Village Of Port Chester Disbands Career FD

[SECTMB 612]

After reading the latest, I think somebody's career is ending.

Edited June 18, 2016 by SECTMB
mispelling

[nfd2004 750]

59 minutes ago, SECTMB said:

After reading the latest, I think somebody's career is ending.

 

Maybe that career should have never been started in the first place. 

 

As the saying goes; "You can fool some of the people some of the time BUT you can't fool all of the people all of the time". 

 

Those career firefighters need to get their jobs back, and I hope they go after everything they are entitled to get. 

 

Let the citizens understand exactly who is to blame for this.

[LTFIREPRG 154]

The Port Chester Board of Trustees choose to ignore the over 4,200 signatures of the TAXPAYERS last night and voted 4 to 3 not to reinstate the career firefighters.  One trustee, Dan Brakewood went as far to racialize that even spending $1million dollars to defend legal actions from this decision is a one time cost as opposed to the salaries of the firefighters which are a yearly reoccurrence. One can only hope that in light of the PESHA report that the Attorney General responds the gross violation of law, falsifying public records, ordering the changing of a fire record, lying to state investigators, the list goes on and on, because its obvious the village leadership don't have the pair to do it!  It's a shame we are going to have to wait 3 years to vote them out of office.  Also two of the 7 volunteer companies sent letters to the village board supporting the reinstatement of the career firefighters and voiced their displeasure with not being consulted prior to the decision, Washington Engine & Hose and Fire Patrol & Rescue.  Mayor Pilla and Trustee Didden have been attending all the meetings of the volunteer companies scene their May 2 vote to fire the career firefighters to drum up support for their actions.  It was also stated at last nights meeting that the two of them urged the rescue company not to send the letter and promised them a new rig and fire house! The only response was a wide eyed and red face mayor and trustee!

Edited June 21, 2016 by LTFIREPRG
Add more informatiom

[nfd2004 750]

"LTFIREPRG", thank you for providing that information. Of course I completely disagree with that decision made and you bring up some very significant facts as well.

 

I would encourage those eight laid off Port Chester Career Firefighters to seek firefighter employment elsewhere. If any of those eight firefighters are interested in doing so, if they would be willing to pass on their email address through a pm, I would certainly do my best in trying to keep an eye open for any career firefighter jobs in the Connecticut area. I had to make a move myself 75 miles away from my home city of Bridgeport because of some affirmative action deal which rob me of the firefighter job I really wanted. Today some 40 years later as a retired firefighter, I think it was one of the best moves that I was ever forced into. Maybe a move for you would be one the best moves as well. "You (PC8) are not alone". Many others have been forced to relocate to do a job they were happy to once do in a place that let them down.

 

In addition Thank You to the members of the Washington Engine and Hose Company and to the members of Fire Patrol and Rescue Co. your support will NOT be forgotten. Many feel that you stood up for what is right and we, as active and retired firefighters respect you for what you've done. I know that I won't forget it and I'm sure many other career firefighters won't forget it as well. I consider you the strongest link in the chain, holding both career and volunteer departments together as ONE. you represent the way a True Brotherhood should be. "All for One and One for All". Unfortunately, for the others the same thing can not be said. They represent the reason why this form of cancer is allowed to grow and do more damage from the Inside - Out. A Brotherhood that turned their backs on eight firefighters and would rather see these guys unemployed. I PROMISE YOU, "we won't forget". We will all be watching your future performance.

 

 I also feel very strongly that these eight laid off firefighters should pursue every legal avenue that they have to get every penny they might be entitled to.  After winning and collecting anything you deserve, tell Port Chester just where they can go and just leave.

 

   I will also look forward to hearing of that Fire Chief who falsified those records for his own benefit. I hope that he is fully accountable to Port Chester for his actions. If there is anybody that should take a hit on here, it is him.

 

 In the long run, it will be the citizens of Port Chester who will pay the price. Every day that goes by is one day closer to a tragic event happening that might very well had been prevented had those career firefighters been on the scene with a quick response. We know very well, that now a quick response may NOT always be possible.

