By Amy Carr
The Berkshire Eagle
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc. and New England Newspaper Group Inc.
All Rights Reserved
SAVOY, Mass. — Outside the Savoy fire station, the American flag flew tall.
Inside, the volunteer company sat half-staffed at its regular meeting yesterday, as four of 12 firefighters, two emergency medical technicians and an unconfirmed number of reserves turned in their shields.
In a final act of protest following the replacement of Chief Kevin Krutiak, volunteers carried plastic bags and tubs full of fluorescent garb as they walked into the fire station to resign their posts.
Chief Larry Ordyna did not know the total number of resignations following the meeting.
“I had nothing to meet for,” said now former captain and EMT Corey McGrath, after turning in his gear. “It’s nothing personal against the new chief, but the Selectmen.”
In mid-June, the Select Board voted not to reappoint Krutiak, citing multiple complaints about his behavior and performance.
Controversy in the ranks had swirled over replacing Krutiak — a 12-year veteran and chief of almost three years — with Adams Police Detective Ordyna, who had been a volunteer with the Savoy company for about two months prior to being named chief.
But Krutiak says it’s not about the chief or allegiances. “Back at the meeting with the Selectmen, they voiced their complaints, and I thought we were on the same page,” he said. “But they were like, ‘Sorry, we’re not reappointing you.’ ”
Krutiak and some members of his company were shocked.
Much of the shock came following discussion of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 41, Section 1080. The law, regarding term of office and compensation of town officers, states: “If there is no employment contract in force, and if the police chief or fire chief has an appointment for a term, the appointing authority shall give such chief at least one year’s written notice if it decides not to re-appoint said chief.” Krutiak received no such notification.
But on Friday, he received a letter from the Select Board acknowledging the law. The last line of the three-sentence note reads: “In lieu of written notice we will be sending you the yearly stipend which would have been paid to you for the coming term after July 1, 2007.”
Savoy Select Board Chairman John Tynan was unavailable to comment on the letter last night.
As semantics fly regarding Chapter 41, one glaring truth remains. The Savoy Fire Company will be recruiting firefighters to replace the veterans who resigned yesterday.
During the meeting, attended by five firefighters and a handful of reserves, Ordyna addressed the future of the company.
“Other people have contacted me and will be available,” he said. “We have full mutual aid from Windsor and Adams. We still need to contact Florida, Cheshire and ... " Ordyna stopped to think.
“Plainfield,” finished Krutiak, who sat in on the entire meeting and requested honorary status in the company along with former Lt. James Sadlow.
Both the chief and former chief acknowledged each other during the meeting, symbolic of the underlying issue acknowledged by Assistant Chief Peter “PJ” Miner.
“This had nothing to do internally with the department,” said Miner who has been around the company his whole life. “Some people have hard feelings, but we’re still here for the town.”