The MVFD Is Not Being Honest?

“He [ Mr. St. John ] dragged his feet in 2002 , not giving us the right 

equpment…the Fire Dept had all specifications ready [ in 2002 ]

This is a strange thing to say because according to the Fire Commission 

Perrotti still did not the specifications ready as late as 2006 when the Fire 

Commission wanted to take action.

Somebody is not being honest. We wonder who.”

Mr. DeAngelis is saying that the Fire Chief and the Fire Department are not being honest.  The MVFD has the original Engine 2 drawing that is dated 2002. The above photo is the cover page of a revised spec.  Please note the date is February 11, 2003. The Fire Commission was formed in the Spring of 2006, four years after the original drawing.

As far as the Fire Commission’s involvement, again you get it wrong.  The Fire Commission never asked for any spec until April of 2007. The  April 18, 2007 Republican/American article reported that the “Fire Commission will review the Fire Department’s specifications for equipment and retain the services of the fire consultant.”  See http://www.middleburyfire.org/spec1.pdf.

This in itself illustrates how ineffective the Fire Commission was.  It was established in June of 2006. The Department was told that there would be no decision regarding apparatus replacement until September of that year.  (As reported by the Republican/American.)  By April 2007, no decision. Even the minutes of the January 28, 2008 Fire Commission reflect that they had still made no decision. It has been the MVFD’s contention that one of the main purposes of  the establishment of the Fire Commission by Elaine Strobel and Ed St. John was to derail the entire apparatus replacement process.

It worked.  It is now June 2008 and no apparatus has been ordered and Middlebury faces the daunting reality that there are now four pieces of apparatus over the age of 20 years old.

You are right Mr. DeAngelis, someone is not being honest, but it is certainly not the MVFD.