Edited June 21, 2016 by nfd2004

[frost025 94]

Today , one day later after vote was taken and it went down 4 to 3 at last night's board meeting the mayor made a statement to news 12that he looked at the response times of the volunteers and it made him vote yes to bring back the career firefighters because the times were not adequate. Why didn't he make the statement at last night's meeting and it possibly might of changed another trustees mind maybe. Like I have been saying all along from the beginning it's all bull....

[nfd2004 750]

Perhaps this mayor had some serious second thoughts. He makes the wrong decision, something goes wrong and he owns it. When reality finally kicked in just maybe he could be in some big trouble some day for getting rid of those eight career firefighters. Maybe those career firefighters are worth more than that million dollars he was willing to spend as he stated earlier. It has been a roller coaster ride for those firefighters.

 

 That mayor didn't bring back those firefighters because he was concerned about them or the citizens. He brought those firefighters back out of concern for no one but himself. He would have brought them back much earlier if he was so concern about response times.

 

  No Mr Mayor, their Brother and Sister Firefighters were watching very closely. If things had gone sour, "guess who was going to answer for it" ?  It was "YOUR DECISION" to get rid of them. You would have a very hard time of convincing me otherwise Mr Mayor. Us career firefighters have seen it many times before and we know your style.

 

 The good news is that they are coming back. I hope they hold Port Chester fully accountable for their actions. I also hope that this is a very good lesson to be learned and that it won't happen again.

 

 For the volunteer who supported them, you have gained the respect of many career firefighters outside your community. For those that did NOT support them, you know who you are. May I suggest you do your very best to welcome them back. You now have a second chance at trying to mend relations for making a very serious mistake. You just might find that you really have a lot more in common than you think. It's entirely up to you.

Edited June 22, 2016 by nfd2004

[LTFIREPRG 154]

6 hours ago, nfd2004 said:

Perhaps this mayor had some serious second thoughts. He makes the wrong decision, something goes wrong and he owns it. When reality finally kicked in just maybe he could be in some big trouble some day for getting rid of those eight career firefighters. Maybe those career firefighters are worth more than that million dollars he was willing to spend as he stated earlier. It has been a roller coaster ride for those firefighters.

 

 That mayor didn't bring back those firefighters because he was concerned about them or the citizens. He brought those firefighters back out of concern for no one but himself. He would have brought them back much earlier if he was so concern about response times.

 

  No Mr Mayor, their Brother and Sister Firefighters were watching very closely. If things had gone sour, "guess who was going to answer for it" ?  It was "YOUR DECISION" to get rid of them. You would have a very hard time of convincing me otherwise Mr Mayor. Us career firefighters have seen it many times before and we know your style.

 

 The good news is that they are coming back. I hope they hold Port Chester fully accountable for their actions. I also hope that this is a very good lesson to be learned and that it won't happen again.

 

 For the volunteer who supported them, you have gained the respect of many career firefighters outside your community. For those that did NOT support them, you know who you are. May I suggest you do your very best to welcome them back. You now have a second chance at trying to mend relations for making a very serious mistake. You just might find that you really have a lot more in common than you think. It's entirely up to you.

They are NOT coming back the vote was 4 to 3 NOT to reinstate them.  The next step is a law suit to have the village honor the over 4,200 signatures on the petition for a permissive referendum. 

[nfd2004 750]

Sorry, I misread the entire thing. I hope they fight the battle. In the meantime, I hope they are able to find a career firefighters job in a place much more welcoming than Port Chester, NY. A place where people actually care about its citizens and know the value of a quick response to a fire in the very early stages.

 

Perhaps a visit to Youtube can prove my point. Type in Youtube "Bedroom Fire Test" LancashireFire. There you will find a 3 min 57 sec video. This is just how things happen and it shows how quickly a fire can spread within a building making escape impossible. It shows how every second that goes by really DOES make a difference. Whether it is Port Chester or New York City, the heat and smoke is the same. What makes the difference is the response time. What would it be like being trapped upstairs waiting for that first hoseline to be stretched or that first breath of fresh air.

 

Better yet, I think this is it.   www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJ6SorlpJo

 

Mr Mayor what if you happen to be that guy trapped upstairs. So Mr Mayor, "this ones for you".

