Stamford Charter Revision Ballot Question #2: Fire Department Consolidation

Ballot Question #2: Revise the Charter to create a single combined Fire Department including the following:
1. Creating a single Fire Department composed of career and volunteer firefighters with a single Chief and a single Fire Marshal.
2. Creating the positions of Assistant Fire Chief for Career Services and Assistant Fire Chief for Volunteer Services.
3. Acknowledging that the Volunteer Departments are an important component of the new combined Department.

Background: Stamford’s fire protection services are provided by a combination of the City-controlled and operated Stamford Fire and Rescue Department staffed by paid firefighters and five volunteer departments, known as the “Big Five”.  When the charter was created in 1949, the jurisdictional boundaries of the city’s paid career fire department and volunteer fire departments
remain aligned with the old Town and City boundaries: Belltown, Glenbrook, Long Ridge, Springdale, Turn of River and downtown. 

Prior City administrations have explored consolidating
Stamford’s fire services and eliminating the volunteer management agreements/contracts with the city. Currently, the charter allows for jurisdictional boundaries to be changed; however, such a change requires a 2/3 vote of the Board of Representatives and the advice of the City Fire and Rescue Chief and Volunteer Chief(s). 

Result of Charter Change: Creation of a single Stamford Fire department inclusive of career and volunteer firefighters, with one Fire Chief who will appoint one Assistant Chief for Career Firefighters and one Assistant Chief for Volunteer Service Firefighters and one Fire Marshal for the City of Stamford. The Assistant Chief for Career Services shall be selected from the ranks of career firefighters. The Assistant Chief for Volunteer Services shall be selected from a pool of nominees nominated by the Chiefs of the volunteer fire companies. All nominees must have a minimum of ten years firefighter experience and at least five years of supervisory experience.

Charter Sections That Will be Amended: C5-40-3 and C6-90-1

source: www.lwvstamford.org