By Dave Wedge
The Boston Herald
BOSTON — The city has hired a pair of civilians to oversee the Boston Fire Department’s aging vehicle fleet in hopes of averting accidents like one in January that killed a veteran fire lieutenant.
“We welcome any measures that are going to ensure safety in our fleet,’' Boston firefighters Local 718 president Ed Kelly said. “The city has taken very little action to update our fleet. No action, actually.’'
Acting on recommendations from an outside consultant, the BFD has hired a fleet manager and a fleet safety officer, both of whom will begin work Monday. The pair will be in charge of vehicle safety and will hire a team of certified mechanics.
Both will be members of the BFD union and will make between $70,000 and $90,000. Money for the new hires already is in the department’s budget, as both will assume salary slots left unfilled by retirements, BFD spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
The aging fleet has become a major bone of contention between the union and Mayor Thomas M. Menino in the wake of the Jan. 9 death of Lt. Kevin Kelley. Kelley was a passenger in a ladder truck when the brakes apparently failed and the vehicle careened into a day-care center in Mission Hill.
The union’s Kelly, who has criticized the mayor for failing to replace old trucks, said firefighters continue to be hampered by vehicle woes. Two weeks ago, a ladder truck blew a hydraulic line during a fire, causing a hazardous-material spill.
“We still have the same fleet we had Jan. 9,’' Kelly said. “We feel that we definitely need full-time, certified emergency vehicle technicians.’'
MacDonald said the new managers will review resumes and hire certified mechanics to maintain the fleet. The department currently has an eight-man motor squad but no certified mechanics.
MacDonald said the motor squad is expected to remain in place and could work with the new certified technicians.
“Obviously there’s a need for someone 24 hours a day,’' MacDonald said. “The question is, will it be a mechanic, a firefighter or both? All those questions need to be answered.’'
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald Inc.