See a full video below.
The City of Newburgh is considering the creation of a new Fire Commissioner post to oversee the Fire Department’s rank and file. They also discussed that adding volunteer firefighters to the department is not currently an option.
During a work session on Thursday night, the Newburgh City Council discussed creating the new post and making other legal changes to wording in the City Code regarding the Fire Department’s organizational structure. See a video of the Council’s discussion below.
The next step is for the City Council to meet on Monday night, February 13, 2023, and vote whether to schedule public hearings on the matters. If approved, the public hearings will be held during their next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, February 27, 2023.
The City of Newburgh Fire Department is currently led by the rank of a Fire Chief. Under the proposal, the Chief’s position would remain in place, as would all of the line staff. A new Commissioner would become the head of the department.
In 2021, the City Council made a similar move with the City of Newburgh Police Department. The agency had previously been led by a Police Chief, but the Council implemented a Police Commissioner title above the rank of Chief.
The City Council spent nearly ten minutes discussing the Fire Department during Thursday night’s work session.
City officials discussed that job descriptions, conditions of employment, and other items currently listed in the City Code are already included in the unionized firefighters’ Collective Bargaining Agreement and are redundant. Those items are proposed to be removed in an effort to streamline the process.
Councilman Anthony Grice explained, “There are going to be some predictable comments or questions that are going to be made, so I think it’s going to be very important that we are clear with the community and all of those interested parties about why this is coming about.”
Councilwoman Ramona Monteverde stated, “I support this. I know that a long time ago, the Mayor recommended this.” At the time, the City had more pressing issues and she was too new to act on it without more information, she stated.
“I clearly understand the need for this,” Monteverde continued. “It obviously has worked out great with the Police Department having the Commissioner and this makes total sense to me now.”
Councilman Omari Shakur added, “I agree with both of them. No comment!”
Mayor Torrance Harvey echoed, “Good job. No comment.”
Grice emphasized that communication with the community is going to be “very, very important, especially because this issue deals with public safety and there has been some misinformation that has been put out to the public.”
Following this meeting, another media outlet falsely published that the Council is taking steps to bring volunteer firefighters into the City of Newburgh Fire Department, despite the Council addressing this issue in length and clarifying a wording issue in the City Code that triggered curiosity.
Councilman Bob Sklarz asked about a proposed change to the City Code in which the word “paid” is crossed out. “What should we read into that – paid fire department?” Sklarz asked.
City officials discussed that the City of Newburgh Fire Department had a completely different configuration approximately 50 years ago and may have contained some volunteers. Once the City moved into a fully paid firefighter role, the word “paid” in the City Code has become “unnecessary” because all compensation is collectively bargained through contract negotiations in accordance with the Taylor Law.
City officials reiterated that volunteer firefighters cannot be brought into the department under laws, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements.
City of Newburgh Firefighters IAFF Local 589, the union representing the city’s firefighters, lashed out at the idea of creating a new Fire Commissioner. The union says the proposal is “out of touch” with the department’s needs and does not put any additional firefighters into burning buildings.
The City currently staffs one pumper and one ladder truck with a few firefighters apiece to cover all emergency calls. Last year, the City of Newburgh Fire Department answered 3,172 emergencies.
The union said that the department is operating at 50% of the national standard to respond to a fire even in a small house. The department currently operates with seven firefighters on duty. The incident commander and the drivers of both apparatus cannot go inside of a fire, leaving just four firefighters inside of burning infernos. In the event of an active fire, the four firefighters attempt to rescue victims and contain the fire while waiting for other municipalities to come in and help them.
The issue became a hot topic during several City Council meetings last year when a mother was killed in a house fire on Lander Street on June 15, 2022 (story here). Many members of the public turned out at several meetings to scold the Council for firefighter cutbacks.
During those meetings, Harvey erupted screaming at the public when they scolded their elected officials during the public comment sections. Harvey kicked out some members of the public and censored others from speaking once they accused the Council of causing the woman’s death by understaffing the Fire Department. The censorship drew further public criticism when some claimed the Mayor was violating their Constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom to redress their grievances with elected public servants.
Meanwhile, City of Newburgh firefighters responded to a house fire on Harvey’s street last month and he was quick to offer praise. “I simply want to say thank you to our City of Newburgh Firefighters,” Harvey gushed the day of the fire. “They were very professional and tactical today while extinguishing an attic fire on my street today!”