Edited June 22, 2016 by nfd2004

[MF237 2]

Has anyone thought that the the Village of Port Chester's  labor counsel Bond Schoeneck & King may have something to do with this. Terry O'Neil the attorney is also representing Garden City and Long Beach where they are also laying off firefighters  in combination departments.

[AFS1970 504]

I get the feeling more and more that this was a knee jerk reaction to the budgeting failure, that was done with no research into background data. Sounds like the typical sort of thing politicians do.

[nfd2004 750]

3 hours ago, AFS1970 said:

I get the feeling more and more that this was a knee jerk reaction to the budgeting failure, that was done with no research into background data. Sounds like the typical sort of thing politicians do.

 

 But what about all the other firefighters in Port Chester that didn't back those eight guys. Except for the guys at Washington Hose and Fire Patrol Rescue, nobody else came forward to stand up for what is right and point out to the mayor where he is wrong. It seems to me that this was NOT only the politicians, but a group of firefighters as well, who did NOTHING to try and defend those guys.

 

 I just can't buy the fact that it was only the politicians who caused this problem. Most of us know just where those other guys stood and who's corner they were in. A group of firefighters from two companies gained the respect they all deserved. While a large group of our so called Brothers and Sisters sat there and made absolutely no attempt to change things.

 

 Well the fact is we all know who our Real Brothers and Sisters are. This was proven since this story first started to appear. Many of us across the country won't soon forget that we are NOT really all Brother/Sister Firefighters. We all may ride on pretty fire trucks with lights and sirens, but we really have nothing in common. There is a very large gap between us.

[BFD1054 1,552]

Just out of curiosity; are any of the laid off members looking to get hired elsewhere? Or are they "bound" by their contract? Again, just being curious.

I feel horrible for these men and their families.

 

Also, is there any Go Fund Me or similar fund raising site for these members and their families?

 

Forgive me if these questions have been answered already.

[nfd2004 750]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 10:46 PM, EmsFirePolice said:

A Go Fund Me was set up: https://www.gofundme.com/238pnf29

 Any updates on what's the latest news on these laid off Port Chester Firefighters. The fund raiser has reached $5,320.

 

With word that these firefighters have NOT been given their jobs back, have they filed for some type of legal action ? With reported 4,300 signatures filed to hire them back, what is the argument given for not doing so.  However, even if they did, that is going to take time. Of course the longer this gores on, the more likely it is to cost the taxpayers much more should those firefighters win their case. I assume they are collecting Unemployment right now.

 

Have any applied for other firefighters jobs ? I assume there has also been an increase in response times ? Does the Port Chester Fire Depts respond to medical incidents as well ?

[gamewell45 258]

9 hours ago, nfd2004 said:

 Any updates on what's the latest news on these laid off Port Chester Firefighters. The fund raiser has reached $5,320.

 

With word that these firefighters have NOT been given their jobs back, have they filed for some type of legal action ? With reported 4,300 signatures filed to hire them back, what is the argument given for not doing so.  However, even if they did, that is going to take time. Of course the longer this gores on, the more likely it is to cost the taxpayers much more should those firefighters win their case. I assume they are collecting Unemployment right now.

 

Have any applied for other firefighters jobs ? I assume there has also been an increase in response times ? Does the Port Chester Fire Depts respond to medical incidents as well ?

I doubt they are sitting at home collecting unemployment; it's tough to live on unemployment, especially if you live in Westchester and this case could drag on for years depending how long it takes to get through the court system and I'm sure most of them have bills that have to be paid.  The chances are good that they are already working in either a new department or new career.

[nfd2004 750]

Gamewell, I hope that is the case. They all got other firefighter jobs NEVER to return to Port Chester again. 

 

And I hope they win their case and get all back pay that they should have collected as PC Firefighters before some dictator tried to get rid of them.

 

And let those taxpayers know who just is to blame here for costing them all that back pay and benefits.

[gamewell45 258]

1 hour ago, nfd2004 said:

Gamewell, I hope that is the case. They all got other firefighter jobs NEVER to return to Port Chester again. 

 

And I hope they win their case and get all back pay that they should have collected as PC Firefighters before some dictator tried to get rid of them.

 

And let those taxpayers know who just is to blame here for costing them all that back pay and benefits.

