FIREFIGHTER OVERTIME, STAFFING, ARE SMOLDERING ISSUES IN ROBBINSVILLE
NJ.COM - July 1, 2008 - ROBBINSVILLE - An overtime dispute between township officials and the fire department over the weekend led to what union officials characterize as a potentially dangerous manpower shortage, but the town's administrator calls it an end to wasteful spending.
With fire chief Kevin Brink suspended due to shoplifting allegations, Robbinsville Police Chief Martin Masseroni is in charge of the fire department. When firefighters called out sick this weekend, Masseroni refused to authorize overtime for replacements, leaving two paid firefighters to man the engine and two to staff the ambulance.
Normally a minimum of three paid firefighters are on the engine and two on the ambulance.
A recent OSHA regulation known as "Two In, Two Out" has become a football in the debate, with firefighters saying it is being violated and township officials say ing it is being adhered to. The rule requires that for every two firefighters who enter a burning building, two more must be at the ready to rescue them. If Robbinsville's am bulance was out on another call when the engine was summoned, fire officials say, the engine, with only two men on it, would be useless in mounting any sort of attack against the flames.
"We cannot perform the necessary stuff for fire suppression," said Robbinsville fire union president Brendan O'Donnell.
"We don't understand how the township can allow a fire apparatus to operate with just two firefighters on it," Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey president Dominick Marino said.
But township administrator Mary Caffrey and Robbinsville Mayor David Fried said the number of available firefighters is ade quate.
"There is no shortage," Caffrey said. "There is no shortage."
"Unless I have a confirmed fire, I'm not letting my ambulance go out of town," Fried said.
Caffrey and Fried maintain the two firefighters on the engine and two on the ambulance conform with the regulation. In addition, Caffrey said, volunteers can add to the numbers of available firefighters.
"We have volunteers, and everyone wants to act like Robbinsville has no volunteers," she said.
Caffrey said that since Masse roni took over running the fire department, she and the police chief noticed problems with the paid firefighters' overtime.
"It's not so much the amount, it's the pattern you see," she said. "When you see a pattern of 12-hour days right before vacations ... that kind of stuff isn't necessary."
Caffrey said there are times when overtime is needed. But what she views as excessive overtime requests will not be tolerated. "This kind of stuff is going to stop," she said.
Marino said the "Two In, Two Out" rule requires two individuals outside to be ready to go inside for rescue work.
"They only count if they are on that scene," he said, saying they must be "ready and able to stop what they're doing and going into the building prepared."
O'Donnell said the fire department and the township had a "non-harmonious relationship" ever since the takeover in January 2007.
"This is the first I've heard of any overtime abuse," O'Donnell said.
"If Mary is 'putting her foot down' on overtime she should realize that she is crushing the abilities of the Fire Department and im pinging our abilities to provide a proper response for fire suppres sion to the residents of the township," O'Donnell added in an e- mail.
Nottingham Fire Co. Fire Commissioner Adam Bendas said his company changed their box alarm over the weekend so as not to receive mutual aid from Robbinsville.
"We rely on a certain number of guys," he said. "It's just a safety issue for us."
"Four men is typically what we like to see on a truck," Bendas said.
Groveville Fire Co. chief Mark Antozzeski said that, as a precaution, he added an extra engine to each call that would come in on Saturday.
"I was just concerned with our particular area," he said.
Antozzeski said he was not aware the situation continued into Sunday.
Caffrey said these departments are free to change their plans.
"They can do what they want. For years everyone around us has relied on the staffing in Robbin sville being higher."
Marino said he hopes to get a meeting together with O'Donnell and township representatives. "We can't have a fire apparatus responding with two firefighters on it," he said.
"The township is basically gambling with the citizens' lives and the firefighters' lives," he added. "They're gambling that nothing will happen."
HOUSE COMMITTEE RESTORES FIRST RESPONDER FUNDS
IAFF - June 11, 2008 - The Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved legislation to provide additional funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) and FIRE Act grant programs. As approved, the 2009 Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2009 includes $230 million for SAFER and $570 million for FIRE Act.
In his budget for 2009, the president proposed significant cuts to first responder grants, providing only $300 million for FIRE Act grants and eliminating the SAFER grant program altogether.
“I applaud Chairman David Price (D-NC) and the Subcommittee for restoring funding to SAFER and FIRE Act grants,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “The president’s proposal to cut these essential programs was ill-conceived from the start, and would prove incredibly foolish today as local fire department budgets face substantial strain in the weak economy."
The funding allocated by the Subcommittee provides an additional $40 million for SAFER and $10 million for FIRE Act grants over what was appropriated for Fiscal Year 2008.
The Appropriations bill also restores the president’s cuts to additional programs first responder grant programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Metropolitan Medical Response System and Interoperable Communications grants.
The Subcommittee’s action is only the first step in the federal budget process. The legislation will next be considered by the full Appropriations Committee the week of June 16.
