STAMFORD, Conn. Many Stamford volunteer firefighters spoke out at Tuesdays public comment session of the citys Charter Revision Committee to make sure their efforts would not be deterred if changes were made to the charter.
We are doing a huge favor for the city, said Lee Chevron, a North Stamford resident and volunteer with Long Ridge Fire Company.
If there is only one fire district, then there will be no volunteer assistance, said Seth Berger, president of the Turn of River Volunteer Fire Department, explaining why he does not want Stamford Fire & Rescue to cover the entire city.
Some who spoke at Tuesdays meeting disagreed with the volunteers. Paul Newman favors having one chief and having Stamford Fire & Rescue cover the entire city. Under the current system, there are six different chiefs with six different ways of service, he said.
With one chief you will have the same level of service across the city, said Newman, who was on a previous charter commission. He also said he did not want to get rid of the volunteers.
The charter commission does not have the power to determine the best fire service plan for the city. The commission only has the ability to make sure the charter does not restrict plans, said Jay Sandak, co-chairman of the commission.
We dont have our heads buried in the sand, Sandak said before Tuesdays public comment session. He said the commission understands the ongoing controversy over fire service in the city.
The Public Safety & Health/ Education/ Ethics Committee of the Charter Commission is examining four areas regarding fire service in the charter: changing or eliminating the current fire districts; expanding Stamford Fire & Rescues service to the entire city; having one fire chief in charge of the entire city; and preserving volunteer service.
The charter commission is a group of 15 volunteers assigned to review the citys current charter. The commission will then make recommendations to the Board of Representatives to approve and put on the ballot in November.
Stamfords charter can be found online on the citys website. For more information about the charter commission, visit its website.
Further comments and questions can be emailed to [email protected].
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