A showdown is shaping up between New Haven city officials and the firefighters union over a proposal to reallocate resources for fire and emergency services.
The union is waging a campaign saying the proposed changes will leave one of the city’s ten districts without it’s neighborhood fire engine.
In an NBC Connecticut Exclusive interview, Deputy Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana denied that claim and said the union is misleading the public.
"Putting fear into them that they’re neighborhood fire engine is going to be leaving, it’s not right," Fontana said. "We’re going to go based on the factual data we have and the need of the entire community."
Currently, New Haven only has two advanced life support (ALS) paramedic units.
"If this unit is out and somebody’s having a heart attack out in Westville or Fountain street area, this unit has to come from Woodward Avenue," Fontana said, pointing to a map showing the distance the paramedic unit would have to travel across town.
A city committee recommends adding two more paramedic units to provide better coverage for the entire city, Fontana said.
Local
To do that, Fontana said the proposal redeploys four firefighters from Engine 9 at the Ellsworth Avenue Station to staff the two new units (two assigned to each). One would be based at the Ellsworth Station and the other at the Whitney Avenue fire station.
"It’s a disingenuous empty promise to the citizens," New Haven Fire Union President Frank Ricci said over the phone. "The problem with adding on two more paramedic units is they are a city wide asset that will not be in the district."
Ricci said he fears the neighborhoods near the Ellsworth Avenue station will be left without a local fire truck.
"The neighborhood fire engine gets their first, initiates quality care and then its backed up by a paramedic service," he said, adding fire trucks respond to any emergency in four minutes.
The Ellsworth station houses both Engine 9 and a city-wide squad company truck. Fontana said the firefighters from the squad company would staff the new neighborhood fire engine company.
“That fire station will still have a fire truck in it,” he said. "Just like the other nine fire stations in the city of New Haven.”
Ultimately, the New Haven Fire Chief has the only authority, according to the union contract, to redeploy personnel. Mayor Harp said Thursday she plans to announce who will fill that vacancy sometime next week after interviewing three final candidates.
The fire union has recently filed a complaint against the city saying that Fontana has overstepped his authority by performing firefighter duties and interfering with department operations.
Fontana is a retired firefighter who spent nearly three decades with the West Haven Fire Department.
