9/22/2011
To the editor:
Vested taxpayers of the South Fire District of the City of Middletown remain very concerned with the surprising and most recent developments relative to CVH Fire Department services at the CVH campus . There has been discussion that the South Fire District (SFD) taxpayers will have to pay for overtime expenses associated with new backup coverage at the SFD headquarters. Also, it was recently confirmed that staff and fire apparatus resources funded by the SFD taxpayers have been stationed on the CVH campus.
Additionally there was mention of an 'agreement' involving CVH and the South Fire District. The first question is by whom and under what authority? If in error I stand corrected but I believe that the CT CGS/Fire Codes are very clear in that the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for fire safety compliance matters at CVH State of CT property and buildings would be the CT Office of State Fire Marshall (OSFM), and not the South Fire District.
At the September 12, 2011 monthly meeting of the South Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners (see web page with meeting notices and minutes, digital recordings of meetings are also available, as posted minutes are only summaries of meetings) it was presented that the district had reassigned a primary fire apparatus and significant staff to be located on the Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH) campus on a 'trial basis'. Such a trial was further represented as more an evaluation of SFD response time throughout the district and less associated with the significant change in services being provided at CVH.
At this same meeting it was shared that a legal opinion of such actions was to be obtained via counsel retained by the SFD once a recently developed conflict of interest question could be resolved relative to said legal representation.
In recent conversation with the SFD Chief it was confirmed that a written agreement is nonexistent. It has also been confirmed that the SFD has requested upgrades of the fire headquarters building located on the CVH campus, using CVH funding. Such an accommodation would suggest a more permanent arrangement.
There have been questions raised by the public at the SFD monthly meetings, for some time, relative to PILOT funding administration. Other possible and related issues may also fall under purview of CT DOL (different union firefighter locals), TJC (Environment of Care accreditation patient safety /physical environment performance standards), CT DPH (Buildings and Fire Safety/mixed campus occupancies/licensure), as well as CT OPM and the CT State Auditors which it seems both would have an interest in allocations of public funds as well as compliance matters associated with of the original CGS based Charter for the SFD.
The SFD fixed budget is set via an annual budget process that identifies district expenses and is voted on via a referendum. Minimally, it seems that the opportunity for public hearings and mandated voting would have been provided for the some 7000 registered voters / residents of the south fire district, relative to such new and significant operational matters.
Most concerning is that new overtime cost and the expenses incurred relative to relocating a critical fire vehicle with SFD staffing to the CVH campus has been placed directly on the backs of the SFD taxpayers. One may also question how daily firefighter task at the SFD headquarters are being completed with staff being pulled. The SFD includes a significant population of seniors who live on fixed incomes as well as a good number of small business ventures.
Additionally, with the new practice of locating a SFD vehicle on the remote CVH campus, travel distance for this SFD vehicle responding from the CVH campus to a good number of SFD residential locations has more than doubled, presenting new fire safety/response time concerns as well as homeowner and insurance rate questions.
The challenge for the State of CT / DMHAS/ CVH Administration, is to work with the designated labor groups on the CVH campus and creatively utilize existing resources to provide the necessary services needed to assure that both staff and client safety in such a specialized behavioral health driven environment are best maintained, especially as such relates to TJC accreditation and CT DPH licensure. It seems that the SFD should only be involved on a cost effective strict MUTUAL AIDE basis, as is common practice throughout the State and with other fire services within Middletown as well as in nearby towns. The CVH also has the unique long established practice of having volunteer fire services integrated in its existing campus operations. From a cost effectiveness perspective, it is critical that CVH maintain such operational flexibility. CVH is equally well positioned to handle most of its own emergency calls, which are medical in nature, with the presence of highly skilled, behavioral health focused, medical and support staff on site.
There are a good number of retired and working professionals in our SFD community with extensive experience in such patient/staff fire safety, compliance, operational and public policy matters (hospitals facility/engineering professionals , TJC accreditation /DPH licensure compliance, retired SFD Fire Commissioners, retired State Firefighters etc.), driven by a focus to control taxes in our district, whom I'm sure would volunteer their time to bring forward creative ideas that would focus on enhanced and cost effective opportunities for improvement of CVH Fire Department Services.
