Mayor Domenic Sarno appointed Joseph Conant as interim fire commissioner in January after the retirement of Gary Cassanelli.
Jerrold Prendergast
SPRINGFIELD – Deputy Fire Chief Jerrold E. Prendergast urged Mayor Domenic J. Sarno this week to move forward with the search and selection of a new, permanent fire commissioner, saying the current nine-month delay has left the department “at least in an unsettled state.”
Prendergast, who serves as the Fire Department’s chief of administration, said in a two-page letter to Sarno that the search process should begin “sooner rather than later” to find a replacement for former Fire Commissioner Gary Cassanelli, who retired in January.
“In my opinion, our department under the current circumstances, is at least in an unsettled state due to the reality of not having not only the position of Commissioner unfilled, but also due to the fact that by not having this position filled on a permanent basis, other lesser but important department positions are being left in an state of flux,” Prendergast said.
Sarno was not immediately available for comment on Prendergast’s letter.
Sarno, while not yet making the permanent appointment, did immediately appoint an acting commissioner, Joseph A. Conant, in a move that appeared to bypass Prendergast.
Just weeks earlier, the state Civil Service Commission issued a ruling that sharply criticized upper management in the Fire Department for its hiring practices, saying Prendergast was improperly involved in a 2010 selection process that resulted in his own son being hired as a firefighter. Cassanelli defended Prendergast at the time.
Prendergast, in his letter this week, alleges that Conant does not meet minimum requirements for fire commissioner under city ordinance.
Under ordinance, the commissioner “shall have had at least seven years’ experience as a deputy fire chief, or equivalent rank, in a federal, state or local fire department, or equivalent body of experience in the private sector,” the law reads. In addition, the commissioner must have a master’s degree “in a field related to his or her duties from an accredited institutions of higher learning or an equivalent degree,” the ordinance states.
Prendergast said he believes the commissioner position could attract a significant number of candidates.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as our reporting continues.