for slow response to Hoyt St. fire
Resident blames city
for slow response to Hoyt St. fire
By carolyn o’connell
Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH — After a fire ravaged a home on Hoyt Street just 200 feet from a fire house that was supposed to be manned but was not, residents are questioning the city’s priorities.
Because there was no paid fireman on duty at the Oliver Byron Fire House on Atlantic Avenue on Dec. 1, Greg Sperling, 37, told the City Council, his home has been destroyed, he suffered minor burns and one of his two dogs had to be put to sleep because of injuries from the fire.
The firehouse was unmanned because the city made a decision earlier this year to cut back on overtime for paid firefighters after nearly two-thirds of the overtime budget was used in about half of the year. In June the city said $80,000 of the $125,000 budgeted for overtime in the department had been spent.
When the new procedure to leave firehouses unattended was implemented, Fire Chief Sam Tomaine noted that unmanning the fire houses was just a trial phase and the case of each firehouse would be decided by the three chiefs.
"This will not cause a delay (in fire-response time)," he said.
Tomaine said, "The average response time in the city has generally been two to three minutes."
Eddie Rogers, a career fireman and president of the Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA) Local 68, the union that represents the city’s paid firefighters, said the run on the overtime budget was avoidable, but the city failed to take the necessary action when it was confronted with long-term absences.
The union head explained that two firemen were out because of extended sick leave, but instead of hiring a replacement to cover the shifts, those men would have worked the city asked that the existing workforce handle the extra load.
Rogers said that city officials were aware the situation would create overtime.
A better solution, noted Rogers, would have been to hire a temporary fireman to cover the vacant shifts.
He also noted that staffing is now running naturally short when it comes to covering vacation days.
Bill McLaughlin of Ocean Avenue echoed Rogers’ sentiments about the city’s failure to make proper use of its resources.
Addressing the mayor and council, he said, "The overtime issue is poor management which contributed to a money shortage.
"The city can’t take care of public safety," said McLaughlin. "It’s a poor way to run the city and it’s jeopardizing the public."
When McLaughlin asked about the fiscal condition of the city’s fire department and why the overtime budget was short, Mayor Adam Schneider responded that the city’s finances are in order and the budget is not short.
According to Ron Mehlhorn, the city’s chief financial officer, the budgeted dollar amount for fire department overtime is $125,000 and, to date, $109,510 has been spent.
Sperling, in addressing the council, said, "Overtime should not be an issue when you have city events that cost money. Why is family entertainment more important?"
Kathy O’Donnell of Church Street credits the saving of her house to a fireman who quickly responded from the Oliver Byron Firehouse to a fire in her home in December 1999.
"In 10 minutes my whole house would have gone up," said O’Donnell.
"I feel strongly that paid firemen should be on duty 24 hours a day especially in this neighborhood where there are not enough volunteers."
Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano, a volunteer fireman who will be serving as the second assistant fire chief next year, noted that at least four firehouses in the city are manned at all times.
Sperling noted that, when his home was on fire, the fire truck just 200 feet from the home remained stationary and unmanned.
If the house was manned, according to Rogers, "the fire truck could have been to the home in 40 seconds and fire suppression could have begun immediately."
Zambrano said, "The response that night was the same response as any other night with a fire engine arriving within four-and-a-half minutes."
Sperling said, "Bullsh—. The response was no less than 11 minutes," noting the time he called it in to 911.
"I watched my house burn down and now I have nothing."
"There was an immediate response," said Zambrano, "and it was augmented with volunteers. No one can prove it’s a bad thing. That is how the system works."