By Nicole Radzievich
Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2007 The Morning Call, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Bethlehem Fire Lt. Joseph Chernaskey swore Monday to uphold the duties of a position he never envisioned when he joined the department 17 years ago: chief fire inspector.
Chernaskey’s goal had been to move up the ranks and become a lieutenant before his father, a former deputy fire commissioner, died. But until just a few years ago, fire inspector did not merit officer rank. That changed when the city decided it needed to attract firefighters to inspect hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of proposed development and keep up the annual inspections of existing buildings.
With the enticement of more money, more firefighters were attracted to the job, and they slowly chipped away at a backlog of inspections that reached as much as 2,200 inspections just three years ago.
“This is a whole different job,” said Chernaskey, who had served as an inspector for a year. “If we do our jobs correctly, that means fewer fires, and we make it safer for our guys when they do have to go into a burning building.”
Chernaskey will lead the five inspectors — the largest number in the city’s history — in checking new and old buildings for smoke detectors, sprinklers and other fire-safety regulations as the city welcomes projects such as the 17- to 18-story North Street Tower, the redevelopment of Martin Tower and a casino at the old Bethlehem Steel plant.
The number of fire inspectors for years had been a source of concern for Bethlehem, which had a backlog of inspections. By 2004, only one of four fire inspector positions was filled, and the city was having a hard time recruiting candidates. When inspections are not done in a timely manner, it can cost money for developers by delaying construction and also for the city, hungry for new tax dollars since losing a chunk of its tax base with the closing of Bethlehem Steel.
“It was difficult to fill those positions and have people stay there,” Mayor John Callahan said. “They are always busy, and there is no opportunity for overtime [like firefighters have]. That’s a hard sell when you can make more working the line.”
In 2005, the city changed that, making inspectors a ranked position. Fire Commissioner George Barkanic said he hasn’t had a problem keeping the inspector positions filled since.
“It worked,” he said. “We haven’t had a problem keeping four positions filled.”
The city took less than a month to swear in a fifth fire inspector after City Council approved it for this year’s budget. Deven Knoll and John Spatig were named lieutenant inspectors, taking the fifth inspector’s position and the one vacated by Chernaskey’s appointment. Chernaskey replaced Thomas J. Falvey, a 40-year veteran who retired as chief inspector in December.
Falvey, who had been an inspector since 1985, advocated against opening up the inspector position to ranked firefighters because it limited the pool from which an inspector could be picked.
“I guess time will tell if it works,” he said.
Fire inspectors accounted for three of the seven firefighters sworn in Monday at the Rotunda at Bethlehem City Hall. Stephen Smola, Jamie Croll, Joseph Horn and Lucas Fuller took the oath to be a firefighter.