TOWNSHIP LAYS OFF 2
FIREFIGHTERS
Mayor cites economic reasons, not contract negotiations
THE MESSENGER PRESS - March 6, 2008 - ROBBINSVILLE - Two full-time firefighters have been laid off in what the township says is a cost-saving maneuver and firemen say is just another case of anti-union tactics.
Jason Belmont, vice president of the Robbinsville Professional Firefighters Association, and Ed Hirschman were given notice last week of their dismissals, effective March 23.
The layoffs come less than two weeks before contract negotiations between the fire union and the township, which were scheduled for Tuesday — after The Messenger-Press’s deadline. The firefighters have been working without a contract since Jan. 1, 2007.
”The township is anti-union and anti-labor,” said Brendan O’Donnell, president of the association. “(The administration’s) decision was made based upon those feelings, which I don’t think they’re shy about.”
Mr. O’Donnell said the administration is still holding a grudge over the 2006 takeover, in which the township voted to take over the $3 million Fire District based on mismanagement allegations.
”Putting together a tactic like that one week before hammering out a contract doesn’t help matters,” he said.
Mayor Dave Fried said the layoffs and contract negotiations are unrelated.
Township Administrator Mary Caffrey issued a notice Feb. 22 informing the township Fire Department that all employees were subject to be laid off or demoted for “reasons of economy.”
Mayor Fried said the timing was based on the need to present the 2008 budget this month. Because this year’s state aid numbers for municipalities are projected to be lower, he said, every department has been asked to reduce its operating budget by 2 percent. For the first time, white collar staff is expected to pay 1 percent of their salary for health insurance, too, he said.
In an October 2006 meeting of the state’s Local Finance Board, Mayor Fried stated his intention to maintain the Fire District’s operations. The only change, he said, would be that the fire chief would report to the office of the mayor instead of the fire commissioners.
Looking back, Mr. O’Donnell said that Mayor Fried’s “actions speak louder than words.” He said the district could have found a way to cut 2 percent elsewhere, and criticized administration over the fact that the fire district is the only department undergoing layoffs.
Mayor Fried contended that for the first year the district was under the township, it saw no changes, but when the Superior Court ruled in September to reinstate the district’s captain — who was let go during the takeover — the salary was not factored into the budget, which offset costs.
Mr. O’Donnell also said the staff, which operates at five members per shift, will need to fill slots with overtime and part-time employees, but Mayor Fried said the state standard for operation is four members, and at minimum, three.
The remaining Robbinsville firefighters are concerned about their jobs, according to Mr. O’Donnell.
”That’s how the township likes to operate: Keep a cloud of uncertainty about your job over your head,” he said. “It hasn’t been a pleasant place to work over the last 18 months.”
ROBINSVILLE PLANS FIRE DEPARTMENT LAYOFFS
TRENTONIAN.COM - February 27, 2008 - The township administration issued a recent memo that paid members of the fire department may be subject to layoff and/or demotion.
The memo was dated Feb. 22, a little more than a week after the township held a reception for township “employees and volunteers” that documentation shows cost the township $4,200.
The “general notice of layoff and demotion” is signed by Mary Caffrey, township administrator.
“Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-25, this is to notify all employees of the fire department that for reasons of economy, it is possible that they will be laid off or demoted from their permanent positions,” Caffrey said in the memo.
“These layoffs,” she went on, “will be effective at the close of the working day on March 23.”
She concluded, saying, “at this time, it is not possible to determine the exact effect that this layoff action will have on each employee.”
Click here for a follow up editorial.
TWO AXED FROM FIRE SERVICE
Layoffs in Robbinsville come during pay talks
NJ.COM - February 27, 2008 - ROBBINSVILLE - Just days before the township is set to negotiate with its local firefighters' union before a state-appointed arbitrator, the township has laid off two full-time firefighters.
Jason Belmont, vice president of the Washington Township Uniformed Firefighters' Association and a member of the union's negotiating team, was told to vacate his office on Sunday, just days after another full-time firefighter, Ed Hirschman, was asked to leave.
Township administrator Mary Caffrey cited "reasons of economy" for the dismissals in a notice circulated to fire department employees at the end of last week.
The township's need for "cost containment is very, very serious," Caffrey said.
But representatives of the fire union, which has been working without a contract since January 2007, questioned the timing of the layoffs.
Township and fire union negotiators are set to meet with an arbitrator appointed by the state Public Employment Relations Commission on Tuesday.
This is "nothing but a ninth-inning, strong-arm tactic," said Brendan O'Donnell, president of the firefighters' association. "This is how (the township) is choosing to negotiate, by putting two more cards into (their) deck."
The two firefighters will be paid until March 23, when the terminations are scheduled to take effect.
The administration "still holds a grudge for the battle we waged in 2006" over the township takeover of the once-independent fire district, Donnelly said. "That's what this is about. That and signing a contract, which they don't want to do."
Caffrey called the timing a "coincidence," saying that the layoffs were "precipitated by the need to introduce the budget" that outlines the town's spending for the 2008 calendar year.
