By Ken Dixon
New Haven Register
HARTFORD, Conn. — Local officials led by Milford Fire Chief Anthony Fabrizi complain that a system of “poaching” has evolved where municipalities like his city pay up to half a million dollars to train a new firefighter, who then within a couple years, leaves to take a job in another department.
Fabrizi spoke in favor on Tuesday of legislation that would make communities that hire away certified firefighters pay for half of their initial training costs.
“When I began my career, over 31 years ago, most firefighters within my department were not only many years senior to the incoming rookie firefighter, but were committed to the department in which they were employed,” Fabrizi told the Public Safety & Security Committee. “As of late, we have seen a shift in the age demographic and mindset of a young firefighter candidate regarding their commitment to a singular department for the duration of their career. This can be attributed to a multitude of factors including but not limited to generational values; an offer of employment by a secondary department versus their preferred city or town; and additionally differences in salary, benefits and pension structure.”
When young firefighters leave after just a few years, their new employers reap the benefits of the extensive training.
“You become very marketable,” said state Rep. Kathy Kennedy, R- Milford, a former longtime fire department employee who appeared during a public hearing with Fabrizi. “You get hired by Milford and they put you through the academy and you’re not only a firefighter but you also have EMT certification. They’ll get hired. I think what’s behind this bill is to bill the municipality for the cost. When you’re losing one, two, three, four firefighters within a three-year period that’s a real hardship to your municipality.”
Departing firefighters and police officers early in their careers can put stress on local taxpayers.
“Recruitment and retention are vital elements for the success of any volunteer or paid fire departments,” said Rep. Bill Buckbee, R- New Milford, in testimony to the committee. “They play a critical role in safeguarding communities, but without enough dedicated firefighters, departments struggle to fulfill their mission. Some observations of challenges with retention and the ability to serve that are being placed on firefighters may include: housing costs, the need to have more than one job (economic), and demands of family life.”
State Rep. Ben McGorty, R- Shelton, a member of the committee whose full-time job is as a municipal fire marshal, said that recruits take multiple tests for various fire departments, but they might get hired by a fire department that they are less excited about working. “Because somebody offers them a job, they take it,” McGorty said in an interview after Fabrizi’s testimony. “Then they leave because some departments have more fires, some have better benefits. Or they go through the (fire) academy and a couple weeks later, they go to another town that they really wanted to. It costs the towns money.”
McGorty, during the committee meeting, cited occurrences where young volunteer firefighters pay their own way through the Connecticut Fire Academy, they are instantly employable. “All 169 towns have the same problem,” McGorty said.
“We invest heavily into the training of our firefighters,” Fabrizi said. “So for another department to poach one of our firefighters in the first two years of service, we have countless hours of training, a large amount of money is being spent. They’re getting a quality firefighter. It’s a tremendous loss. We’re not only losing the monetary value. We’re losing a firefighter who’s starting to build-in that intimate knowledge of the city of Milford. I think asking for 50 percent of what we invested, I wouldn’t deem that as adversarial. I’d deem that as being fair. You’re getting someone with quite the skill set that you don’t have to invest in now.”
The deadline for the committee’s action on the bill is March 18.
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