By James A. Kimble
The Eagle-Tribune
SALEM, Mass. — The deputy fire chief job, vacant since January, could likely stay that way into next year even though the person who fills that position oversees 70 percent of the department’s business as head of the ambulance service.
How to fill the position has led to a difference of opinion between Town Manager Jonathan Sistare and fire Chief Kevin Breen.
Sistare eliminated $31,500 for the post, which pays about $116,000 annually in salary and benefits, as part of his 2010 budget plan. He did it as a cost-savings measure and proposed using the remaining money from the position to hire an administrative assistant.
The Fire Department’s proposed budget for 2010 is roughly $8.2 million, a 1.2 percent increase from this year.
Selectmen approved the change Wednesday, saying afterward that they hope Sistare and Breen can work out a compromise to delegate the deputy chief’s duties.
Selectman Michael Lyons said he wanted to give Sistare a chance to see if he could make it work by redistributing responsibilities among the management team.
“My opinion is that I think we should give the manager an opportunity to pursue this direction,” Lyons said. “If they choose to go in another direction with it (later), so be it. But I am not opposed to funding the position in the future, but we should give the manager an opportunity to make it work.”
Breen told the selectmen this week he couldn’t in good conscience hire an assistant to fill a senior management-level job responsible for overseeing rank-and-file rescue workers.
The deputy chief job was held by Michael Wallace, who retired Jan. 1.
Breen said overseeing the ambulance service is no easy task. It has brought more than $1 million in revenue to the town since hiring a collection agency to handle delinquent bills last year.
“I think it makes complete sense if we’re going to have someone in charge of fire suppression, and someone in charge of fire prevention, then we should have someone in charge of our EMS service,” Breen said.
“This can’t be an administrative assistant position,” he said. “The perception this is just a paperwork position is wrong. It’s responsible for a major functional area of the department.”
The department is now operating without its two deputy chiefs. It eliminated a deputy chief’s position two years ago when the town called for department heads to scale back. Roughly $100,000 was saved, Breen said.
Sistare told the selectmen this week it’s difficult to find a quality candidate for the position because rank-and-file firefighters can earn more in their jobs than a deputy chief. He said part of the work for the deputy chief’s job could probably be done by an assistant while oversight would fall to Breen, Assistant Chief Paul Parisi and Fire Marshal Jeffrey Emanuelson.
Breen agreed that finding a qualified candidate willing to take a pay cut is difficult. A deputy chief’s pay starts at $62,000 and tops out at about $77,000 after four years. A line captain is paid roughly $61,000 but can earn up to $10,000 more through the incentives in union contracts. And that does not count the potential for overtime.
Breen said the department has made extra efforts to cut costs and boost revenues.
Copyright 2009
The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Massachusetts)