WESTFIELD – The Westfield Fire Commission will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall to discuss two recently certified civil service lists.
“On one list for paramedics, we’ve given appointments to six individuals and they’re going through a lot of processes, such as physicals and the PAT test,” said Commission Chair Albert Masciadrelli of the ‘physical aptitude test’. “The other is a basic list of emergency medical technicians, so we’re basically just going through background checks for individuals who sign up to be interviewed, and then we’ll go through the process with them.”
EMT and paramedic candidates who were hired last year are still subject to Commission review, as they will receive their personnel probation period evaluation reports.
“That comes from our deputies usually, just to see how they’re panning out,” said Masciadrelli of the recent hires, adding that the Commission is also going to suggest a fire chief examination, as well as another fire captain exam, for 2016.
“We understand that in the next year or two, we may have a few retirements, so that will start the domino effect and rather than put on acting or provisional captains, we really would much rather appoint a full-time captain,” said Masciadrelli, adding that these exams are usually called every two years or so. “It saves money because when everyone is in an ‘acting’ positions, it just causes a lot of problems with the structure.”
Masciadrelli also said that the Little River Fire Substation will be on the agenda for tonight’s meeting, the Commission’s first since the City Council voted in early February to approve two appropriations totaling $245,000 for the design of an addition to the substation, which will improve emergency response times in the city’s southeast quadrant.
The approved funds are set to be divied up from the city’s free cash account and an appropriation from the Fire Department’s ambulance reserves of $122,500 and $122,500, respectively.
These funds will go towards funding the architectural design and bid document preparation.
In addition to updates regarding the substation, Masciadrelli said that discussions will also occur regarding longterm illness or injuries incurred by firefighters and travel plans for Chief Mary Regan to attend the Congressional Fire Service Institute in Washington D.C.
