Review slams Boston Fire's 'loosey-goosey' approach to firetruck maintenance

Typical.

We need a good UNION man to do the job. No drug testing though!

Instead of blaming others with a holier-than-though attitude, the firefighters union should take responsibility for their own actions, for a change.

This is news? I think we already knew this about the BFD.

Why don't we require firemen to have a CDL license to operate a GINORMOUS truck ? Especially, when they operate them at a high rate of speed?

Can anyone give a good answer?

In other words, just another example of the unprofessional, parochial attitudes that are endemic to the Boston public employee "culture."

To the firefighters union head. Washing a truck isn't maintanence! Hope you were looking in the mirror you DOPE, when you were pointing fingers at the city!

Read my book, Heat Of The Fire!

yeah, that sounds about right

One question that I have not seen asked through all of this has been, who maintains the rest of the city vehicles? Police cars, dump trucks, tow trucks, etc. Doesn't the city already have licensed mechanics on staff? And incase the Fire Fighter Union isn't happy about not having thier own mechanics... well the city owns the fire trucks (as in me the tax payer) not the Fire Fighters.

One question that I have not seen asked through all of this has been, who maintains the rest of the city vehicles? Police cars, dump trucks, tow trucks, etc. Doesn't the city already have licensed mechanics on staff? And incase the Fire Fighter Union isn't happy about not having thier own mechanics... well the city owns the fire trucks (as in me the tax payer) not the Fire Fighters.

ty

Professional fleet manager sounds like someone from the MBTA is going to retire and start working for the city.

Gee, what a surprise? I can't wait to see how the firefighters' illustrious union goon in charge, Ed Kelley, reponds to this newest of so many spotlights on his mafioso operation. No operations manual, no preventative maintenance, no drug testing, retirement fraud, chronic sick outs, etc, etc. etc......but all of it surely someone else's fault, right Ed? Oh, and the solution is more money right, Ed?

The union is so quick to use the term "ensure the public's safety" when always asking for more Tax payer money. Funny how that is never a concern when it comes to their own vehicles and SuperBowl Sunday

Local 718 President Kelly prematurely and incorrectly blamed the mayor for this. His efforts to prevent certified mechanics from repairing these trucks is the real crime. this guy has ruined the reputation of all BFD employees with his irresponsible and ridicules excuses and policies he has implemented or failed to. He is not helping the membership at all.

Soon after the accident, I recall that a fire department spokesperson said the maintenance problems that led to the crash were Mayor Menino's fault. How is it that those who house and drive the fire department vehicles are not responsible for maintenance? How can one person be blamed? What about a maintenance checklist/schedule for each vehicle?

I'd trust the firefighters more with their own equipment.
They're the ones who their lives depend on it.
Send them to school to be certified mechanics.
I'd probably save money on hiring more personnel.

Soon after the accident, I recall that a fire department spokesperson said the maintenance problems that led to the crash were Mayor Menino's fault. How is it that those who house and drive the fire department vehicles are not responsible for maintenance? How can one person be blamed? What about a maintenance checklist/schedule for each vehicle?

that's weird, i do daily maintainence, as do all the guys i work with. it's funny, i've never seen any "independent consultant" in my firehouse... i'm betting neither has any other Jake on here. that being said, the Jakes down at Motor Squad are just that, Jakes. the BFD used to have mechanics, but those jobs were eliminated and never replaced under Mayor White. I'm wondering of Commissioner Fraser would/could/should lobby Mayor Menino to re-instate those positions?

Wow, union employees skate by? Shocking!

This is almost as shocking as the revelation that a huge percentage of union firefighters get "injured" on days they are covering for someone above their pay grade, thus upping their pension.

Between the BFD's members on the job doing dope & drinking, and the union's constant opposition to the profession's drug testing protocols standard everywhere else, who's got time to maintain vehicles?

This whole report is false. The "consultant" was in Boston for less than 48 Hours. Kind of tough to get any idea of how things are done in that time frame. Also, Menino puppet Fraser says he wants to hire licensed mechanics at the rate of $18 an hour. You couldn't find a bum to the job at that price. Don't believe the Menino lie machine.

shocking results
How will fast Eddie deflect this one, you know the union will not accept any responsibility in the death of Lt. Kelley
I am disappointed to read ".....BFD expects to hire licensed mechanics shortly to help the firefighters in the department's maintenance division who do not have the necessary technical knowledge...." how about getting them all out of Maintenance and do the right thing

Developing a standard protocol for maintenance, repairs and training as well as record keeping are very important but not enough. Making sure things get done and having the proper oversight is also vital in ensuring that the protocol is enforced. This should not be just a one time fix.
This "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" attitude is just a lawsuit waiting to happen. This is gross negligence and the lawyers will be all over it. The higher ups of the fire department have a due responsibility towards their employees' and the public's safety.