If they win their case, then most likely they'll be made "whole" for lost wages, benefits (including pension credits, etc); i'm sure the village officials will attempt to sweep it under the rug if they can.

[nfd2004 750]

7 hours ago, gamewell45 said:

If they win their case, then most likely they'll be made "whole" for lost wages, benefits (including pension credits, etc); i'm sure the village officials will attempt to sweep it under the rug if they can.

 

As the saying goes; "You can run but you can't hide".

 

When the day comes to get the judges decision, that judge will look over the entire case given all the facts. If found that these firefighters were wrongly laid off given any written contract, that could be the deciding factor. As a result, Port Chester's residents/taxpayers could end up paying the price for those dictators wrongful actions. Add in the fact that 4,300 taxpayer signatures were collected to RETAIN those firefighters. Should that happen, once AGAIN the spot light will shine on Port Chester as a "Lesson Learned".

 

I would assume that it could later take place that some residents might then pursue some type action against those who made the final decision to lay off these eight firefighters. It just could happen that ANOTHER LESSON could be learned as well.

 

This story may NOT be ending now. It could actually be only the beginning.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Rye Brook has hired one of the fired Port Chester firefighters . Its a start !

[nfd2004 750]

10 hours ago, PCFD ENG58 said:

Rye Brook has hired one of the fired Port Chester firefighters . Its a start !

 

Of course that is GREAT NEWS and THANK YOU for keeping us updated. Now, Seven more to go.

 

So what does this indirectly mean for other guys. In particular those that want to become career firefighters as well. By laying off these eight Port Chester career firefighters, the competition just got harder for those younger volunteer firefighters within the border of Port Chester. Actually, by cutting these career firefighters, their own volunteer membership actually may have, indirectly, have hurt their own membership. Just maybe one less opening for a Port Chester volunteer firefighter to be hired in nearby Rye and begin a very satisfying and rewarding career. And soon there could be seven other positions somewhere nearby in which more career opportunities could be lost for those volunteer members.

 

 Besides the fact of those Port Chester citizens lives and personnel valuables are being put at much more risk. Besides the fact that a fire leadership is willing to put their own members lives at more risk.  We now see another smaller price that a few younger volunteer members may end up paying. LESS opportunity for them to become a career firefighter. All because of a leadership within their own ranks that are more than willing to let them down.

 

  By the way, "how's Chief Quinn doing" ?

[gamewell45 258]

On 7/27/2016 at 10:01 PM, PCFD ENG58 said:

Rye Brook has hired one of the fired Port Chester firefighters . Its a start !

Great news!  We should also take notice that the Port Chester firefighters were laid-off and not fired.  Fired would equate to a termination of employment (which has a negative impact on one's employment record) whereas lay-off would be for a reduction of work (and has no negative impact on one's employment record). The only reason I bring it up is that you never know who reads these postings; we want to make sure that the Brothers have every opportunity to obtain gainful employment and don't have to explain that they weren't fired to a prospective employer.

[nfd2004 750]

1 hour ago, gamewell45 said:

Great news!  We should also take notice that the Port Chester firefighters were laid-off and not fired.  Fired would equate to a termination of employment (which has a negative impact on one's employment record) whereas lay-off would be for a reduction of work (and has no negative impact on one's employment record). The only reason I bring it up is that you never know who reads these postings; we want to make sure that the Brothers have every opportunity to obtain gainful employment and don't have to explain that they weren't fired to a prospective employer.

 

  I would hope that anyone who is following this story is well aware that these EIGHT Port Chester firefighters were NOT Fired. I think it's always been pretty clear that they did NOTHING WRONG. They are actually the innocent victims of what some may consider "a lynch mob". They were just a group of guys trying to do the job they had done in the past. Just helping the people of Port Chester. I think that is clearly displayed no one was fired by the fact that Rye Brook has already hired one former Port Chester Firefighter.

 

  That career department was disbanded. Those firefighters had no control over that. It was never mentioned that they were "FIRED".

[babhits16 28]

This has been an interesting situation to me.  I have heard great things about Rye Brook FD.  When they started their own service I'm glad they recognized the value in a career department.  There is nothing wrong with a department being volunteer, many do a great job.  However, my personal experience in the tri state reigon has really left a poor taste in my mouth and I assume Rye Brook recognized the boys club/ political climate and wanted to put guaranteed protection and citizen safety first.

