By Richard Weir
The Boston Herald
BOSTON — The controversial “brownout” of three Boston firehouses yesterday turned into an election-year firestorm, with one mayoral hopeful accusing Mayor Thomas M. Menino of playing politics with public safety.
“Open the firehouses,” said City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michael Flaherty, who has been endorsed by the Boston firefighters union. “Tom Menino has let his fight with the firefighters get in the way of public safety.”
Flaherty joined about 75 firefighters, union leaders and local residents for a press conference at Engine 20 in Dorchester, where the rig — which normally responds to accidents on the nearby Expressway — sat idle yesterday.
Peter Walsh, 57, who was pulled from his burning house Friday night, and Edward Sullivan, 76, who was given oxygen after suffering a near fatal aneurysm nine years ago, spoke out, saying they owed their lives to Engine 20.
The Dorchester station, along with Engine 56 in East Boston and Ladder 18 in South Boston, were “browned out” as part of a crackdown on overtime that swelled to $14 million last fiscal year.
Under the new plan, division commanders are to close up to four companies citywide per shift if too many firefighters bang in sick.
Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser defended the move, saying the department has a “problem of sick leave abuse.”
He said yesterday’s “brownouts” were triggered when 33 firefighters called in sick — a figure the union strongly disputed, contending only 12 jakes called in.
“Come to work, do your job and we will not need brownouts,” Fraser said.
Mayoral candidate Sam Yoon backed the cost-saving measure, arguing it reins in overtime spending. But mayor hopeful Kevin McCrea said, “This is another show of Menino’s vindictiveness.”
On D Street in South Boston, firefighters displayed a plywood sign that read: “Ladder 18 closed per order of Menino.” They stood in a steady rain explaining to residents such as Anne Larkin, 75, why the fire company was out of service.
“It’s terrible. Why is he doing this?” she said, noting that a home for seniors is only two blocks away.
John Dunlap, Menino’s labor relations director, who has been locked in a bitter contract dispute with firefighters since 2006, noted that so far this year jakes on average have logged an average of 76.8 hours of sick time compared to 42.7 for police officers.
Countered union head Edward Kelly: “People get sick. We have over 600 firefighters who report” for duty every day.
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald Inc.