Freeman came in to restore order to a troubled Hartford Fire Department that had been rocked by scandals, bad behavior and negative publicity. By most accounts I think he has held up his end of the bargain.
It made no sense to me that Mayor Bronin would then dilute Freeman's efforts by asking him to run a Department that probably had more than enough of its own problems at DPW. And even though Freeman was doing double the work to bail out his boss, Reggie\s paycheck apparently didn't reflect his double duty.
It is also confusing as to why we pay high priced salaries for "Deputy Directors" if those Deputies can't be called upon to run the Department short term when needed. Or are the Deputy slots just a way of hiding away friends you want to reward with a City paycheck and great benefits?
There is no way a position such as the Director of Public Works should be left open for two years.
There is also no reason that the Hartford Fire Chief should be expected to fill in for both slots for two years or longer.
Reggie Freeman has shown that he is more than capable to manage multiple, demanding tasks, and he has been a shining star for the people of Hartford. Maybe shining a little too bright for an Administration that seems to have been having trouble getting any light out from under its own self imposed bushel basket.
Reggie Freeman needs to return to his FULL TIME role as Hartford's Fire Chief and continue to do what he is best at and Luke Bronin needs to concentrate on an finally building Administration that is not constantly losing people. Our current Mayor seems to be unable to find and keep qualified people.
Bronin's turnover at Hartford City Hall would probably rival that of the Trump White House.
14 comments:
Now that’s how you write a headline folks!
Kevin, Why doesn’t Reggie get HALF of the blame for saying YES??? I doubt very much Luke would have fired Reggie if he didn’t accept the assignment ,,,especially in this political climate it would have been very bad optics. Kevin, I’m assumng this is unprecedented ,,could there be another fire chief of a U.S. capital city in charge of garbage collectors too??? Since I’ve brouht that up ,I’ve never seen Hartford as dirty as it is now,,,garbage along almost every curb,storm drains with mounds of debris that didn’t make it down the grates,public sidewalks littered, parks littered ,splash pads that need inspection by parents for glass,needles etc.,,,,,how about the Hartford Courant’s article on the bulk pickup debacle??? Furniture ,mattresses,appliances left intermittently along sidewalks throughout the entire city,, in the article I read comments from some of Hartford’s former and present politicians and department heads and Kevin guess who went unquestioned ,unscathed and unaccountable ???? That’s right Reggie! So don’t feel so bad for him ,he’s getting compensated for a “shitty” job well done.. HE SHOULD HAVE SAID NO!!!
I'm wondering if he was even given a chance to say "no" - it may have just been delegated to him. Sigh.
DON'T you kid yourself, Reggie is Welllllllllll taken care of, but who's gonna say so? Loose lips sink ships, ever wonder why Reggie is always smiling ?
The mayor avoids the issue making them all acting Dept heads. City charter allows that only 6months. Yeah right do your homework Brookman
Has the Director of Finance moved into Hartford?
Reggie needs to step up and step down.
Kevin, you continue to praise Reggie Freeman yet you know nothing about him or the Fire Department. Number 1, if he is so good, why did Lockheed Martin or whoever it was let him get away, not once but twice. Still never comment on his out of control over budget spending despite record increases in that budget. You also stated he has demonstrated he is more than capable of running multiple departments, but as other posters have noted the streets are filthy and like I have said, parks, cemeteries are over grown, weeds 5 ft tall in the medians down town. Reggie should have never accepted the assignment because first of all his fire department is a mess, on the surface they say it is running smooth, but guys are telling people like myself that it has no leadership or direction since the big exodus of senior help. They constantly say they are unsafe. what do you think that means? Reggie with all of his experience is about to purchase multiple new straight stick ladder trucks, with no pre piped water ways , you have no idea what that means but it is stepping back 40 + years in FF technology. Hey Reggie, I would like to see your climb to the top of a 100 ft areal, are you up to the challenge? come on Reg, lead by example do it publicly, I would love to see you do it in the middle of the night in the rain, or better yet the snow?
4:21PM
Unlike you, I Have spent a lot of time talking to Reggie Freeman and getting to know him instead of just listening to what people say or what others tell me, you might want to try that and then form your own opinion. And I could care less if Reggie could climb to the top of a 100 ft aerial. That is not the role of the Chief. I much prefer that our Fire Chief knows how to properly run the Department, set policy and hold people accountable while providing leadership to the Department, Reggie does all of that and more. I don't want the Fire Chief pulling hose off the back of an engine and hooking up to a hydrant anymore than I want our Police Chief out patrolling the streets issuing parking tickets
As far as the "so called Straight Sticks" Many if all Big Departments have a combo of Towers and Straight Sticks, each has it own specialty, and NO water-way, whats the matter, you just might have to go inside and fight the fire, not from the outside ? as is all about you newbies do now ! And the Big one, I bet you'd have one hell of a time Climbing the Stick, instead of riding up in a safe basket ! Sissies !