Since the firefighters' union won a lawsuit that resulted in the reinstatement of a veteran fire captain whom the township terminated last year, the township has made it "very clear (that) absent some cost-containment agreement with the union ... layoffs or demotions for existing staff" were a possibility, Caffrey said.
But O'Donnell criticized Mayor Dave Fried for going back on comments Fried made before the state's Local Finance Board when it was reviewing the township's takeover of the fire district.
"Nothing is going to change," Fried told the board in 2006 when asked about personnel matters.
Caffrey countered that municipal aid from the state might be less this year and that the entire township was taking part in cutbacks.
Fried, who could not be reached yesterday, has asked the directors of all township departments to plan for a 2 percent cut, Caffrey said, while all "white-collar" administrative employees are putting up 1 percent of their salaries to defray insurance costs.
The fire department was targeted for layoffs in part because "there is no other town our size that has as many full-time fire and EMS personnel in our area," Caffrey said.
The two positions being eliminated accounted for about $125,000 per year in salaries, benefits, and other costs last year. It was unclear yesterday how much it would cost the township to staff the vacancies created by the dismissals.
CLEARING THE SMOKE OBSCURING THE REAL PUBLIC PENSION VILLAINS
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE - January 13, 2008 - For almost a decade, public employees have continually had their pensions under attack by the very same politicians who have disregarded their pension obligations and used our retirement money as their personal slush fund to help cover up financial mismanagement and the lining of their own pockets. In doing so, they have completely destroyed the overall health and condition of our pension fund.
Ironically, now that their free ride is coming to an end and they must start making restitution, they are blaming the same public employees for the increase in their budgets. In short, these unscrupulous politicians have saved billions of dollars on the backs of public employees and now they are attacking and threatening the jobs of these same proud employees.
While there are several different public employee pension funds, the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) seems to always be one of the funds in the spotlight when these unethical politicians start pointing fingers. As to be expected, they blame most financial problems on our pension fund but forget to inform the public of some very important details. Police and firefighters are not eligible for Social Security when they retire. With that being said, municipalities save millions of dollars by not contributing to Social Security on our behalf.
In addition, despite what some people would like for you to believe, police and firefighters have never expected a free ride. Besides the supposed employer contributions, we also contribute a large percentage to our pension fund. Furthermore, unlike those in the private sector who may be eligible for Social Security, a company pension, yearly bonuses, stock options and a company-matched 401(k), policemen and firefighters have only our PFRS pension to rely on for retirement.
So we ask, when you hear elected officials attacking public pensions, think of the policemen, firefighters and other municipal workers who unselfishly give of themselves in the dangerous professions that most people choose not to enter and put the blame where it belongs — in the laps of the lawmakers.
Scott Law
Second vice president
Professional Firefighters Association
EDISON
FEMA URGES CAUTION WHEN USING PORTABLE GENERATORS
FEMA - WASHINGTON D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has joined with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in issuing a warning to consumers confronted by the recent winter weather. When there's a power outage, exercise caution when using portable generators.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible killer. You can't see or smell it. A generator's exhaust contains poisonous CO which can kill you in a matter of minutes.
Last year, at least 65 people died from generator-related CO poisoning. Many of the deaths occurred after winter storms knocked out power.
Follow these important generator safety tips:
Never use a portable generator inside a home, garage, shed or other partially enclosed space, even if doors and windows are open.
Place portable generators outside only, far away from the home. And keep the generator away from openings to the home, including doors, windows and vents.
Read the label on the generator and the owner's manual, and follow the instructions.
Install CO alarms with battery backup in the home outside each sleeping area.
Get to fresh air immediately if you start to feel sick, weak or dizzy. CO poisoning from exposure to generator exhaust can quickly lead to incapacitation and death.
Last year, CPSC mandated a new danger label on generators manufactured after May 14, 2007. The label states that, "Using a generator indoors CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES."
FEMA and CPSC also caution people to never use charcoal for cooking in the home. Every year individuals lose their lives attempting to cook with charcoal when power is out. Charcoal fires should only be used outside of the home.
For more information, please visit these pages on the CPSC and U.S. Fire Administration Web sites:
SCHEDULE ISSUES STALL WASHINGTON TWP FIREFIGHTER CONTRACT TALKS
NJ.COM - December 19, 2007 - WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - Just over a year after the township dissolved its fire district and took control of the department, township officials have yet to reach an agreement on a new contract with the firefighters' union.
Negotiations have been ongoing since the union's previous contract expired at the end of 2006, but the parties have been unable to resolve a dispute over the number of hours the firefighters work per week.
That disagreement has held up related talks regarding salaries and benefits, and the union filed for arbitration with the state Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) last month, according to Brendan O'Donnell, president of the 19-member Washington Township Uniformed Firefighters' Association.
After the union's old contract expired, the township's new Divi sion of Fire implemented temporary working conditions that de creased the down time between the firefighters' 24-hour on-duty shifts from 72 to 48 hours.
O'Donnell criticized the temporary arrangement, saying the township "disregarded" the previous contract and "unilaterally imple mented" conditions that were not negotiated by the union.
