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Connellsville fire chief speaks out on directives

4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – A letter to the city fire department outlining several directives, just a month after an arbitrator negotiated a new contract, is “retaliatory and harassment,” according to the chief. Connellsville fire Chief Dennis Petrowski said Friday that the three-member department was advised to remove personally owned lounge chairs and a television from the East Side Fire Station and restrict the use of the city computer among other mandates in the May 14 letter by city Councilman David McIntire, who serves as director of public health and safety. The letter, directed to Petrowski, said that the mandates were to “better serve the residents of Connellsville and provide them with a better value for their tax dollar.”

In addition to the removal of furniture, the employees are to initiate an elementary exercise program to assure physical firefighting capabilities; maintain an hourly time study of firehouse and firemen activities; prohibit personal cell phone use; present current firefighting certifications and qualifications to the city; pursue grants, upgrade certificates and continue education; work with private and public business to develop plan for fire drills and fire safety prevention and become proactive in the schools in areas related to fire safety and fire prevention.

The directive further states that the fire department is to monthly advise the city of its progress in a written report.

“I’m wondering if everybody working for the city has to remove their (lounge) chairs,” said Petrowski. “We never use our (personal) cell phones and we have always worked with the schools and hospitals and others to ensure the public’s safety.”

Petrowski, a 40-year veteran of the fire department, said it is clear to him that the letter is the direct result of the recent arbitration award.

“(The city) does not like the outcome and therefore decided they are going to do everything in their power to make our life miserable,” he said. “It is nothing more than harassment and retaliation.”

The arbitration award handed down by Elliot Newman, an arbitor with the American Arbitration Association and was approved by the unionized department.

The award requires two concurring signatures. City solicitor Herbert Mitchell III, who represented the city at the March 10 arbitration hearing signed the document, but noted the city “dissented” to the terms.

The previous pact expired in December 2007.

The new contract, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008, gives the three employees a 4-percent salary increase for each of the four years of the agreement, longevity pay and requires each firefighter to contribute to the cost of their medical insurance and prescription costs.

At last week’s meeting of council, councilman and director of accounts and finance Terry Bodes indicated the contract would cost the city nearly $250,000.

The 2009 budget for the department, which includes salaries ranging from $35,700 for driver Craig Gates, $41,380 for Lieutenant Bill Mickey, and $45,000 for Petrowski, along with funding for equipment, maintenance and pension obligations, totals $177,000.

Mayor Judy Reed said Thursday that she was “disheartened” by the award.

Reed claimed that a recent study of the city’s operations found that the paid fire department is an unnecessary agency because the municipality has a volunteer fire company and surrounding communities with firefighting services.

“The report went as far as to say we could sell the fire station,” said Reed. “(The new contract) is going to cost the city an awful lot of money.”

Councilman Charles Matthews said that the study advised council to expedite the contract talks and to ink an agreement that would eliminate a four-man clause and replace it with a three-man, no lay off clause to save the city money and to downsize the department through attrition.

“And to my understanding we had that agreement, but (Reed) would not go along with it and we ended up in arbitration,” he said. “Now, there is a three-man clause and that means if anyone retires, the city has to hire someone.

“This contract was settled several times, but there was interference; now we have to live with this contract.”

Petrowski said that as of Friday, the department suspended its dispatching duties for the police department as agreed upon in the new contract.

“We could not get a contract with them and arbitration was the only way we had to settle it,” he said, also disputing Bodes’ figures. “It is a minimal increase.

“It is sad when you try to do your job and they do everything to make us look bad. It is obvious they don’t want us here.

“Somehow we became the villains of the city. No where else is there a fire department held in such low regard as we are in Connellsville.”

Petrowski said that the city letter has been turned over to the department’s legal counsel.

“We are going to abide by the directives in the letter, until such time we are told to do otherwise,” he said.

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