http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1benoit9.29sep24,0,7483886.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer
September 29, 2007
First Selectman Jim Lash said yesterday that the town has twice been cited for failing to file reports on fire calls with the state fire marshal under the watch of town Fire Marshal Joseph Benoit, whom he wants fired.
"Once is bad. Twice is unacceptable," said Lash, who placed Benoit on paid administrative leave Sept. 5 for what he described as performance-related issues.
Lash had declined to answer specific questions on what led to Benoit's suspension until an interview yesterday, saying that the details would come out during an upcoming hearing on the fire veteran's job status. A date for that hearing has not been set.
Lash, who serves as the town's fire commissioner, said it was Benoit's responsibility to file the reports on a monthly basis with the state fire marshal. The town received a letter from the state this summer that it was in noncompliance, the second in as many years.
"Let's put it this way, he reported so little, that the state cited us twice," Lash said.
Messages seeking comment from Benoit, who has been fire marshal since 1984 and is also the deputy fire chief, were left yesterday at his home in Riverside.
According to the state Department of Public Safety's Office of Education and Data Management, which serves as a clearinghouse for the state fire marshal, Benoit only filed reports for April and May of this year and for March 2006.
State law currently requires local fire marshals to file reports with the state fire marshal on any fire or explosion within 15 days of the incident itself. In addition to those reports, state officials said they routinely ask local fire marshals for documentation of other calls that require the fire department's response, even though it is not required by law. Greenwich receives about 4,000 fire calls per year.
"We try to stay on top of municipalities," said Sue Vaughn, director of the Office of Education and Data Management.
According to Vaughn, 10 fire departments did not file any reports at all with the state in 2006, and 29 haven't done so this year. It was unclear how many departments in the state, which has 169 municipalities, filed incomplete reports.
Vaughn said a majority of departments file reports with the state on a quarterly basis, though the state prefers that be done at least on a monthly basis. There are no fines or penalties for noncompliance, and the state posts statistics about fire calls on its Web site.
"I can't say we would call it a public safety issue," Vaughn said. "It's statistical data we hope is used for prevention and planning purposes."
Local fire marshals can file reports by e-mail or regular mail, according to Vaughn, who said Benoit communicated with her office in the past about computer software upgrades that were causing a problem with reporting.
Vaughn also said that local fire marshals often rely on the local fire chief for the reports and may not have the resources to keep up with records requested by the state.
"Some towns have very limited staffing," Vaughn said.
In an interview earlier this month, Benoit, 58, said Lash had been trying to blame him for a number of stalled fire-fighting initiatives for which he was not responsible, including the installation of dry hydrants in areas not served by town water mains -- the hydrants allow firefighters to pump water from ponds to use at fire scenes. He would only cite one example, saying he wanted to wait until the hearing on his status.
"I'm aware that part of his defense is to say that the problems weren't his fault, but there are other facts that follow on from that, and those will be discussed during the hearing," Lash said.
In Benoit's earlier interview, the 34-year department veteran and town native also said Lash was trying to smear his reputation and pressuring him to take early retirement.
Benoit was suspended about a week after the town conducted his annual performance review. Although Benoit is not a member of the firefighters' union, he is covered by special employment protections for fire marshals in the state that require municipalities to follow certain steps when taking personnel action against them, including holding a hearing.
Lash said Benoit, whose annual salary for the 2006-07 fiscal year was $114,838, can choose whether he wants the hearing to be open to the public.
Benoit said a day after he was suspended, he received an award from the New England Association of Fire Marshals for his achievements in the profession.
The Board of Selectmen appointed Fire Inspector James McDonald, a 20-year department veteran, as interim fire marshal on Sept 13. Lash said a report explaining the reasons Benoit should be fired will likely be issued within a week, with the hearing following five to 10 days later.
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.