Newbie? wrong! Major depths with mix of apparatus yes. Hartford has 5 ladders,my understanding is 3 are to become unpiped straight sticks. That's hardly a mix.
can't ride a stick to go from 1 place to another,can't carry cargo or tools on the tip of a stick have to carry everything to the top up and down. Any civilian that regressed by ladder has to be escorted which is very slow swing they are scared. can't have that many people traveling the ladder at once which just shuts down the operation.
why not pre piped waterways
what's the argument on that one?And believe it or not the bravest ain't always that brave climbing a ladder that's the reality. Even a seasoned guy is going to find cutting a roof off a stick is more of a challenge than from a bucket.
climb a stick 80 ft carrying gear ,in gear now how fresh are you when you start the actual job of cutting the roof.
yea, apparatus mix is good as they both have their good and bad but with only 2-3 ladders on scene, I'll take the buckets. From a safety point alone it's a looser.
how about a nice bucket with and open beam ladder that does both, oh what a good idea?
Or do you even know how common that animal exists. Best of both worlds even has a wayerway.
Newbie? hope your a newbie because if not, well,just sad,
Here I’ll bottom line it for you Kev,,,, LETS SEE REGGIE AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO INITIATED THIS RESTRUCTURING OF APPARATUS GIVE A DEMONSTRATION OF A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS MENTIONED ABOVE AT THE TRAINING FACILITY ,,,,Kev, Since your so big on accountability ,,Why does Reggie get a pass now and his previous employment as assistant chief when related to firefighters under the influence at work ,,,recent promotions of shitbags who will get firefighters hurt or killed,,, passing along probies knowing they’re all wrong for the job,,,letting firefighters be exposed to lead,mold,bedbugs,diesel dust etc. while housed in these nasty under maintained firehouses ,,,Kev,those meetings you hob nob at with department heads DONT TELL YOU SHIT ABOUT WHATS REAL AND PERCEPTION . I’LL REPEAT AGAIN ,, THOSE SHINEY BUGLES AND STARS HAVE BLINDED YOU,,,,,Go visit some firehouses and walk around ,,your eyes wont lie to you
many of your complaints are valid, but it is also key to note that Reggie was the ASSISTANT Chief at the times you mentioned. He still had to answer to the Chief before he could do many of the things you mentioned and much of it was driven by political influence. I think if you honestly looked at the recent history, you would have to agree that most of the political influence from City Hall has been taken out of the Chief's Office and as far as accountability, I think people now understand that they will be held accountable for bad behavior, just ask the probationary firefighter terminated immediately after his arrest in a gun incident. And yes, many of the firehouses are a mess, where is your Union on that matter? Aren't they supposed to be addressing working conditions?
Kevin, it's true you give Reggie a pass on everything, he is making decisions on stuff he has never done, it would be like me making a call on brain surgery. Union can complain all they want about firehouses, bottom line the budget cannot begin to address the maintenance issues of the houses. Contractors are so expensive the budget is devastated quickly. Every time you call a contractor just to maintain the basic heating , plumbing, and AC or electrical issues it's 1500 plus X 17 firehouses. And just when does Reggie become accountable , he has been around a few yrs now or do we still blame Heurtas? You still don't get it, take your ass down to a few firehouses, they are public buildings 8am till 9PM and talk with the guys, look around? Ask the guys how they feel about day to day operations. Big deal the chief dismissed a guy, he was waving a handgun around in public threatening someone. What else would you do but terminate him, and how can you argue the termination. Now get rid of the drug addicts and incompetent weaklings, lazy salary thiefs, and other non producers. Why don't you look into the salaries of people in special services over the last few yrs, disgusting, many approaching 200 grand, to do what , call the red cross when there is a fire, or show kids how to stop drop and roll. It's ridiculous. Under Reggie, newly promoted officers getting a pay increase to hide in special services or support details while new recruits ride around with acting inexperienced privates playing the role of officer while a 5 or 10 yr man who said he wants to lead hides off the line. And if not a FF , but master administrator maybe the Chief should secure additional moneys for building maintenance, I know what E5 was like a few yrs ago, got to be worse now. Not talking about cleaning either, building is beat.
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