Public Safety Dept? POLL
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·Combine the two and you make it easier for the elected/unelected official knuckleheads to strip the PD and the FD of needed resources.
In most towns the Fire Department always wins.
"The fire department will save my home from burning or a family member from dying."
"The f'ing pigs will lock up my son when he's smoking weed with his friends, and give me a ticket for doing 50 in a 25."
"The fire department will save my home from burning or a family member from dying."
"The f'ing pigs will lock up my son when he's smoking weed with his friends, and give me a ticket for doing 50 in a 25."
Police-Fire Merger Plan Met by Skepticism in New Hampshire
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By SCOTT DOLAN
The Union Leader (Manchester NH)
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GOFFSTOWN -- Residents had a mixed reaction yesterday to this week's news that the board of selectmen voted to eliminate Fire Chief Frank Carpentino's position with plans to merge the police and fire departments with shared duties in the future.
As the firefighters' union continued to rally against the selectmen's decision and the police union began scheduling a special meeting to take a position, many residents said they knew nothing about the selectmen's decision.
During budget deliberations Monday, the five selectmen voted unanimously to cut the fire chief's job and named the current police chief, Michael French, as overseer of both departments as director of safety services.
As the two departments merge, Selectman Chairman Gossett McRae said, police would have the opportunity to cross-train to perform firefighters' duties and firefighters could attain certification as police.
A group of men who gather regularly at the Dunkin' Donuts on Mast Road in Pinardville said they felt the selectmen made a mistake.
Leo Charest, who has lived in Goffstown for his entire 83 years, said over a cup of coffee that voters will likely reject the plan at the annual election because police and firefighters won't mesh.
"You're going to find out what I think in March," Charest said. "It's not going to work."
At the next table over, two former Goffstown residents and a friend from Manchester's West Side, felt similarly.
"I think it's two separate jobs, and I don't see how one could do the job of the other effectively," said Ernest St. Cyr, of Manchester.
St. Cyr and his brother in-law, Ernest Scholes, called over a friend, Walter Leach Jr., who moved from his native Goffstown to New Boston.
"That's a bad deal," Leach said of eliminating Carpentino's job. "The fire chief should take care of the firefighters. The police chief should take care of the police."
At Sully's Superette, on North Mast Road, Normand Hebert said he supports the selectmen's decision.
"It's all right with me. I'm agreeable to that," Hebert said.
Another shopper, Nate Lambert, also of Goffstown, said he opposes the decision.
"Unless the cost savings is immense, I don't think that'll go forward," Lambert said. "You have too many jobs."
Although the president of the firefighters' union, fire Lt. William Connor, said the members plan to fight the selectmen's decision, the police union has yet to take an official position.
"At this point we haven't met as a union collectively yet. We are planning to take a position," Patrolman Keith Chauvette, president of the 14-member union, said.
He did say, however, that the officers he talked to were surprised at the suddenness of the selectmen's decision Monday.
"There have been some concerns over it. Anytime you get something handed to you like that, it's a shocker," he said. "There were a lot of questions at all the meetings and not many answers."
Selectmen Robert Wheeler said the selectmen made the decision Monday as part of a effort to cut $1 million from the proposed budget presented by the various town departments.
Town Administrator Sue Desruisseaux said yesterday she does not yet have the final tallied budget figures from what selectmen approved Monday.
Updated: 11-10-2005 09:21:52 PM
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By SCOTT DOLAN
The Union Leader (Manchester NH)
GOFFSTOWN -- Residents had a mixed reaction yesterday to this week's news that the board of selectmen voted to eliminate Fire Chief Frank Carpentino's position with plans to merge the police and fire departments with shared duties in the future.
As the firefighters' union continued to rally against the selectmen's decision and the police union began scheduling a special meeting to take a position, many residents said they knew nothing about the selectmen's decision.
During budget deliberations Monday, the five selectmen voted unanimously to cut the fire chief's job and named the current police chief, Michael French, as overseer of both departments as director of safety services.
As the two departments merge, Selectman Chairman Gossett McRae said, police would have the opportunity to cross-train to perform firefighters' duties and firefighters could attain certification as police.
A group of men who gather regularly at the Dunkin' Donuts on Mast Road in Pinardville said they felt the selectmen made a mistake.
Leo Charest, who has lived in Goffstown for his entire 83 years, said over a cup of coffee that voters will likely reject the plan at the annual election because police and firefighters won't mesh.
"You're going to find out what I think in March," Charest said. "It's not going to work."
At the next table over, two former Goffstown residents and a friend from Manchester's West Side, felt similarly.
"I think it's two separate jobs, and I don't see how one could do the job of the other effectively," said Ernest St. Cyr, of Manchester.
St. Cyr and his brother in-law, Ernest Scholes, called over a friend, Walter Leach Jr., who moved from his native Goffstown to New Boston.
"That's a bad deal," Leach said of eliminating Carpentino's job. "The fire chief should take care of the firefighters. The police chief should take care of the police."
At Sully's Superette, on North Mast Road, Normand Hebert said he supports the selectmen's decision.
"It's all right with me. I'm agreeable to that," Hebert said.
Another shopper, Nate Lambert, also of Goffstown, said he opposes the decision.
