Fire Department Staff Size Sparks Safety Concern

Bloomfield firefighters last week rallied outside bearing signs and passing out fliers with a burning message: "ENGINE 1 IS CLOSED. ASK YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHY!"

At this week's regular town council meeting, some residents did.

"I have one question for the mayor and council: Why are you playing fast, fancy-free and footloose [regarding] the safety of the residents in this town by closing that engine company?" Michael Minta posed.

For the second straight Monday, firefighters staged a protest against proposed budget cuts to the fire department, which fire officials say will force the closure of Engine 1 at headquarters. Last Friday, Fire Chief Joseph McCarthy received an email from Township Administrator Yoshi Manale calling for the reduction of official staff size from 90 to 78 firefighters, though the chief has urged the mayor and council

"Mr. Mayor, you are lying to the public," said Brian McDade, president of the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA) Local #19. "The fire engine is going to be closed, and there's going to be rotational closing of the fire houses, so the entire town is going to share the burden of cutting our manpower to 78."

Engine 1, which provides fire suppression capabilities like hoses and water at the Franklin Street fire house, has been intermittently "browned out," or temporarily closed,due to lack of manpower. In lieu of Engine 1, the town will purchase a "quint," a resort Chief McCarthy - but never supported, McDade said.

"The life safety risk that we (firefighters) face, that residents face - you can't put a price on that," McDade said, who noted the "quint" can be used for either fire suppression or search and rescue - but not both simultaneously.

Mayor Raymond McCarthy and Manale contend the reduction is merely "house keeping" to help curtail costs. The fire department currently operates with a staff of 78 men, and the town plans to replace each of the six firefighters due to retire this year, Manale and McCarthy told reporters after the council meeting.

"We will not reduce this fire department, the man power,” said McCarthy. "But we're obligated to the community to not increase taxes. With the 2 percent cap, we have a limited amount that we can do."

Manale said that under current fire department contracts, due to expire at the end of this year, 70 of 78 firefighters make over $100,000. To increase staffing to 84, it would cost the township $355,000, according to McCarthy.

"They're the bravest guys around, there's no question about it," he said. "But we're restricted. We have a dollar amount that we have to abide by. We're capped."

Click here to watch the entire council meeting, courtesy of WBMA-TV.