments voted against it.
Under the city's plan, paid firefighters at Glenbrook, Belltown and Turn of River would work for Stamford Fire & Rescue under the same labor contract as the downtown firefighters.
City officials said reassigning paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into the three volunteer firehouses would bolster the understaffed departments and cut high overtime costs. Last fiscal year, all three departments spent $700,000 on overtime.
Volunteer chiefs said the plan would take away their autonomy.
The city laid off three of Belltown's nine firefighters and Glenbrook lost two of its nine firefighters. Glenbrook paid-firefighter David Francis was rehired after a veteran firefighter retired.
Belltown Chief John Didelot said yesterday he's disappointed at the judge's decision.
"We're hoping to sit down with the mayor and come up with a reasonable solution," Didelot said.
Belltown and Glenbrook departments hope to present a plan to Mayor Dannel Malloy, he said, but refused to elaborate.
Volunteer departments have complained of dwindling membership for years. With the paid staff now decreasing, the safety of firefighters and residents is at risk, volunteer chiefs said.
Ten Belltown volunteers have been covering the three open shifts, Didelot said.
In his decision, Karazin said the departments have used volunteers to increase coverage "with substantial success." But Didelot said volunteers cannot continue to cover the open shifts.
"So far we've been able to work around it, but it's not a permanent solution," Didelot said.
Local 786 President Brendan Keatley said the union is setting aside $2,600 each week to assist the jobless firefighters and their families.
"I'd love to have my guys come back to work. I definitely think it's a loss to the volunteer companies," Keatley said. "It really doesn't have a positive impact on anybody."
Keatley said the union presented a proposal to the volunteer chiefs and the city that included oversight for training among paid and volunteer firefighters. Paid firefighters have long accused volunteers of not being up to date on training.
"We were trying to make it more like a system so we have an idea of who these people are and what their level of training is," Keatley said. "We never came to the volunteers and said we want to dissolve you. We had a plan to make them a more viable department."
A call to Glenbrook Fire Department president Edward Rondano was not returned yesterday.
Turn of River Fire Department refused to participate in the merger and succeeded in blocking the layoffs of five firefighters. Earlier this month, a judge ordered the city and Turn of River to mediation.
Unlike Glenbrook and Belltown, Turn of River has a management agreement with the city that stipulates a minimum staffing requirement for each of its two firehouses, which limits the city's ability to cut jobs.
Turn of River attorney Mark Kovack said mediation was stalled after the city filed an appeal against the decision last week. Kovack said he is reviewing the appeal and determining whether to file a motion to dismiss it. Turn of River is still willing to mediate, he said.
"Our objective is to sit down and have a frank discussion of all the issues, whatever it takes to resolve the issue," Kovack said.
Malloy said he is willing to discuss concerns with the volunteer chiefs, but the city's original proposal stands.
"I stand by a plan that substantially improves fire coverage in the district where we proposed it. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't," Malloy said. "I can't make them reach an agreement, so it's up to them."
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.