"Unless the cost savings is immense, I don't think that'll go forward," Lambert said. "You have too many jobs."
Although the president of the firefighters' union, fire Lt. William Connor, said the members plan to fight the selectmen's decision, the police union has yet to take an official position.
"At this point we haven't met as a union collectively yet. We are planning to take a position," Patrolman Keith Chauvette, president of the 14-member union, said.
He did say, however, that the officers he talked to were surprised at the suddenness of the selectmen's decision Monday.
"There have been some concerns over it. Anytime you get something handed to you like that, it's a shocker," he said. "There were a lot of questions at all the meetings and not many answers."
Selectmen Robert Wheeler said the selectmen made the decision Monday as part of a effort to cut $1 million from the proposed budget presented by the various town departments.
Town Administrator Sue Desruisseaux said yesterday she does not yet have the final tallied budget figures from what selectmen approved Monday.
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Which hat do you wear when you are sent to a report of someone setting a building on fire and discover it was to cover up a homicide?:ermm:
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459 Posts
Jakes don't lock assH!#@s up and we don't put out fires.
Of course, we also don't block 5 lanes of traffic on a 4 lane street with several pieces of apparatus putting out a smoldering pile of leaves, and people generally don't run out of a burning building screaming at the firemen "HEY, I PAY YOUR SALARY, PUT OUT THAT FIRE!!!".
Wow, this eggnog is really good tonight.....
Of course, we also don't block 5 lanes of traffic on a 4 lane street with several pieces of apparatus putting out a smoldering pile of leaves, and people generally don't run out of a burning building screaming at the firemen "HEY, I PAY YOUR SALARY, PUT OUT THAT FIRE!!!".
Wow, this eggnog is really good tonight.....
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209 Posts
What????? Police Officers and Firefighters have 2 completely different jobs. I have no desire to fight fires and drive old people to the hospital. I'm sure they have no desire to be awake at night.
Maybe the selectmen could combine the Town Manager's Office with the DPW!
Maybe the selectmen could combine the Town Manager's Office with the DPW!
Who's got better hours though? Prostitutes can work whenever they want or don't want. Firefighters work two days on....eleven days off...one day on....sixteen days off...or something like that. Maybe hire more females and fire fighters and prostitutes should combine???
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3,110 Posts
Worcester Airport Police are also Fire Fighters at the airport. However its Worcester Airport (Not Logan)...
Goffstown is that New Hampshire Town that has the same type of radio system Worcester PD, Fire and DPW has but on VHF. The only way there should be merged department is administratively. EG Bob is the Director of Public Safety (Sounds like a College) and Ed is the Director of Police Services and Suzy is Director of the Fire Department. Fire Fighters stay fire fighters and police officers stay police officers. However adding a "director" to all this in a town like Goffstown sounds just as dumb as merging the 2 positions together. I can imagine it now the Goffstown Public Safety Department has a NYPD ESU Style Fire Truck with Police stuff.
Goffstown is that New Hampshire Town that has the same type of radio system Worcester PD, Fire and DPW has but on VHF. The only way there should be merged department is administratively. EG Bob is the Director of Public Safety (Sounds like a College) and Ed is the Director of Police Services and Suzy is Director of the Fire Department. Fire Fighters stay fire fighters and police officers stay police officers. However adding a "director" to all this in a town like Goffstown sounds just as dumb as merging the 2 positions together. I can imagine it now the Goffstown Public Safety Department has a NYPD ESU Style Fire Truck with Police stuff.
CHAPTER 41. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS
Chapter 41: Section 101. Commissioner of public safety; powers and duties
Section 101. If a town so votes under section twenty-one the selectmen shall appoint a suitable person as chief of the police and fire departments who may be designated as commissioner of public safety. He shall have authority, subject to the approval of the selectmen, to appoint a deputy as chief of the police and one or more deputy chiefs of the fire department. He shall have all the authority of constables and police officers in towns and also the powers and duties of fire engineers, and, subject to the approval of the selectmen, shall fix the compensation of police officers and permanent and call members of the fire department. Such compensation shall not exceed, however, in the aggregate the amount appropriated therefor by the town. The deputy chiefs of the fire department shall under him have the powers of fire engineers relative to the extinguishing of fires in the town and the protection of life and property in case of fire.
Chapter 41: Section 101. Commissioner of public safety; powers and duties
Section 101. If a town so votes under section twenty-one the selectmen shall appoint a suitable person as chief of the police and fire departments who may be designated as commissioner of public safety. He shall have authority, subject to the approval of the selectmen, to appoint a deputy as chief of the police and one or more deputy chiefs of the fire department. He shall have all the authority of constables and police officers in towns and also the powers and duties of fire engineers, and, subject to the approval of the selectmen, shall fix the compensation of police officers and permanent and call members of the fire department. Such compensation shall not exceed, however, in the aggregate the amount appropriated therefor by the town. The deputy chiefs of the fire department shall under him have the powers of fire engineers relative to the extinguishing of fires in the town and the protection of life and property in case of fire.
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At An Mva Do You Help The Victims Or Block Off The Lane?, Could A Police Chief Safely Run A Fire Scene? ...how Many Officer Want To Go To Paramedic School?
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