fire dept

[FOR THE BOYS IN BLUE]

why all the attention on the police when the fire dept., is just as screwed up!

Let's put the fire department under the microscope
and see if we find some swine flu.

[Stoughton Resident]

Diverting attention away from "ground ZERO" is not an appropriate tactic.

[No Town is Perfect]

Every town has it's problems. Every town has "bad/crooked/lazy/whateve r" employees. Not all of our police & fire (& others) are bad people. But many people on these forums just seem to get their rocks off on bashing town employees. I'm not a town employee, but if I were, I'd sure be finding out all of you who are dragging them through the mud. Enough already. If you think they have it easy, go fill out an application & join them & "clean house" like you say!

[born in stoughton]

It's not the town employees it's the department heads that need to be watched, and checked.
when do they get reviewed.

[twn employee]

dept heads are in a union or as they call it an association, so there is no review for them which I believe even as a town employee that there should be. I will tell you all one thing most of you have noidea how bad it really is working as an employee of the town and the reason I as well as others dont just quit(and believe me there are many) is we need a job, money (the legitimate way)and health benefits, otherwise I would be long gone.

[Hey employee]

If you don't like town hall, LEAVE! No one is forcing you to sit on your lazy a** and collect a paycheck from the taxpayers of Stoughton.

[curious]

twn employee wrote:

dept heads are in a union or as they call it an association, so there is no review for them which I believe even as a town employee that there should be. I will tell you all one thing most of you have noidea how bad it really is working as an employee of the town and the reason I as well as others dont just quit(and believe me there are many) is we need a job, money (the legitimate way)and health benefits, otherwise I would be long gone.

What makes is so bad to work there?(I don't mean this in a sarcastic or rudely-toned way; I really don't know.) Can you give some general examples? I know it can get political.

[I beg to differ]

I believe all of the department heads are reviewed by the TM. Seams to me this matter came in front of the Board in the past as the Department heads were asked to review the TM not long ago. Is my memory wrong?
Anyway, from what I see most if not all of the Department heads work their buns off. What is your issue with the Chief and why?

twn employee wrote:

dept heads are in a union or as they call it an association, so there is no review for them which I believe even as a town employee that there should be. I will tell you all one thing most of you have noidea how bad it really is working as an employee of the town and the reason I as well as others dont just quit(and believe me there are many) is we need a job, money (the legitimate way)and health benefits, otherwise I would be long gone.

[app for job]

No Town is Perfect wrote:

Every town has it's problems. Every town has "bad/crooked/lazy/whateve r" employees. Not all of our police & fire (& others) are bad people. But many people on these forums just seem to get their rocks off on bashing town employees. I'm not a town employee, but if I were, I'd sure be finding out all of you who are dragging them through the mud. Enough already. If you think they have it easy, go fill out an application & join them & "clean house" like you say!

I tried, but I don't know the right people for the job, try again, did that not happen just a few weeks ago, they hired someone without it on the paper. end of your story try again.

[born in stoughton]

The fire chief has done a good job of taking this department back 30 years if thats a good chief,
then we should all learn to walk backwards and join him.he's the T.M's beater boy

[not blind]

This Chief sounds like a boob at town meeting,
and we let him run a department in town the TM
must be holding his hand and pulling the strings.
what a puppet.

[born in stoughton]

Name one thing the fire chief has done to make the fire department better than what it was when he took over. nothing but hurt this department and it's menbers.the TM is the real fire chief and he could care less about those men, and women.
put jardin the puppet back in the box, and get a real chief that stand for something and able to think on his own.

[fire fighters]

Do it better.

[well let me tell you]

you might have a problem with the dept as a whole, but I have had to call 911 several times in the past year. I think 5 times. I have been more than pleased with the response that I have received from the Stoughton FD. They have had to deal with 2 of my family members. 1 they thought they were going to lose. They came back to the ER that night to check on him. The next day one of them came up to the ICU to check on him. You might have a problem with the "DEPT" but the staff is the best with me.

[They are the best]

The Stoughton Fire Department is excellent. They do a first class job. It all stems from the top. Jardin has been excellent. I'm sure there are a few men who don't care for him, but that happens everywhere. He's a good guy. My only problem with fire department is their out of control overtime line. That was a problem before David got his position.

[Hockey Fan]

I think the Fire Department does an outstanding job but, their hockey team stinks!!

[OFD]

To"They are the best", their out of control overtime line as you state comes from the fact that their run total and call volume is out of control. When Vic Melendy died in 1995 the FD did around 3400 calls, in 2008 they did 5400 calls. The subsequent report on his death and review of Fire Dept operations called for 14 men on duty at all times. There were 9 men on duty on the nite he died, January 28, 1995. There are 9 men on duty today in Stoughton. The only thing that has changed is the call volume and that a private company does the ambulance billing. The Stoughton Fd generates around $1 million a year in ambulance revenue, approx 33% of the Fire Dept. budget. When a town employee did the ambulance billing it only generated around $350 thousand. With that extra money from the ambulance billing the Fire budget was cut and backfilled with this extra revenue. The Fire Dept manning was never expanded to keep up with the call volume or growth of the town. I appreciate your positive comments and you are right, they do an excellent job. The Fire Dept. is undermanned and underfunded and it cannot continue especially with more nursing homes and apartment complexes on the horizon.

[They are the Best]

You are correct, OFD. Unfortunately, in this current economic climate, nothing will change.

[not blind]

Your all missing the point the mem and woman in the department do a great job,dipite being short handed. With out any support from the top, I'm saying why should they have to work under a chief thats clearly over his head, lets give them a chief that will also perform to the same high level he clearly is not capible.If you have seen this man at town meeting you would know this is not the leadership the firefighters deserve,
or the tax payers should be paying for.There will always be overtime but look at how this chief is useing it.

end this good old boy network for good.

[not blind]

Once agian did you see this nuckelhead they call the fire chief at town meeting, he lacks everything a chief should be the TM is the real chief, has he ever propely explained any need at town meeting, does he even know what the needs of the fire department are. this man is a political
puppet.I feel sorry for the firefighters depending
on this man for anything. so unprepaired.
Where did the TM find him at the middle school.