By Beth Beer Cuddy
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)
Copyright 2006 Post-Standard
All Rights Reserved
An entire shift of the Auburn Fire Department attended a graduation party Saturday while on duty.
Auburn resident Jerry Morgan took photographs of the pumper truck, hook and ladder truck, rescue truck and the on-duty chief’s sport utility vehicle parked on Van Anden Street.
Morgan plans to present those photographs at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
In a written statement, Morgan called the firefighters’ behavior “a slap in the face to the taxpayers.” Morgan also criticized what he says is the lack of accountability in the fire department, according to the statement.
The party was for a daughter of the late fire Capt. William Petrosino, who died March 15. Petrosino joined the department in 1987.
Acting Fire Chief Terry Winslow said the number of vehicles at the party showed poor judgment.
The department’s shift, by contract, requires a minimum of 15 firefighters on duty.
“I can understand why they did it, but not to that extent,” Winslow said. “She’s one of ours, a little more so with her father passed away. I imagine they wanted to do the right thing.”
Winslow said Monday he would talk with the shift that was responsible.