 

I wonder/ hope that when the lawsuit settles Rye Brook settles the suit they hire the rest of the PCFD8 and become a fully staffed 24/7 agency and take the opportunity to become a premier FD in the region.

 

Question- does anybody know their annual call volume and what their normal staffing during daytime hours is?

[nfd2004 750]

7 hours ago, babhits16 said:

This has been an interesting situation to me.  I have heard great things about Rye Brook FD.  When they started their own service I'm glad they recognized the value in a career department.  There is nothing wrong with a department being volunteer, many do a great job.  However, my personal experience in the tri state reigon has really left a poor taste in my mouth and I assume Rye Brook recognized the boys club/ political climate and wanted to put guaranteed protection and citizen safety first.

 

I wonder/ hope that when the lawsuit settles Rye Brook settles the suit they hire the rest of the PCFD8 and become a fully staffed 24/7 agency and take the opportunity to become a premier FD in the region.

 

Question- does anybody know their annual call volume and what their normal staffing during daytime hours is?

 

 "babhits16", I couldn't tell you the call volume of the Rye Brook FD. But I sure think you told a great story in your post above.

 

 I must also agree with you that there are many volunteer firefighters that do a GREAT JOB. I give them credit for what they do. I have many friends, basically throughout the entire country, who are volunteer firefighters. Some have been career firefighters who I can only dream or wish that I had one tenth their firefighting and rescue experience. I have one volunteer firefighter/chief friend who owns a major insurance company, another who is an oral surgeon, another a retired U.S. Army Colonel, an accountant, a retired Con Ed supervisor responsible for the entire Westchester County area, a plumber and it goes on and on.

 

 These guys are GREAT people and their goal is to just go out there and help their communities and the people within them. They also show me a great amount of respect towards career firefighters and I myself, have the same degree of respect for them in what they do.

 

  Then I read here of a group of volunteer firefighters, led by a guy named Chief Quinn in Port Chester. This reminds me of the War Zone where I was a career firefighter. Years and years of battling over a thing called "the fire service". Where we are all supposed to do basically the same job. But where the term "Brotherhood" has been replaced with the term "Battlehood". Where are group of volunteer firefighters, led by some very jealous fire chiefs, had recently proposed the elimination of a 3 man career engine company, a fourth firefighter position in one of the busier engine companies, and eliminate four battalion chiefs positions for a total of 16 firefighter positions to be eliminated. These proposals were brought on by some of the same individuals who I know, took that same career firefighter test (in some cases several times), but were never successful in getting that job. So I guess the thinking must be, "if they can't have it, then nobody else should have it".

 

  I certainly wish all the best to those PCFD8 group of guys. Nothing would make my day better than for me to read on here that they win their lawsuit and all are hired elsewhere to work as career firefighters in a community where they will be much more appreciated for the job they do.

 

 As for the younger members of those fire departments in Port Chester who have a goal to become a career firefighter, "don't forget to give FULL credit to your fire commanders for just cutting your chances even more of reaching your lifetime goal". Maybe they couldn't get the job, but they shouldn't have cut your chances for what you wanted.

[fdalumnus 165]

4 down (or should I say up) and 4 to go. Rye Brook hired another FULLY TRAINED EXPERIENCED former pcfd firefighter. City of Rye FD has also recently hired 2. Hopefully the other 4 will find jobs.

 

But I've been wondering. The Port Chester mayor changed his ways when he saw, in plain black and white, that the response times since the move to an all volunteer department, have gone up. Simple common sense. How much longer does it now take for a fire dept response ?

 

On another note, I heard that the captains of Rescue 40 (Fire Patrol and Rescue) and Engine 63 (Putnam Eng and Hose) have resigned their positions in protest of how the three chiefs are running the dept. Have also heard many other members have somewhat "walked away" due to dissension. Sounds like a rebellion is stirring.

Edited August 11, 2016 by fdalumnus

[nfd2004 750]

8 hours ago, fdalumnus said:

4 down (or should I say up) and 4 to go. Rye Brook hired another FULLY TRAINED EXPERIENCED former pcfd firefighter. City of Rye FD has also recently hired 2. Hopefully the other 4 will find jobs.

