East Longmeadow is considering eliminating the fire chief position and replacing it with a public safety administrator.
East Longmeadow Town HallEAST LONGMEADOW – In an attempt to save money, the Board of Selectmen is proposing an article that would eliminate the position of fire chief once the current chief retires next year.
A public forum will be held Wednesday to discuss the elimination of the fire chief position and the creation of a public safety administrator position instead.
“This is something we have been researching for a long time and it has been very effective in many cities and towns,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman James D. Driscoll. “It would be a way for us to improve the service to the town while saving on costs.”
The forum will be held in the Town Hall hearing room at 6:30 p.m. and it is open to the public.
“This will be an opportunity to explain the reasons for consolidation, and how it will be implemented. The idea is to address any misconceptions that people may have, and show how this will benefit the town,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll said the current the administrative duties of the fire department are handled on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. He said far more complex fire and police departments have switched to a single administrator and have been successful.
Current Fire Chief Richard J. Brady will be retiring next year. The public safety administrator position would be given to current Police Chief Douglas Mellis.
“Both of these men are great leaders and they already work together regularly, so this would be a pretty smooth transition,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll said Mellis would be in charge of the administrative side while a deputy fire chief would take on the responsibilities of safety command at the fire department.
“We would not propose this if we felt it would lessen the quality of service we offer, but that just won’t be the case. People will not even notice that there has been a change only in the savings it brings to the town,” he said.
Brady makes an annual salary of $63,547 per year while Mellis makes $94,176 with an additional $28,00 from the Quinn Bill educational incentive program. The new position would be in the $100,000 range, which could save the town more than $50,000.
Driscoll said even if voters approve the change during the May 19 annual Town Meeting it is always reversible.
“If for whatever reason it doesn’t work out we can go back to the old system, but I don’t see any reason not to give this a try,” he said.