Must not have enough time to check things while hanging around the firehouse doing N O T H I N G ! ! ! The whole firehouse system needs to be looked at. These guys are union slackers working the system for ridiculous pay and benefits yet still have full time jobs elsewhere.

If checked out I bet the system in place would make General Motors look efficient!

Doesn't look like a very professional company creating these reports based on the terminology they use and fifth grade writing skills.

Convenient store workers risk their lives more every day. Just look at the numbers. How many fires did the brave and heroic firefighters put out last year? Irish welfare, thats all it is.

well duh.

You can point the finger right at the G-D fire union and their insistance years ago that untrained union fireman magically become auto mechanics.

Enough already with public employee unions (fire, police, teachers,MBTA and the rest ).AND their stupid self-centered "leaders"

This article really burns me up.

Fire departments throughout the country do not require a CDL. This is not a Boston only issue. This has nothing to do with the everyday firefighter but the Administration. Firefighters are not incharge of the budget, nor is the union. It was the city who cut the mechanics in the 80's, it was the city who has refused to hire mechanics! The Union can not and does not tell the city who they can and can not hire. Tommy boy is the one to blame... under funding the FD for years, under funding a preventive maintance plan!

What da ya want for 120K per year. Dump the union and start over with people who want the job not just work to maximise their income.

BFD keeping us safe, Huh they can't even keep there own people safe!!! Who gets fired for this? Clean house.

mayor mennino has to go..this is really unforgiveable

Get rid of the UNIONS - Unions are killing our country - look at the poor auto industry and the prices we have to pay to buy a crappy vehicle because of them! Hellllloooooooo...

Once you get rid of the Unions, hire the maintenance facilitator, get training, etc. The Fire Department is the root of their own evil from initial reports. Get with the program and hold the mayor's feet to the coals to ante UP!

The City should contract out for almost everything !

Construction Jobs, I am a construction person and we are required to have a BFD firefighter when we are welding or burning in a building in the city of Boston. They can't even do this job, as soon as they get on the job out comes the newspaper or the paperback book to read, this is a scam ! And life safety inspections, this is the job of the architects !!

remember that guy who took the test 5-6 times , scored low but was recommended by the non qualified mayor and senate prez. he was number 650 and moved up to number 1. do you want that guy taking care of your truck??

I have to assume the driver of the truck knew where the emergency brake and was it working? Also did he put the truck in a lower gear to slow it down? I say they should be back on 8hr shifts for their work week. It will end the second jobs and let them get skilled at the job at hand!

Do other cities actually use firefighters to change the oil and do brake jobs on these large trucks? It seems to me that mechanics that specialize in truck parts and maintenance should be doing this work. Firefighters ought to be doing what they are trained to do.....respond to medical emergencies and fight fires.

It's the whole culture at the boston fire department--- they don't check out their trucks, they don't wear scott packs, they don't do any documentation at medical calls-- the only thing they are good at is filling out disability paperwork and telling everyone about how the should be merging with other department. Can't wait to see what FF Flaherty is going to say about this one, the report says that frazer and menino have increased funding for trucks and equipment. So now what is the excuse for the deplorable condition of the equipment?

How will the Fire Department possible find the money to hire mechanics ? They have to fire those totally unqualified Union shills who claim to be mechanics, but can't even check tire pressure.

Surely no one is suggesting that a Union man can be replaced!

Loosey-Goosey Approach??? What, do we have A-Roid working at the fire department now? We all know things must be bad if they're Loosey-Goosey!

Thats why some of the fire fighters make 40,000 a year on detail, Do they bring any equipment with to fight the fire if it breaks out? or do they just call the fire dept?

I didn't realize that Local 718 hired me when I got on. Now you're telling me that they run the whole department's budget. News to me. Everyone knows there should be people with the right credetials overseeing the department vehicles. The city should make it a priority that all emergency vehicles are able to perform their duties. Is that asking too much, Mr. Mayor?

