Foreshadowing Of Things To Come?

The town of Monroe is looking into borrowing $6 million with over $3 million going to be spent for replacing 6 pieces of old and outdated fire apparatus.  Sound familiar?  That is what is coming down the pike in Middlebury.  Currently, Middlebury has 4 pieces of apparatus over the age of 20 years.  

Engine 3  20 years old

Engine 4  21 years old 

Engine 2  27 years old

Rescue 1  30 years old

Engine 1 will be 20 years old in 3 years.  

The result will be higher taxes for all residents in Middlebury, including firefighters.  This all could have been avoided if Mr. St. John had kept his word back in 2003 when he proposed his “global plan” of replacing 3 pieces of fire apparatus. But instead, he let politics get in the way of public safety by blaming the MVFD for his Ph.D. woes when the Department was FOIed by Mr. DeAngelis.

In 2006 the Department appeared before the Selectmen with a “white paper”, proposing that a plan should be made to replace Engine 2 and Rescue 1. The white paper urged the BOS to make a decision before July 1st 2006, in order for the Town to save thousands of dollars in new emission standards as well as regular price increases.  

Instead of acting in the best interest of the Town and the Taxpayers, Mr. St. John and Ms. Strobel tried to punish the MVFD for not supporting them during the 2005 elections.  Unless you were politically aligned with Mr. St. John you apparently became his enemy.

Instead of voting to protect Middlebury residents Mr. St. John and Ms. Strobel voted to form a Fire Commission to look into apparatus replacement, and make a recommendation to the BOS.  

This was a stall technique that worked like a charm.  By the time the Fire Commission was disbanded in the Spring of 2008, they still had not made a solid recommendation to the BOS, even though they had promised one to the MVFD by September of 2006.

It was an exercise in futility as the MVFD had to stand by, fending off constant attacks from Mr. St. John’s office against the 67 year old organization.  

The end result is that the Town has old apparatus that will need to be replaced at prices much higher than they were in 2003. The taxpayers will have to pick up the tab, because of Mr. St. John’s vindictiveness.

This all could have been avoided.  If Mr. St. John had acted on his “global plan.” The Town would have only 1 piece of apparatus over the age of 20 years, not 4.  This is the price to be paid for allowing politics to interfere with public safety.

Read How Monroe will handle their problem, as printed in the July 9th, 2008 edition of Voices. From Voices:

"MONROE - The auditorium at Jockey Hollow School was almost filled with residents at a special town meeting to address borrowing almost $6 million.

Residents had expected to vote on the proposal at the town meeting, but petitions were circulated the previous week that resulted in the town meeting being adjourned to a referendum.

More than 400 signatures were collected on petitions; only 200 were required. However, residents were allowed to express opinions on the bonding and many spoke.

There are four areas that were addressed in the bonding:

1) The first area is the bonding of $1,985,000 for emergency radio infrastructure at $1,272,550. The subscriber units are $527,450; the generator is $25,000 and the data center move is $85,000.

2) Jockey Hollow fire station has failed heating, ventilation and air conditioning; the cost to replace is $55,000.

3) Emergency vehicle replacements, pickup trucks, ambulance, dump trucks, sanders and plows have a price tag of $980,000.

4) Six fire trucks add up to a total of $3,045,000.

Bonding costs are $160,000 in two installments.

First Selectman Tom Buzi emphasized that the borrowing was being done for the "safety of Monroe residents."

The emergency radio system is completely inefficient, he noted. Fire, police and EMS at accidents cannot communicate with each other in many sections of town, unless they are in "close proximity."

"If there were a school lockdown at Masuk High School, there would be no communication from the outside to the inside of the school," Mr. Buzi said.

The goal is to have a town-wide UHF interoperable radio communications system for all emergency and public service agencies. Included is a three-channel fire/rescue analog radio system with 95 percent portable radio coverage.

Also needed is an upgraded EMS radio system that allows interoperable radio communications with Monroe's police and fire services.

As far as communication within the schools, Mr. Buzi said that the town must provide emergency radio communications between schools and emergency service providers.

The Department of Public Works also has a system that must be upgraded for town-wide coverage.

"This is especially needed in winter when a plow breaks down and there is no phone service," Mr. Buzi said.

In addressing the Jockey Hollow Fire/EMS station, the first selectman noted that the building is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The current heating and cooling zones are not placed properly.

The thermostat in the day room EMS uses is in the fire control room, limiting access for changes. Several contractors were contacted to try to fix the problem and all said it could no longer be done.

Fire vehicles are in sad shape and are old. The Stepney pumpers, 27 and 29 years-old, would be replaced next year by one pumper at a cost of $452,613. The manufacturer is out of business and no parts are available.

The 19-year-old tower ladder must be replaced in 2010-11 for $939,631. The manufacturer went bankrupt and maintenance costs are escalating.

Monroe Fire Company has a 22-year-old pumper, also from a manufacturer who is out of business. No parts are available. It would be replaced in 2010-11 at a cost of $446,838.

Mr. Buzi said that in 2010 there will be a $5,000 to $7,000 increase in the cost of each unit because engine manufacturers have to meet stricter government standards of operation.

Stevenson has a 25-year-old pumper; the manufacturer also is out of business. The current engine already has been refurbished.

Replacement would be in 2009-10 at a cost of $440,380. The department tanker also must be replaced at Stevenson to increase water capacity at fires; the cost is $229,688.

Then there are vehicles that must be replaced. The Department of Public works needs to replace two 1991, six-wheeler trucks at a cost of $155,000 each.

The Parks and Recreation Department's 1997 dump truck, with snow plow, is "hanging together" and must be replaced. That is the truck that plows town hall and the library; a new one costs $45,000.

Emergency Medical Services needs to replace the 10-year-old ambulance for $72,000.

"We have $85,000 in reserve for this," Mr. Buzi said. "The police animal control vehicle is shot," and replacement will cost $25,000.

Residents Comment

Town Council member Tony Unger told the audience that he was a member of the Capital Projects Facilities Task Force, a bipartisan group that studied the needs of the town, especially the safety needs.

"We listened to volunteers and public officials many times and voted to bring the program forward."

Chris Kirze, vice president of the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department, said public safety would be improved, and it would cost only about $21 a year for each $100,000 assessment.

Michelle Mount offered what she termed "a unique perspective." She lives across from the Jockey Hollow Fire Department and explained why she chose to live near a fire station.

"On October 8, 1987, my home in Ansonia burned to the ground. Firemen tried to save it but couldn't. I never want to experience that feeling again." Both she and her husband are EMS volunteers in Monroe.

"Three dollars a month is worth having our first responders be there," she said.

Patty Ulitowski, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, said she "and the committee will do what it can to see this passes at the referendum."

Ken Wielk is a volunteer fireman and an EMS volunteer. He related a story of one ambulance that "died out" in Bridgeport when it was taking a 15-month-old baby to the hospital and the child was having trouble breathing.

"Let's step up to the plate and pass this," he said.

Chief George Lattanzi of the Monroe Fire Department said the department had equipment "from when Nixon was president. The radio system is 30- to 40-years old, and everything is needed greatly."

John Howe, with the Stevenson Fire Department, said one of his company's trucks is so old it can have an antique plate.

"We also have issues when we can't hear the radios." he said.

The referendum will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at all four polling places."