"They chose not to recognize our (previous) contract ... so this is where we're at," O'Donnell said. The union has been "trying to get our old contract back, as a starting point" at the very least, he added.
Township attorney Mark Roselli, who has been negotiating on behalf of the Division of Fire, said the township made changes to the previous contract in order to reduce high overtime costs and make the fire department more financially ef ficient.
Firefighters had so much time off in between shifts that some of them worked second jobs, Roselli said.
But the president of the union contends the extra work has strained the firefighters.
In other townships, shifts of 24 hours on-duty and 48 hours off- duty can be effective because firefighters who work at that rate can accumulate extra hours each week and use them for overtime or days off, O'Donnell said.
But in Washington, O'Donnell said, those days off are nearly impossible to take because the already-tight Division of Fire is "constantly running on minimum staffing."
Roselli pointed out that the sides could still agree to terms be fore an arbitrator conducts a formal hearing on the issue, which might take "up to another six months."
"It's not uncommon" for labor disputes involving public employees and their employers "to go to arbitration,
The state PERC will appoint an arbitrator if the two sides do not agree on a neutral party.
That arbitrator could then conduct informal meetings to try to broker an agreement before a formal hearing and a final ruling on the dispute, according to Don Ho rowitz, deputy general counsel for PERC.
SUIT CLAIMS TOWNSHIP VILOATED OPRA RULES
THE MESSENGER-PRESS - September 20, 2007 - WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (Mercer County) - An open government advocate has filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court in Trenton against Washington, claiming the township has violated the Open Public Records Act.
John Paff, chairman of the state Libertarian Party’s Open Government Task Force, filed the lawsuit Aug. 28, claiming that minutes he requested from the Oct. 26, 2006 executive session meeting held by the Township Council were, at first, “redacted too heavily.”
He also claimed that upon seeing the unredacted minutes of that meeting, that the discussion held in private should have been held publicly.
During the executive session meeting, the township met with Joseph DiBella of Commerce Insurance — and mayor in Howell — where Mr. DiBella spoke about his company’s insurance services and what could be provided to the township if it were to sign a contract with the company.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Paff claims that the Open Public Meetings Act’s “pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiation” exception “does not allow for a public body to discuss contractual or litigation matters behind closed doors when the adverse party to the contract or litigation is also present at the meeting.”
Further, he claims that township officials should have only met regarding the litigation or contractual matter for the purposes of developing a negotiation or litigation strategy and Mr. DiBella’s proposal should have been made in public.
”It’s totally opposite of what the Open Public Meetings Act intends,” Mr. Paff said in a phone interview last week. “Both sides ... know what’s going on and the only people being left in the dark is the public. It’s almost a perversion of the OPRA exception.”
He also claimed the resolution the council passed to go into that executive session did not give sufficient explanation as to what topics were going to be discussed privately in that meeting.
Mr. Paff said that he first requested the executive session meeting minutes in April and received a copy of those minutes with much of the information obscured.
In a letter to Mr. Paff in April, Township Clerk Michele Auletta explained that “since a party involved in the contract negotiations is the subject of potential litigation with the township and includes matters discussed with the municipal attorney constituting attorney client privilege” pursuant to state law, the minutes she sent him for the meeting were redacted.
But Mr. Paff said he pushed for the unredacted version of the meeting and an explanation for the redactions.
According to documentation provided by Mr. Paff, Ms. Auletta wrote that they were redacted because the township had not made a decision regarding the health benefits broker at that time. However, since the matter had been resolved, she sent a copy of the unredacted minutes to him in July.
Township Attorney Mark Roselli said last week that the township had not yet been served with the lawsuit papers, but that he expected them soon.
He said he disagrees with Mr. Paff’s claims.
”(There were) contract negotiations going on, and the idea was that they were listening to a vendor, and the reason why you do that in closed session is so that you don’t allow other vendors to know what this other vendor’s giving because that gives them an unfair competition,” Mr. Roselli said. “I liken it to a public bid. When you solicit bids, they’re sealed bids and nobody knows what the other person’s doing, an that’s how they get the best competition.”
Further, Mr. Roselli said that at the appropriate time, the municipality discloses the name of the successful bidder. In this case, the vendor in the closed session didn’t even get the contract, he added.
He said the township will be filing an answer as soon as it is served with the lawsuit.
Mr. Paff said he filed the lawsuit because there is widespread noncompliance with the Open Public Meetings Act.
”Corruption is more likely to occur behind closed doors and that’s why it’s important all this stuff should be done in public,” he said.
However, while Mr. Roselli said he can appreciate what he is trying to accomplish, “I don’t know this is the best method in doing it when you’re utilizing precious resources for the municipality, especially in this one where we try to be as open as possible.”
Click here for a copy of the original complaint filed by Mr. Paff.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP FACES LAWSUIT
TRENTON TIMES - September 12, 2007 - Washington Township has been hit with a lawsuit over its open public records policies.
