Recently, Fire Chief Edie Curry dismissed the auxiliary firefighter program. The auxiliary program was basically part-time firefighters that trained with the department and were available to cover shift and to respond to large-scale incidents. However, just weeks after "letting go" the already-trained auxiliary firefighters, the department hired a new, untrained firefighter and placed him on auxiliary status.

I have tried to back Chief Curry's on the rash of changes she has implemented recently; however I cannot see the legitimacy behind this recent injustice.

If Chief Curry had realized a value to the auxiliary program that she failed to see prior to letting go the auxiliary staff then she should have at least offered them their job back. After all they were already trained (I know of one that had already been checked off on his first engine - a department goal that often takes a year of employment to reach). But instead she hires this "New Jack" (a term in the fire service for a firefighter on his six month probationary period) with no fire training or experience and places his on Auxiliary status.

How can you dismiss a group of firefighters because of lack of training, and familiarization with the department? Only then to hire someone and give them the same position that wasn't adequate for the department a mere two weeks ago?

I suppose that it is possible this new jack was made a place on the department because of his years of service to the University Police Department where he was employed as an officer for quite sometime. But that's just my speculation.

Sadly we have a chain of command, gripes go up that chain and this letter, if traced back to me places me in great jeopardy of losing my job. So it is on the condition of amenity that I submit it to the Sun Star

Brewing with disgust,

An anonymous UFD firefighter

Comment on this story...