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Wednesday, August 17, 2016

HFD CHIEF FREEMAN RECOGNIZED AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Today at the semi-annual meeting for the Commission on Professional Credentialing at the Fire Rescue International conference in San Antonio, TX, Hartford Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director, Reginald D. Freeman was elected by his fellow Commissioners to serve as Chair for the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s, Commission on Professional Credentialing. The commission provides professional credentialing for fire and emergency services officers. As described by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc., “this internationally-accepted model recognizes professional accomplishments and competence in fire and emergency services and offers fire and emergency service personnel career guidance and planning.” The Commission offers credentialing for:
    • Chief Fire Officer (CFO) – Open to chief officers serving at or above the rank of Battalion Chief
    • Chief EMS Officer (CEMSO) – Open to chief EMS officers with a minimum of 10 years emergency medical services field or system experience as an Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, or Physician.
    • Chief Training Officer (CTO) – Open to administrators of training programs in fire and emergency service agencies.
    • Fire Marshal (FM) – Open to fire marshals or fire prevention officers having responsibility over a fire prevention bureau or management responsibilities over code enforcement, education, fire investigations, and engineering or other aspects of fire prevention programs.
    • Fire Officer (FO) - Open to all junior officers, company officers or those who have served in an intermittent acting status for 12 months.
“I am honored to serve in the capacity of Chair for this exceptional commission” said Chief Freeman. He went on to state, “professional credentialing is absolutely critical to the overall advancement of the fire service by providing objective tenements that are systematically assessed on an individual basis.” Chief Freeman is the youngest and first minority to serve as Chair for the Commission on Professional Credentialing.  Chief Freeman will attend his first Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. board meeting this Friday, August 19, 2016 as the new Chair during the Fire Rescue International conference in San Antonio, 

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

HFD: SAVING LIVES WITH NARCAN

FROM HFD:

 Reginald Freeman, Chief of the Hartford Fire Department, would like to recognize the efforts and personnel of the Emergency Services division for their life saving and professional administering of naloxone (also known as Narcan) since November of 2015. Out of 172 instances that the drug has been used in unresponsive and non-breathing patients, 135 lives have been saved. That number equates to a 78.5% save rate.  Narcan (naloxone) is a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose. It is reflective of the training and recognition of the need for the drug by our first responders that 135 people are still with their families and loved ones.
The Hartford Fire Department is committed to providing the best emergency response care to its residents and visitors. The utilization of this life saving drug has assisted the fire department in meeting the standard of the department's motto.
"We serve to save."

Thursday, August 4, 2016

HARTFORD'S POLICE- COMMUNITY RELATIONS



Tuesday's National Night Out showed that Hartford's Youth are able and willing to work with their Police Department.

After a Hartford Police Department Motorcycle Officer ended up with a dead battery, several youth stepped up to help attempt to pop start the Harley-Davidson motorcycle while pushing it. It did eventually require a jump start, but it was good to see young men willing to step up and help out.

I guess if we are talking about community policing and good relations between our residents and public safety personnel, we can still say "Hartford Has It"

Monday, July 25, 2016

HARTFORD TAX COLLECTOR RESIGNS

According to City Hall sources, Hartford's Tax Collector quit today. Marc Nelson, who has been Hartford's Tax Collector since 2008 will resign effective August 5, 2016. Nelson would have served under Mayor Bronin's proposed Finance Director  Darryl Hill if Hill's appointment is approved by the Council.

Nelson had run for City Treasurer last fall but was unsuccessful  against incumbent Treasurer Adam Cloud.

More on this as information becomes available

Saturday, July 23, 2016

HARTFORD'S DOUBLE STANDARD



The list above is a document given to all potential Hartford Police applicants this week in preparation for their pre-employment background checks. I understand the need for a fair and thorough background check of police applicants, but should they really be held to a higher standard than anyone else at City Hall, including the made up position of Chief Financial Officer?

One of the documents requested for the background check is "proof of your most recent motor vehicle and real estate taxes payment"

I am just wondering , why is it OK to ask that of a potential Police Officer but we don't require the same information of a potential Finance Director or a CFO, if we had such a position.

Maybe because the CFO hasn't paid his auto taxes for over a year so he has no proof of payment to submit





HARTFORD'S DEN OF THIEVES

Everyday I find myself asking more and more, "What is Luke up to? What is his plan?" I am not sure anyone can answer that question, at least not honestly, without causing a rebellion.

Moving to plunge Hartford into bankruptcy. Trying to strip negotiated pension rights away from Hartford's employees by legislative action. Cancelling one civic event after another under the guise of budget cuts. Throwing the developers off the stadium project and moving toward a lengthy and costly legal battle,

Now the vision for the stadium appears clearer if we are to believe a document filed in Hartford Superior Court on Friday.  It has been said for a while that Bronin's plan was to remove Centerplan to clear the way for Josh Solomon , the Yardgoats owner, to bring in his buddy , John Moriarty and Associates, to complete the project

According to sources , the Chairman of the Hartford Stadium Authority, I Charles Matthews, was originally introduced to community people as "working for Josh Solomon to get the project approved" It is unclear if I Charles Matthew's time as HSA Chairman and a Solomon overlapped or when the relationship was severed. Matthews son , Brian Matthews is also a City of Hartford employee working in the Department of Development Services, the same Department overseeing the Solomon deal and the construction of the Stadium.

According to the document, Centerplan alleges that is exactly the plan and they anticipate the City and Bronin to make that announcement this coming week

"Upon information and belief, a meeting took place on or about Tuesday, July 19, 2016  between Josh Solomon, the owner of the baseball team scheduled to occupy the stadium, and representatives from a construction company – John Moriarty & Associates, Inc. (herein also “Moriarty”). At the conclusion of that meeting, representatives from the City advised both Mr. Solomon and Moriarty that they could contact subcontractors who had previously worked on the  project to discuss going back to work with Moriarty overseeing the project, as opposed to Centerplan. On or about Wednesday, July 20, 2016, a project manager from Moriarty did contact at least one subcontractor to discuss going back to work under the oversight of Moriarty. Upon information and belief, the City intends to announce next week (the week of July 25) that it has retained Moriarty to complete the project. "

In the meantime, Bronin's law buddies hired  to handle the suit are adding up their hourly charges as the stadium sits empty and the only game being played is Bronin and companies "fleece the taxpayers".

In the meantime Bronin may have greater problems on the horizon. A Federal Grand Jury is being impaneled to probe into the fundraising efforts and any potential criminal activity of the Connecticut Democratic Party and Governor Dannel Malloy. Bronin may have played a key role in those efforts as the Chief General Counsel; to Malloy during that time period.