John Paff, an open government advocate for the New Jersey Libertarian Party, recently sued the township council in Superior Court claiming it violated the Open Pub lic Records Act by failing to properly comply with his request for the minutes of an executive session held on Oct. 26.
Paff claimed the minutes the township clerk sent in response to his request were so heavily edited as to be meaningless.
Later, after a letter and another OPRA request, Paff received a copy of the minutes of that meeting which were not blacked out.
But Paff also claimed in his suit that the council met with Joseph DiBella, a vice president for Cherry Hill-based Commerce Bank Insurance Services, behind closed doors concerning health insurance coverage for township employees when that meeting should have been open to the public.
"I haven't seen such a clear example of apparently using the contract exception of OPRA so the only people being kept in the dark are the public," Paff said. "DiBella is the mayor of Howell Township (in addition to working for the insurer). He's a public official. He ought to know you are supposed to meet for contract negotiations as a huddle to figure out your strategy, not to sit in the room with a contractor. The idea is to keep this se cret from your adversary not to keep the public in the dark."
DiBella said he spoke to the council on "matters of negotiation which needed to be conducted in a confidential matter so as not to compromise the position of the municipality. The township is represented by counsel. It would be the township attorney's responsibility to determine that, not its benefit adviser. The township has a municipal attorney who is well versed in what should or should not take place in closed session."
Mark Roselli, the township lawyer, said parts of minutes had been redacted because they concerned potential litigation. Once it was determined there would not be litigation, "Whatever information we had was released (to Paff)," Roselli said. And "as to the open session versus closed session, we have a disagreement.
Roselli said the township has not yet been served with the lawsuit and he does not remember the specific incident regarding DiBella but believes it involved contract negotiations.
Paff, meanwhile, has sued several other municipalities over open public records issues, including Key Point Borough, Medford and Toms River.
Paff said he performs random checks to ensure OPRA is being upheld
"Most (municipalities) are not doing what they are supposed to do," Paff said.
Regarding the heavily blacked out minutes he was first given by Washington Township, Paff said, "I don't know why they redacted everything out. Why in the world are they redacting this stuff?"
Paff said his main reason for filing the lawsuit is to obtain a court ruling to put Washington Township and other municipal governments in Mercer County on notice that they must follow OPRA.
"Just basically a declaration (by a judge) is the most important thing," he said. "It helps provide guidance to everyone else in Mercer County. All the people in the surrounding towns are going to say, 'My council does the same thing.' It helps ensure there is better compliance."
FIREFIGHTER FACES PROBE IN REQUEST FOR RECORDS
TRENTON TIMES - February 18, 2007 - The township is investigating whether a firefighter disobeyed township rules when he made contact with the state's Records Committee.
Last month, the township gained approval from the state's Records Committee to destroy 12 documents dated from 1996 to 2006, including two records that firefighter Ed Haemmerle had requested last year through the Open Public Records Act.
The two documents were e-mails written by Township Administrator Mary Caffrey from her home computer and sent to Mayor David Fried. Saying the records were protected by the First Amendment, the township refused to release the e-mails. Since then, the Government Records Council has made a preliminary ruling the e-mails are public, and a final hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28.
When Karl Niederer, secretary for the Records Committee, found out last week that the records were the subject of pending litigation, he revoked the township's permission to destroy the documents because the request was "under an apparently false certification."
Concerned that Haemmerle may have contacted the Records Committee about the documents, instead of handling the matter solely with the township, Fire Chief Kevin Brink said he met with township administrators and is conducting an investigation to determine whether Haemmerle should be disciplined.
"We're making sure that he followed the guidelines and chain of command," Brink said. The township's biggest concern, Brink said, is that Haemmerle allegedly falsely accused the municipal clerk Michelle Auletta of acting illegally.
"Clearly, a false inference was made that Michelle was doing something wrong," said township attorney Mark Roselli. "Mr. Haemmerle is a township employee. And like all township employees who don't follow the rules and regulations, the township is obligated to investigate and discipline if necessary."
If Haemmerle is disciplined, he will have the right to appeal to both Caffrey and Fried. Because they might have to make a decision on Haemmerle's actions, both declined comment.
Haemmerle said he could not comment about the documents or the state reversing its decision on whether the records could be destroyed. Fearing he would lose his job, Haemmerle said he also couldn't comment about the investigation.
Destroying records is a routine procedure that occurs about every six months, Auletta said. According to state law NJSA 47:3-15, municipalities have been allowed to destroy certain documents after their "administrative fiscal and legal value" have expired, since 1924.
"Could you imagine how many pieces of paper have been created since 1924? Where would we store it all?" Auletta said. "There's only so much space, and the more documents you have, the more money it costs to keep it all stored."
Municipal clerks must take courses in public records before they can receive certification, and state law also requires acting clerks to take additional records courses each year.
Auletta said the township is now allowed to destroy 10 of the 12 documents, but has agreed to preserve the two e-mails that will be reviewed at the next Government Record's Council meeting Feb. 28.
