VOL Opts for 11th Hour Postponement on Hiring Paid Chief

by Judy Silberstein

(April 12, 2007) Paid versus volunteer chief of the Larchmont Fire Department? The question still remains to be answered as the Larchmont Village Board pulled back from the brink of voting for a paid chief at around midnight during the annual reorganization meeting that had begun at 7:15 pm on Wednesday, April 11. They also postponed a vote on approving or rejecting the volunteer chief nominated on April 5 by the Fire Council, the department’s governing body comprised of volunteers. Instead, the board will meet Monday, April 16 with the Fire Council and approve a chief at an extra board meeting called for Thursday, April 19.

On April 12, the mayor and board laid out their positions both for hiring a paid chief and – after a lengthy intermission to confer in private - for voting right away. The new chief would not be a member of the union and would be paid $115K (with an additional $37,125 in benefits) to command both the career and volunteer firefighters. The Fire Council would remain with some modifications, as would the two volunteer deputy chiefs.

What’s the Problem? Why is a Paid Chief the Solution?

“This is not at all about disrespecting the volunteers,” said Mayor Liz Feld, “It’s about having one person accountable to the board.” It was also about having availability of management, consistency of leadership, unifying the department and making “maximum use of our volunteer and career firefighters,” she said.

“Historical friction” between career and volunteer firefighters has reached a level that “inhibits good management and impedes communication,” said the mayor, describing how the board was unable to get answers to simple questions at budget time. Later Trustee Millstein said there was a “stark contrast” between other village departments, which have paid staff in charge, and the fire department, which had a “lack of information in their heads and in their hands.”

Support for the volunteers and a hope that they would “stick around” was a theme stressed by Trustee Marlene Kolbert and other board members. The fire department has been a top priority of the current administration, she said, listing renovations of the downstairs kitchen and bathroom, repairing the apparatus floor, and replacing Engine 35. In an emotional statement describing how her own sister had been badly burned as a child, Trustee Anne McAndrews told the volunteer firefighters lined up to address the board, “I’m counting on you, my family is counting on you,” she said.

Trustee McAndrews also said, “I am solidly behind the mayor in her effort to bring better management to the fire department.” Newly-elected Trustee Richard Ward would support his colleagues, he said. The board appeared united and ready to vote to appoint a paid chief.

“Many people have cautioned me not to open this can of worms,” said Mayor Feld, describing long-running dissatisfaction with the fire department’s structure that previous boards had declined to address because of intense opposition to change from within the department. That is why she declined to discuss the plan openly until “we had something concrete to propose that we were comfortable with,” she said.

Responses to the Board's Plan & Process

The board received backing from Brian Doherty, a former volunteer, current career firefighter and local head of the union, which has long called for a paid chief. “This board is being extremely courageous,” he said. Lt. Rich Heine, another former volunteer, current career firefighter and the paid chief designee said, “I really, really have my heart and soul in this department. I’m here to serve and do the best job by everyone.”

The Village Hall court room was filled with career and volunteer firefighters and residents, many of whom expressed views on the board's plan to appoint a paid chief of the fire department.

The bulk of the comments, however, were from volunteer firefighters and other residents who filled the courtroom at Village Hall and spoke unanimously against the process and/or the substance of the plan. The process was called disrespectful of the volunteers and overly hasty, lacking time for input from the volunteers and other residents. Although, in principle, the proposal may have been under discussion for months – or even years – the specific plan had not been shared with the Fire Council until a few weeks ago on March 26, noted a number of speakers.

“I am absolutely sure if this was brought to council several months ago we could have worked this out – but that is not how this has unfolded and it’s very unfortunate,” said Jim Sweeney, a former chief and volunteer.

“You’re not solving the friction issue, you’re making more friction.” said Larchmont resident Janine Steely. Response time is not the problem, she said, describing how firefighters appeared at her home within minutes after her carbon monoxide detector went off at 3:00 am. “A paid chief could be the right solution, if you take the time to look at all the facts and talk to everyone,” she said.

In a 7-page memo, summarized by current volunteer firefighter and former Village Trustee Ned Benton, the Fire Council questioned the board’s legal authority to appoint its choice of chief. The memo was disputed by Village Attorney Jim Staudt, who called the law uncharacteristically clear in support of the board’s position.

Mr. Benton further argued that having a paid chief would seriously cripple a structure in which volunteers remain in the department for years, moving up the ladder and assuming greater responsibility with hopes of some day becoming chief. “You are solving the wrong problem and taking a step that is tragic and also dangerous for the Village,” he said, counseling the board to take time to resolve the legal question and pursue alternatives.

While a number of volunteers expressed frustration or sadness, a number of residents said they were concerned about affordability: if the volunteers were to quit, how could Larchmont afford to replace them with paid firefighters? “We cannot afford to make a mistake,” said former fire chief and former Trustee Mike Wiener.

Is There Room for Compromise?

Long-term resident and volunteer firefighter Sam Orans, apologized for his role in attempting to broker a series of last minute compromises last week that would have had the Fire Council elect Lt. Heine as a deputy chief for a year and then as chief. “You had it in your power to get what you wanted and still have everybody here,” he told the board. “It’s disappointing; we’ve driven away people who were trying to work this through.”

“That deal did not work for Rich Heine,” replied the mayor. It would have left him in the same position as the current captain of operations – inside the union supervising other union members and without clear overall authority for the department. The board had countered last week with a proposal to have the Fire Council elect Lt. Heine this year as their chief. Instead, the council elected Tom Broderick, a volunteer with 20 years of experience who was next in line to serve as chief.

According to Trustee Millstein, the council’s vote indicated that there was no choice for the board but to go ahead with appointing a paid chief. That was “dictatorship,” interjected Ettore Viazzo, a long-term volunteer, “we had to vote for your choice.”

Back From the Brink

Had the many comments from volunteers and residents swayed the board? The mayor called for a recess to allow board members to confer. Upon their return, each board member was asked for an opinion on whether to proceed with the vote, and it appeared that the vote would go forward to its inevitable conclusion. “The sooner we see this through, the sooner we get this addressed,” said Trustee Anne McAndrews, voicing a consensus position.

However, there was a renewed call for deliberation from both firefighters and residents.

In the end, what may have persuaded the board to postpone its decision was an interchange between the mayor and Roger Holden, another long-time volunteer. ”I think you’re making a big misjudgment if you think the majority of volunteers will stay,” he told the mayor.

Or it may have been a last minute appearance by a resident, Noel Denis, who had been watching the proceedings on television at home and offered a novel opinion. While others were ashamed of the process, he said, “I think it’s extraordinary.” He lauded Sam Orans for his efforts at compromise, applauded the evening’s lengthy conversation and called the board “gutsy.” The process has been great – but perhaps a week or two too short, he suggested.

After another short recess, the board returned once more and a visibly exhausted Mayor Feld announced the decision to postpone.