By Jay Colbert, President of Firefighters Union Local 76

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I would like to take the time to respond to a commentary by Mayor Joe Curtatone, printed by this paper last week. Mayor Curtatone‚Äôs comments concerned the future of the Somerville Fire Department.  I would like to offer some suggestions.

Like the Mayor, I would also like to congratulate our Congressional delegation for their part in securing federal SAFER grant money.  This will help our department begin to get back to a safe level of staffing; necessary to protect our crowded, urban environment.  Last week, I went to Washington to personally thank Congressman Mike Capuano.  Thanks are also in order for the mayor and his grant writer Kate Ashton, for pursuing and securing, this Homeland Security Funding.

That being said, I hope that we do not rest on these laurels and forget the fact that the Federal Government has provided more money and equipment to our Fire Department over the past five years than the city has.  This can be a slippery slope.  Federal money will not be available every year.  The City of Somerville needs a comprehensive and long-term plan to maintain manpower and equipment replacement at a safe level.  This should be done through our city budgetary process.

Mayor Curtatone quoted Chief Kevin Kelleher at a Jan. 30 Public Safety meeting as saying that the Fire Department was running a $300,000 overtime deficit.  The reasons for this somewhat arbitrary number are many, but here are a few. 
1. Manpower has been drastically reduced.
2. City funding to the Fire Department has also been reduced.
3. The workload has increased.
4. The average age of Somerville firefighters has increased.
5. Injuries have increased.

The above facts all point to a necessary increase in overtime to adequately protect our city.  You cannot expect an understaffed, under funded, older department, doing a physical job, facing an increased workload, to protect our city without increases in overtime.

Chief Kelleher also made some other notable remarks at the aforementioned Public Safety meeting.  Let me try my best to paraphrase his quotes.
1. The City of Somerville is considerably less safe without Engine 4 in service.
2. Chief Kelleher said he would like to command 244 firefighters, seven engine companies, and four ladder trucks that the city maintained when he started his career.  Currently, we have only 143 firefighters, five engines, and three Ladder trucks.
3. Chief Kelleher also said that he fears that given the current lack of adequate manpower and the close proximity of houses in East Somerville, that under the right conditions, a fire could conceivably burn from McGrath Highway to the Charlestown line.

In conclusion, I would like to address the mayor‚Äôs stated proposal to appoint an advisory committee to develop a long-term plan for the Somerville Fire Department.  The members of Local 76 would fully expect to be equitably represented on any proposed committee.  Local 76 represents all but one (Chief Kevin Kelleher) of the 144 people on the Somerville Fire Department.  To convene any committee examining our department, without the direct input of the men and women who serve in this department 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, would be inconceivable.  Since any changes in our department‚Äôs working conditions would have to be collectively bargained, it would be prudent to have the union‚Äôs involvement from the outset.  Anything less would be considered anti-union, and would give the appearance that the ‚Äúadvisory group‚Äù was in fact a paid for re-affirmation of previously stated administration stances.  This would be a colossal waste of taxpayers‚Äô money.