The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. in the Department of Community Affairs building, 101 S. Broad St. in Trenton.
WASHINGTON TWP. OFFICIAL RELEASES CONTENTIOUS E-MAIL
TRENTON TIMES - February 1, 2007 - Business Administrator Mary Caffrey has relented -- partly -- in her struggle to retain control of two e- mail messages sent during a dispute over control of the town's fire and emergency services.
Yesterday morning Caffrey re leased an e-mail message she for warded to Mayor David Fried and Jodi Stephens, a vice president of the Parent-Teacher Association, on Jan. 28, 2006.
That e-mail was originally from township firefighter Ed Haemmerle and the forwarded copy contained Caffrey's comments written on top. Haemmerle had sought to obtain an uncensored copy of that e-mail with Caffrey's notes.
He also sought to obtain a second e-mail Caffrey sent to Fried on Jan. 27, 2006.
In the released message, Caffrey had written "This makes me so mad! But I shouldn't comment," atop Haemmerle's e-mail titled "Washington Twp: Did You Know?" which the firefighter had originally sent to residents to gain support for the fire district's budget. The e-mail listed facts and figures about the district's staff and services.
Caffrey also had written that a letter by Stephens countering some of the firefighters' arguments should be widely distributed.
Seven months ago, Haemmerle sought access to the two e-mail messages through the Open Public Records Act. Contending the e- mails were protected by the state Constitution and First Amendment, the township denied the request. Haemmerle later filed a complaint with the state Government Records Council, whose executive director has stated the township unlawfully withheld the documents. A final ruling is scheduled for Feb. 28.
Fearing the Records Council's decision could set a precedent causing public officials to lose a measure of privacy in their correspondence, Caffrey released the Jan. 28 message. That message was sent from her home computer.
"I chose to release the e-mail to render the GRC's recommendation moot and to avoid the precedent that all of my personal e-mail is fair game," Caffrey said.
The Records Council has indi cated that the township council should make a determination whether to release the second e- mail message.
FIREMEN ESTABLISH SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO HONOR YOUNG EPILEPTIC
THE TRENTONIAN - June 5, 2006 - Washington Township - Inspired by the courage of a young epileptic, township firemen and medics have established a scholarship in the name of Alexander Arcuri, 13, who died on May 1.
As his seizures worsened over five years, the boy came to be well known by local rescue crewmen, who were always impressed by his calm in the face of high adversity.
His mother, Regina Arcuri, and Jason Belmont of the township firefighters’ association told the story of the aspiring doctor in interviews with The Trentonian last week.
Through all his medical challenges, Arcuri said, her son was brave and often told those around him that everything was going to be okay.
"God gives you what you can handle," she said. "I raised him by myself, and he was a really good kid. He was a great guy."
Said Belmont: "It is a huge honor to do this on Alexander’s behalf. We knew that Alexander wasn’t worried about his illness because he felt taken care of by us, which is a huge part of why we want to put it in his name."
Arcuri said her son never had much recollection of his seizure episodes. "However, he sometimes recalled, with a smile on his face, seeing men in blue helping him with bright lights above. It was a nice memory for him because he knew he was well taken care of."
The men in blue were, of course, the firefighters and medics of the Washington Township Fire Department responding to the mother’s many calls to 911 following a seizure.
"It was on numerous occasions when Alexander was in a life-threatening situation, that I anxiously listened for their sirens, signaling they were closely approaching," said Arcuri.
"As they rushed through my home to desperately reach my son, I was comforted by all the familiar faces. I recognized each one and was comforted knowing he was in the best of care because they showed such passion for what they do, which was obvious in their every move."
The familiar faces were not the only thing that eased Arcuri’s mind, but it was the mere fact that the firefighters were familiar with Alexander’s medical situation.
That’s why, the mother added, she’s opposed to Mayor Dave Fried’s idea about scrapping the current system and opting for medics that would be called in as needed.
It was the collective knowledge that the firefighters had, that helped her son during his seizures, Arcuri said.
"The Washington Township firefighters’ quick response is probably why he was able to survive another five months," she said. "I believe I was given the past five months with my son because of their heroic efforts."
The firefighters always knew Alexander’s name when they walked to the door, which Arcuri said was comforting to both herself and her son.
"When I opened the door, they were the men who rushed to my son’s aid, knowing to look in the kitchen for his medications, who remember where my sneakers were kept, handing them to me so I could go to the hospital and made sure I had his medical history documentation," she said.
"These were the same men that gently scooped my son off the floor, cradling him safely in their arms as they carried him to their ambulance."
The scholarship fund has already reached $2,200. Belmont said it’s intended to help many students in the future.
The fireman said the help will be directed to students of the Pond Road Middle School and Robbinsville High School, especially any youngsters interested in studying medicine.
"We know that Alexander was interested in being a doctor," said Belmont. "We are leaning towards those who are pursuing a career in health care."
"It is an honor and great privilege to be thought of during Regina’s hard time," said Belmont. "Our condolences go out to the family."
