Battalion chiefs & union voice concerns over fire chief & assistant chief commanding fires
Previous coverage of this fire
Controversy in the New Haven Fire Department as a group of battalion chiefs, the department’s drillmaster and the president of the union express concerns over safety of firefighters at the August 25 fire that destroyed Delaney’s Restaurant and Tap Room. In addition, the union president has requested that Fire Chief Allyn Wright and Assistant Chief Pat Egan not be allowed to command fires because they lack the necessary experience and education.
According to Paul Bass at the New Haven Independent, the letter was sent to Chief Wright today (Thursday) following a Wednesday night meeting. The letter focuses on concerns Chief Egan ignored collapse zones and ordered firefighters to approach a part of the building where the roof had already collapsed to clear debris blocking a window. Chief Egan told the reporter that he was not aware at the time a collapse zone had been declared.
Bass reports the letter was signed by battalion chiefs Ben Vargas, William Gould, Luis Rivera, Thomas Neville, Gary Carbone, Mark Marcarelli, Thomas Quinn, Brian Jooss, Drillmaster Frank Ricci and Local 825 President Jame Kottage. Chief Wright told the paper he will be investigating the incident before he comments.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Based on the handling of the fire, “Chief [Allyn] Wright and Chief Egan should not take command of a Fire scene because neither has any experience or education to direct the work force at a fire. The public and Firefighters lives are at risk,” New Haven Firefighters Local 825 President Jimmy Kottage wrote Thursday in an email to the city’s chief administrative officer and labor relations director. “… I’m asking for your help before someone gets seriously hurt or killed.”
The episode was also the subject of a City Hall meeting Wednesday with Mayor Toni Harp and leaders of the black and firefighters associations, as well as Kottage. Based on that meeting, Harp said Thursday, she has asked her staff to investigate the handling of the fire.
“I’m looking into it,” Harp said. “It’s kind of serious from their perspective.”
