New Bridgeport fire captains sworn in

AARON LEO
Article Last Updated: 03/06/2008 12:37:50 AM EST

BRIDGEPORT — An ad for a city Fire Department captain might read: a successful candidate must command firefighters, run into burning buildings and, when not busy outside, make sure paperwork gets done on time.

The candidate is also responsible for any mistakes that his charges make and maintaining fire apparatus and order in the firehouse. Also, memorizing the union contract is a must.

And a captain could be called on any time to act as an assistant chief, one step above his rank, and command an entire fire scene.

Applicants must study for months, possibly years and undergo a battery of tests, before waiting several months more to find out if they qualify.

But 31 city fire lieutenants applied for the job, and the top 17 candidates were sworn in Wednesday night in City Hall. They each have about 20 years' experience.

"I'm very pleased," said Kyle Gardiner, who will run the "7-11" firehouse on Ocean Terrace, currently closed for extensive repairs.

"It's a higher level of responsibility but I'm looking forward to it," he said. "There's a lot of challenges but there's a lot of expectations, too." James Cook, a 22-year veteran, wasn't fazed by his new duties.

"It's something you really don't think about. You know it comes with the position," he said.

Fire Chief Brian Rooney, who rose through the ranks to become chief three years ago, appreciated the new captains' quest for promotion.

"These gentlemen have gone through a battery of exams. To achieve this is a remarkable challenge," Rooney said. "This rank is earned through study because the competition is so fierce."

A typical oral exam question could involve heavy, spreading fire with dangling live wires and the possibility of people trapped inside the building, Rooney said. Trees close to the building are also in the way.

"Meanwhile, you're trying to keep your composure. It's nerve-wracking," Rooney said.

But such a busy fire scene is possible in the city, with older homes located so close together and apartment crowding.

"It's a big challenge with a lot of responsibility," Rooney said.

The new crop of captains will give the department a full complement and cover the city's eight fire stations, according to Rooney.

Smaller firehouses have one captain and some have two. There are three in headquarters at 30 Congress St., Rooney said.

Mayor Bill Finch said the new supervisors make up "the biggest crop of captains we've ever put on the force."

It wasn't always that way, said Stuart Rosenberg, president of the Board of Fire Commissioners and a member for the past 23 years.

In 1988, captains were all provisional, he said, meaning they could only serve 120 days before being rotated out. The chief appoints provisionals when exams aren't scheduled.

The last crop of bonafide captains was sworn in 12 years ago, in 1996, Rosenberg said.

The exams leading to he latest promotions were held in January 2007 and appeals to the scores pushed release of the final rankings to January 2008, Rooney said.

But the promotions mean there are 17 lieutenant spots open, filled provisionally for now. A test was administered in February 2007 and results could be finalized in a few weeks, Rooney said. A lieutenant ranks below a captain, and a firefighter below a lieutenant.

Also, rookie firefighters are working in the city, and another class is training at the Joseph Elias Fire Training Center in Fairfield. Firefighter Robert Whitbread, president of the Bridgeport Fire Fighters Association Local 834, said he was glad to see promotion exams being held.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Petrucelli recalled supervising some of the captains as rookies.

"They will become the future leaders of this great fire department," he said.

Other new captains are John Botsko, Michael Caldaroni, Harold Clarke, Richard Donofrio, William Hathaway, Napoleon Jenkins, Allen Jones, John Mazza, Robert McLeod, Robert Morton, Nicholas Novia, Francisco Rivera, Luis A. Rivera, Richard Skoog and Richard Thode.