SEX OFFERED AS PARTY PERK AT CONVENTION
ASBURY PARK PRESS - August 6, 2007 - Visitors to Duke Steffer's suite at Bally's Hotel and Casino in
But guests at other private parties held during the annual League of Municipalities Conference were offered spicier "party favors" — sex with women — according to the FBI.
"Were there private parties in rooms where girls were provided?" says FBI Special Agent Bill Waldie. "Yes."
"(The women) were provided by vendors, developers, business professionals with public contracts, and those seeking them. Some (women), the guys asked for. And some just showed up as a surprise," Waldie said.
Waldie says the women engaged in sex with guests, including
"It would shock you," he says. "It was a lot of (Monmouth) officials (with) girls, strippers, hookers, multiple people having sex. Two guys with one girl, three guys with one girl."
And the sexual encounters were not limited to the
Waldie says that, once back in
The agent will not identify the officials who engaged in sexual activities and notes that no charges have been made in connection with the episodes.
"But a lot of them did it," he says. "Not all, but a lot."
THE BEN FRANKLIN DANCE
BY ALAN BRUNACINI
Re-Printed from Fire Engineering Magazine - July, 2007 - We have discussed in the past few issues the subject of managing fireground intelligence. A big part of how we gather and use this intelligence is to act out our basic traditional community conservation-based role. That role was established by our founding fathers (early 1700s) to rescue people and protect their possessions when threatened by a fire. We are still guided by that original mission that directs us to quickly interrupt a damaging problem with a conserving response. The basic deal we make with the customer is short and sweet without a lot of fine print or maybes: Simply, when we become a firefighter, we promise Mrs. Smith that we will physically put our body in between her and the incident problem when she calls us for help. This is the most fundamental way we act out our basic conservation mission. To keep the promise, we must always be ready to take on a full variety of problems that range from very? quiet? situations where we sit with and reassure someone who is scared, upset, confused, or just plain deranged to our directly and very actively engaging an extremely violent fire situation that requires that we quickly create a counteracting amount of violent, tactical firefighting force to control and overpower the fire. These situations that range from supportive presence to battlefield action requires us to be extremely versatile (personally) and highly agile (organizationally) so that we can quickly and effectively connect the appropriate conserving response to whatever is consuming Mrs. Smith?s safety and security.
In the very beginning, our founding fathers (Ben Franklin, et al.) recruited tall, hyperactive young lads who typically had a slight attention deficit and episodic personalities (so they would voluntarily and enthusiastically “run” into burning buildings). The recruiters instructed these young firefighters to respond as quickly as they could, establish a water source, get as physically close to the fire as possible, and immediately apply water directly on whatever was burning-the genesis of “wet stuff on red stuff. ”This beginning routine became (and still is) the “Ben Franklin Dance.” There is a straight, powerful, uninterrupted traditional line from that beginning to this very second. In spite of all the modern, space-age technical improvements, we are still dancing the very same attack-oriented dance step that Ben originally taught us in 1739. Those brave souls who get up in the morning and think they are going to change the “fire service culture” are going to be tired (and probably disappointed) buckaroos by quitting time, because they have attempted in one day to redirect 263 years of the most potent, peer-driven, action-oriented occupational socialization that has ever occurred.
Based on our original conservation-oriented mission, the foundation of our business is harm management: We must prevent harm before it occurs, stop harm that is underway, and assist in recovering from harm that has already occurred (proact/react/rehab). Protecting humans and conserving their physical resources are the reasons we exist as a service. Everything we do must be directed to always being ready and able to physically assist/save the people, places, and things being threatened by some harm-producing hazard, problem, or situation (cops do social threats). How willing and able we are to physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially serve our customers (i.e., fit for duty) becomes the basis for how we then add value to our core service. Core service is what gets us in the door; added value is the “nice” part of our contact with the customers and is what they remember the most (Nice = respect, patience, consideration, kindness/people, pets, pictures, pills).We must always remember that the only thing we produce is service; we don’t manufacture widgets or have a factory full of machines. There is no fire department warehouse full of service. All of our business is retail, so we must deliver help to our customers one call at a time. These timeless fire service conservation efforts create the focus of the where, what, when, how, and why of our tactical operations. Our consistent response and effective performance create the conservation of community confidence that when you have a problem, you know someone from the “government” (us) will respond and actually help you-no forms, applications, or mindless bureaucrats, just one quick, easy, three-number call. We ask you two basic questions: “Where are you?” and “What’s the matter?” and Bingo! we are out the door on Big Red, haulin’ down Main Street to do whatever is required to make your bad day go away. The first rule of life is showing up, and we always show up.