 

But I've been wondering. The Port Chester mayor changed his ways when he saw, in plain black and white, that the response times since the move to an all volunteer department, have gone up. Simple common sense. How much longer does it now take for a fire dept response ?

 

On another note, I heard that the captains of Rescue 40 (Fire Patrol and Rescue) and Engine 63 (Putnam Eng and Hose) have resigned their positions in protest of how the three chiefs are running the dept. Have also heard many other members have somewhat "walked away" due to dissension. Sounds like a rebellion is stirring.

 

  Thank you very much for that report.

 

1) Great news that so far, FOUR of those laid off Port Chester Firefighters have been hired, with Four more to go. I wish them all the Best of Luck in their NEW Careers.

 

2) We now see there are Four LESS positions that could have been offered to Volunteer Firefighters from Port Chester. A price a few of those younger volunteer firefighters might not have ever thought about. And there still could be some place willing to hire four other fully trained, laid off career firefighters as well. Guess these places didn't look at them as "Fired Firefighters" as somebody once said here.

 

3) An overall INCREASE in response time now. One thing that was never brought up when these Eight Port Chester Firefighters were laid off was what is called "Lead Time". That is the time it takes to get the first piece of fire apparatus on the scene. That "lead time" now has increased. When the day comes that some innocent victim is chocking on some smoke and can't get out, "that's when it will really count". Perhaps an investigation should be done and matters corrected BEFORE such an event happens.

 

4) To the Captains of Rescue 40 and Engine 63, "I salute you". Your true courage to stand up for what is right is respected by everyone of us who can see beyond this smoke screen. And to the members who are walking away, you lead the way in showing everyone of us, just what this Brotherhood thing is all about. My guess is that there are many other places who would GLADLY appreciate your services to their community. I encourage you to do so. As a Retired Brother Firefighter, serving 5 years a Volunteer and 30 years as a Career member, "I THANK YOU" for what you've done. As well as THOUSANDS of others I'm sure.

[Flashpoint 94]

And now the Engines are being auctioned off:

https://www.aarbids.com/servlet/Search.do?auctionId=1932&itemId=22213

[FF1 172]

21 minutes ago, Flashpoint said:

And now the Engines are being auctioned off:

https://www.aarbids.com/servlet/Search.do?auctionId=1932&itemId=22213

 

 

That is not engine 58 or 59, which are the career engines. The only engine in this auction is a 1988 spare.

 

Quote from the action website below

 

 

" Village of Port Chester Surplus Vehicle Auction Ending 8/30

Surplus items from Village of Port Chester. Items include 2005 Chevrolet impala, 1999 Lexus GS3, 2000 Cadillac Catera, 1988 Grumman F-10 Fire truck, Mack recycling and garbage truck and more.

Payment is due by Friday, September 2 by 3PM. Invoices will be sent following seller approval.

Pickup must be completed by Wednesday, September 7 at 3PM. 

All lots sold as is, where is. 10% buyer's premium. Payment is in guaranteed funds only which is cash, bank check or money order made out to Absolute Auctions & Realty. Payment can be mailed to Absolute Auction Center, PO Box 1739, 45 South Avenue, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 via Priority Mail. All vehicles are subject to seller confirmation.

Preview: Preview available by appointment Monday-Friday, call Rocky Morabito at 914-774-8213 to schedule appointment. "

[fdalumnus 165]

The rig for sale is the "old" Eng 58. it was replaced in 2010 by a Pierce. It was used as a spare for the two "paid rigs" (E 58 & 59) and also as a fill in for R40.

 

The village is considering selling the present 58 and 59. Sad part is, they'll get pennies on the dollar, especially in the case of E58. It's a well thought out rig, perfect for use as a squad. If sold, the taxpayers of Port Chester will be paying for it for a good many years to come. That $800k they saved is small compared to the amount of money it's costing them.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

That's the old engine 58 , has been a spare for the last 6 years . Replaced front line  Oct / 10

[trauma74 111]

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/rye-brook-port-chester/2016/08/23/judge-ruling-port-chester-fire-department-petition/89225242/