Fire Chief Patrick Egloff. (File photo)
WESTFIELD – The Westfield Fire Commission this week approved Fire Chief Patrick Egloff’s plan to replace open firefighter positions.
By the end of August there will be three vacant positions, and because Egloff requires all new firefighters to also be paramedics, the available pool of applicants is slim. In fact, Egloff said there are no civil service candidates who are currently both a firefighter and paramedic. He said there are three basic firefighter/EMT candidates, one of which is currently in paramedic school.
“My recommendation is we call for a Westfield basic EMT list and when we hire, prior to them signing, they will agree to become a paramedic within 28 months of being hired,” said Egloff.
It takes approximately 28 months to obtain paramedic certification.
Fire Commission Chair Albert J. Masciadrelli said this recommendation was cleared through the proper departments.
“There’s an agreement worked out with the law department and the union,” he said. “When they come here, they will know right up front that this has to be done.”
Egloff said Mayor Brian P. Sullivan and the union “put pen to paper – it’s a done deal.”
“Moving forward, everyone hired as a basic will have to become a paramedic on their own dime,” Egloff said.
Egloff noted that at any time before the 28 months an employee has to stop classes for any reason, that person can resign without prejudice and reapply once they obtain their certification.
Masciadrelli and fellow commissioners C. Lee Bennet and Jeffrey Siegel thanked Egloff and all involved for coming up with a solution to the paramedic shortage.
“I commend the mayor, the chief and union,” Masciadrelli said. “The dynamics of this department has changed drastically, and we are emergency services now.”
Egloff said most of the department calls are for medical services.
