http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-firereview2nov16,0,3191998.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
By Natasha Lee
Staff Writer
November 16, 2007
STAMFORD - Two weeks before a management agreement between the city and three volunteer firehouses expires, it remains unclear how those districts will be covered and what will happen to the city-paid firefighters that staff them.
Public Safety Director William Callion told city representatives last night that his department will craft a plan before Dec. 4 when city contracts end with the Belltown, Turn of River and Glenbrook volunteer fire departments.
"We have thoughts, but we don't have solid plans," he said.
Callion and volunteer chiefs from Belltown, Turn of River and Glenbrook fielded questions and concerns from city lawmakers during a Board of Representatives' Public Safety Committee meeting at the Stamford Government Center.
The meeting gave representatives the opportunity to review the city's plan to transfer 21 paid Stamford Fire & Rescue firefighters into the three understaffed volunteer firehouses. Committee members were not asked to vote on the plan and do not have any decision-making authority on implementing it.
Callion said that five months into the fiscal year, his department has already overspent by $100,000. If an agreement is not reached soon, Callion said there will be "dramatic" layoffs, but did not specify how many.
The city introduced the plan in June after an $850,000 cut to the Department of Public Safety, Health & Welfare. City officials said they needed to save money and cut down on high overtime spending in three volunteer departments, which spent $700,000 in overtime last fiscal year.
Stamford has five volunteer firehouses that operate independently of the city, but rely heavily on city funding and city-paid firefighters.
Under pressure to meet its budget, the city laid off five firefighters at Belltown and Glenbrook fire departments in July after the two departments refused the plan. Since then, a Glenbrook firefighter was rehired to fill a retirement.
Last month, Glenbrook signed onto the city's staffing plan, but labor discussions between the city and fire union have stalled the agreement. Negotiations between the city and Belltown have ceased. Turn of River took the city to court to avoid layoffs at its department and won.
Despite being ordered to mediate with the volunteer fire department, the city filed an appeal and is awaiting judgment.
City Rep. Joseph Coppola, R-15, a 47-year veteran of the Belltown volunteer department, said the city should rehire the laid off firefighters and try to work with volunteers to find a solution.
"If we can't find the money to put four firefighters back, then what the hell good are we? There's got to be a better way. The public deserves better," Coppola said. "But to lay the blame solely on volunteer chiefs and volunteers is not fair and it's not right."
According to the fire union, the termination of the management agreement at Belltown and Glenbrook fire departments could mean the loss of its paid firefighters.
Once the agreement is terminated, paid firefighters that staff the two volunteer fire departments could become employed with Stamford Fire & Rescue or be laid off. Turn of River Fire Department operates under a different management agreement with the city.
Stamford Fire Fighters Association President Brendan Keatley said the city has not been clear on what the loss of the management agreement means and said that's unsettling.
"I have four people laid off and six more vulnerable in Belltown. The city hasn't said what will happen," he said.
Two calls to city Human Resources Director Dennis Murphy, who handles contract negotiations, were not returned.
City Rep. Scott Mirkin, R-13, said the city's approach to improving fire protection is perceived as a takeover of the volunteer system. Input from volunteers should be included in the plan, he said.
"It's the perception that the city has a desire, one way or another, of doing away with the volunteer departments altogether," Mirkin said.
Under the city's plan, the additional staffing in the volunteer houses would boost manpower from one or two per shift, to three or four paid firefighters on duty 24 hours a day. The plan would also cut eight vacant Stamford Fire & Rescue jobs, saving the city $545,876 in salaries.
Callion said his department reached out to the volunteer chiefs unsuccessfully.
"This plan was not the original plan. We had a very short window to execute and to meet the fiscal date 2007-2008," he said.
But volunteer chiefs maintained their stance that the city excluded them and rejected alternative proposals.
Still, some volunteer chiefs, like Belltown Chief John Didelot, say their departments need help but want the city to work with them.
"Do we want to have a full compliment of firefighters? Yes. It's the method and means by which we get there," Didelot told representatives last night.
The standing-room only meeting attracted more than 40 paid and volunteer firefighters representing all five volunteer districts and Stamford Fire & Rescue.
City Rep. Rich Lyons II, D-1, chairman of the board's Public Safety Committee, said volunteer chiefs and city officials should consider the city's economic outlook.
"The city is not in a good financial picture and '08-'09 may be worse," he said.
City representatives asked the city and volunteer chiefs to provide them with copies of their proposals, records of meetings and discussions, and certification, training and response times. Lyons said the committee would meet again next year to review the material again.
City Rep. Mark Larobina, R-18, urged volunteer chiefs to look past issues of control and focus on public safety.
"I'm asking you to please get past this and please save lives," he said.
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.