A CVH organized review committee that also includes such technical content experts, from the public/community, would be a good starting point and certainly in the best interest of the South Fire District taxpayers.
Daniel J. Penney
Commentary above is a letter of opinion authored by Middletown resident Daniel Penney. It is his opinion only, and does not represent the opinion of The Middletown Eye news blog, the poster of this letter, or any other contributors of the Middletown Eye blog.
CVH Fire Dept has been disbanded. SFD has taken over CVH-FD HQ. I pay taxes in sfd and dont appeciate sfd being stationed up there. Who made that decision. CVH handled its own problems for years.
ReplyDeletecvh handled its own problems for years. why is sfd now up at cvh.
ReplyDeleteMr penny is right! this is a big change to the real tax payers of the south fie district. lets take for example for those residents that live next door to the fire house you use to have a two minute response time for a fire at your house now you have a two minute response time form one truck and about a five minute time for the other to get there ,that means if you have a fire that first truck basically can do nothing until the other gets there according to OSHA two in two out rule,they have taken a already exciting problem of man power and made it much worse for the other 90% of the tax payers in the district. There is a big problem going on in the south fire district with their chief trying to bulls#$@ the commissioners and the public and if the commission is involved they don't have the best interest of the tax payer in mind and say vote them out! enough is enough of trying to be a big city fire department you have six guys on duty ,you cant run two house's with six guys! and the tax payers are not going to fund more!
ReplyDeleteI urge all the tax payers to come out at the next district meeting and let your voices be heard.
Mr Penny is right and I second what anonymous said. Enough is enough of trying to be a big city fire department you have six guys on duty ,you cant run two house's with six guys! Come on I remember when SD was volunteer fireman. Maybe we should go back to volunteers? It would cost a heck of a lot less and we wouldn't have to deal with all your nonsense.
ReplyDeleteWell lets see about all the Facts;
ReplyDeleteFirst Mr Daniel Penney continues to spend more of his $ 100,000.00 State of Ct Pension on ads to fight and argue against a Fire Budget. It is already at a minimum fee for services that are every bit as good as any within the city anywhere. All the fire services received by the public are the same, simply different tax fees charged. South District and Westfield's taxes are substantially less than what City tax payers pay. If would appeared to me the Mr Penney is kicking a give horse in the mouth. Would he rather pay several hundred dollars more in Fire Tax like the City residence ? South Fire District and Westfield Do Not Pay any money for Fire Tax to the City at all. Instead they pay a smaller Fire Tax set by the Fire Commission and then approved by the District Tax Payers. I gladly pay that much lower tax and Vote Yes on there budget than pay the 40% higher tax the City Residents pay. PLEASE Mr Penney Stop gambling with my Already lower Fire Tax in attempt to make it even less. I do not have a $100,000.00 State Pension nor 100% of my Insurance paid for by a State Pension benefit. Find some other hobby to enjoy without playing with the lives of the South District Employees, their families and my already lower Fire Tax.
ENOUGH ALREADY....GO AWAY !!!!
Once again Mr. Penney is trying to baffle us with big words and acronyms.He does this by imbedding a grain of truth in a field of misinformation.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, while it is true the OSFM is responsible for fire code compliance it has NOTHING to do with suppression. Two separate items, Dan.
CVH medical response is gone. Their cops gave it up a long time ago.Don't count on EMS from any of the CVH staff--they usually wait for the fire department. There was no overtime costs for CVH coverage despite what Mr. Penney insinuates.As for coverage for the rest of the District,over 40% of the calls are within a mile of the CVH campus which means quicker response and less fuel use.
Dan worries about response being reduced-what if there are two calls. Same situation. You can what if this to death,Dan.
By the way, tasks at headquarters are not your problem. Really-you can FOI it.