Union pulls out of committee overhauling Boston Fire Department

December 13, 2007 03:15 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff

The committee charged with overhauling the Boston Fire Department is falling apart because of a massive rift between union and fire officials over committee appointments.

Local 718 President Edward Kelly resigned from the 13-member committee on Tuesday, just two days after the city announced formation of the panel, and four other firefighters have now followed his lead.

The panel was convened by Mayor Thomas M. Menino to oversee the adoption of recommendations of an independent audit spurred by reports that two firefighters killed battling a West Roxbury restaurant fire were allegedly impaired. One of the audit's recommendations, which were issued Nov. 30, was the implementation of mandatory, random drug and alcohol testing of city firefighters.

"I'm very, very disappointed that the union president has withdrawn from the committee and forced others to withdraw," Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser said in an interview today. "I guess this shows that the union leadership is really not committed to change."

In a scathing letter to Fraser on Tuesday, Kelly complained that the commissioner appointed four rank-and-file firefighters to the committee without input from union officials. He said Fraser's action "exhibits an underlying disrespect for the membership of Local 718, which spawns doubt in my confidence of your ability to lead this department."

According to a press release issued by Menino's office Saturday, the committee was supposed to be led by Fraser and include four fire chiefs, a medical officer, two City Hall representatives, the union president and four firefighters "appointed by the commissioner."

At the time, the mayor said the committee would make sure that recommendations from the independent audit would be implemented. The Globe reported in October that 50 of 82 recommendations from three earlier audits of the department had not been implemented, and city officials said union opposition had stymied their adoption.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.