We typically respond, arrive, and find (i.e., inherit) fire conditions that range on a standard scale (see May column) from minor to severe. We describe these conditions tactically in terms of standard critical fireground factors. Each situation has its own special mixture of critical factors, and this combination creates the basic profile for that incident. Although each incident is made up of its own special (different) combination of factors, the factors themselves are recurrent and standard. The way we learn to evaluate incident conditions and decide how to operate tactically on each situation with its own factors emerges from our basic understanding of the details and dynamics of the critical factors and the conditions they create and, most importantly, how we can effectively respond to those standard conditions. Our basic objective is to convert out-of-control conditions (hot) to under control (cold). A critical fireground factor involves an understanding of the various areas of involvement and how conservation efforts are tactically applied to those areas to rescue people and save their stuff.
ALAN BRUNACINI recently retired as chief of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department. He and his sons own the fire service Web site bshifter.com.
PFANJ - NJFOP FILE PENSION PROTECTION ACTION IN STATE SUPERIOR COURT
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President Canzanella with NJ
Fraternal Order |
PFANJ - On Tuesday, October 4, 2005, the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey partnered with the New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police in the implementation of a lawsuit filed in Superior Court of the State of New Jersey calling into the question the legality of continued underfunding of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System. PFANJ President Tom Canzanella joined NJFOP President Ed Brannigan at a midday news conference conducted at the State House in Trenton for the formal announcement. Below is an excerpt from the press briefing.
The Police and Firemen's Retirement System of New Jersey (PFRS) held a surplus of approximately $938,000,000 in FY2000 drawing down to a deficit of approximately $3,574,000,000 for FY2004. This $4.5 billion dollar deterioration is largely the result of legislation (S-2586 of 2003) that permitted municipal employers of law enforcement officers and firefighters to defer and discount employer required contributions to the PFRS, in association with the State of New Jersey's own failure to make required contributions.
During this same time
frame, police officers and firefighters continued to make their
own statutorily required contributions totaling 8.5% of their
base annual salaries, one, if not the highest public safety employee
pension contribution rate in the Nation.
The State of New Jersey
and its municipalities were first relieved of their obligations
to make employer required
contributions in 1997, when legislation was enacted that revised
the method of accounting and valuing plan assets. Under this new
and more creative method of accounting, the value of PFRS assets
was purposely and substantially increased, resulting in intended
excess or more accurately, inflated assets.
Accordingly, the State and its municipalities used those enhanced assets as a manner in which to relieve themselves of their obligation to match employee contributions for the purpose of tax relief. Despite the "free ride" afforded to both the State and municipalities, police officers and firefighters remained obligated, and so did they continue, to contribute 8.5% of their base annual salaries for which they have neither sought nor been granted any similar relief.
In 2003, with those self-created inflated assets running dry, despite facing a growing PFRS deficit, and in order to provide continued budgetary relief to municipalities who had by their own admission made no provisions whatsoever to resume employer contributions, the State Treasurer proposed, and the Legislature adopted, an initiative (S-2586) permitting municipalities to pay only a discounted fraction of their required pension contributions.
Adding insult to injury, despite the fact that the foregoing legislation in no way extended the State a like ability to skip or discount badly needed pension contributions, they did so nonetheless, paying only a fraction of their required obligation. Again, and to this day as we go forward, police officers and their firefighter counterparts remain obligated to contribute 8.5% of their base annual salaries serving as the sole and sustaining guaranteed plan income.
As a result of the aforementioned
legislation, and in association with the States non-legislated
failure to required contributions, the PFRS funding ratio, which
indicates the financial soundness of the plan, has fallen from
105.65 % for FY2000, to 100.85% for FY2001, to 95.82% for FY2002,
to 88.45% for FY2003 and to 83.95% for FY2004.
Enactment of the 2003
legislation, in association with the State's failure to make their
own proper contributions absent legal legislative authority, deprives
the PFRS of the funds necessary to maintain it on a sound actuarial
reserve basis. An undeniable consequence of this failed scheme
is the alarmingly significant reduction in plan earnings from
investments and interest that would have been derived from skipped
and substandard contributions. The foregoing serving to jeopardize
the financial soundness of the plan and its ability to make good
on earned benefits as they come due in the future. In that regard,
the complete and total lack of prudent fiscal judgment demonstrated
by the strategy articulated in S-2586, relying upon the exclusive
use of employee contributions to either sustain or accordingly
grow the plan, that resulted in the type of significant funding
losses sustained over the last several years represents an abdication
of fiduciary responsibilities in its purest form.
The complaint seeks
to declare the 2003 legislation (S-2586) unconstitutional, to
end any conflict of interest that would allow the State Treasurer
to determine type and variety of contributions aside from statutory
law, and to direct defendants to make regular full payments to
the PFRS for FY2004, FY2005, and beyond, in accordance with fiscally
responsible actuarial calculations.
The plaintiffs, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, I.A.F.F.-AFL-CIO, and the New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police, along with representative active and retired members and widows of members of these two unions who have been affected by this failure to adequately fund the plan, are represented by the law firm of Greenberg, Dauber, Epstein & Tucker of Newark.
The PFANJ/IAFF and NJFOP
represent the majority of career professional firefighters and
law enforcement officers throughout the State of New Jersey and
this Nation.
Named as defendants in this action are the State of New Jersey, John McCormac-Treasurer, the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly.