For those who claim the problem is underfunding of the Fire Department, what is your basis for this claim? Have you done any studies comparing what the City of Boston spends per capita for Fire protection with other cities of similar size? We spend more per capita for fire protection then San Francisco. SF has had how many deadly earthquakes in the last 100 years vs. how many has Boston had? Which city would you expect to be paying more per capita for fire protection? Is it that we are spending to little or is it that we are spending it on the wrong things like too many desk job people, too many fire fighters and not enough support personal like mechanics?

Sad that someone dies and yet no accountability. The FD will hire real mechanics to "work with and train the maintenance fire personnel".. Wouldn't you just be getting rid of fire personnel disguised as pretend mechanics rather than training them? How about focusing on the job you are supposed to do, rather than playing mechanics at firefighter wages..

For all you union haters. SHUT UP. You made way to much money during the good years. The Unions just got the same 0-4% raises while you received unearned bonuses and raises well above 10%. Menino is playing you people. He runs the globe. Who hired this "outside consultant" . The mayor. Do you think he was going to get a report that pinned anything on him. WAKE UP

To those who have posted offensive, rude and ignorant comments here about the BFD and the work ethic of the guys, I just want to say, keep your negative opinions to yourself!! I, for one, appreciate the job they do and can sleep more soundly at night knowing that should there be a fire or any other type of emergency, they will be there to assist me. I don't think you fully appreciate how little they get paid, how underfunded they are and how much is expected of them despite limited funds, and on top of it all, they face public criticism instead of appreciation (or outrage that they are not being adequately provided for by the city). You will criticize, but what's the first number you're going to call in an emergency? That's right , it's 9-1-1! And, who will be first on the scene to help you out? That's right, the fire department! Stop criticizing and show some support!

EVERY FIREFIGHTER is a member of the union from a probationary firefighter to all chiefs. They do run the dept, there are 8 firefighter in the motor squad (listed in the report) 4 of them made over 50,000 in overtime. 1 made over 70,000 in overtime. How can it be that the city is underfunding the motor squad when 4 firefighter make over 200,000 in overtime in a year. How is it that its the city fault that the trucks are not checked by the drivers. it may not be a requirement for firefighter to get a CDL license but it should be. If you want to call yourself professional act it. document your work, show some accountable.

Let’s be clear the Mayor’s job is to appoint the commissioner who then should have the authority to appoint competent senior level managers who then work to ensure that the fire department is managed effectively and efficiently. It is not the mayor’s job to development truck maintenance plans but the fire department management team’s responsibility. It is also the department’s management team that is responsible for preparing and managing the department’s budget. Also, Commissioner Frazer is the first commissioner to be appointed that is not a member of the union in recent history. All other management positions at the department are filled with union members. Commissioner Frazer is sabotaged every step of the way in his efforts to build a professional and well managed department by his senior management team who are more loyal to the union then they are to the department and the tax payers of this city. To have a well run department we need a professional, nonunion senior management team running the department.

Are we reading the same article? It is the policy of the BFD to "Pawn Off" maintenance operations on firefighters in the stations who have not recieved the training or education required. A maintenance program should be coordinated and run by the Fleet Department. Firefighters should be held accountable to the basic safety checks but not held accountable for working on these items, that should be the repsonsibility of the fleet department. However, Fire Engineers should be checking out their vehicles daily and weekly to take every precaution that they are safe to operate. It still does not negate the tragedy of the death of Lt.Kelley. I don't know about the politics of the BFD and its city, but without a quarterly inspection program, accountability, and proper maintenance by mechanics qualified to work on fire aparatus, this could happen again and injure not only firefighters, but also the public. Lets get past the politics and finger pointing and get to the solution.

For all you ignorant fools bashing the firefighters, grow up. They have no control over the resources allocated to the department to enable their safety, their equipment and their stations. Yet day in and day out, they jeopardize their well being for the public. They would all rush into burning building to save all of you that are ripping them right now, and that is what separates them from you. Dignity.
Grow up everyone, think for yourself, and put yourself in their shoes. Show some respect.. you make me sick.

Working on these trucks is not rocket science and does not require a PHD. Any truck mechanic can handle this kind of maintenance. Fire a few couch potatoes and hire a few mechanics. Really not a very tough issue here.U
Uh oh, i forgot "public Safety". That is going to require 10 people to do the job of 1 and many many hours of overtime. What a boondoggle this department is.

every firefighter I know has no problem taking time off when their second job needs attention. why can't they train/afford certified mechanics? cause of all the money being paid out for disablility and retirement pensions. at least the Globe can keep an eye on these crooks cause the city has no control over them.

Bruce Warner-
As an Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT), yes it is an actual certification, I can tell you that you are incorrect in your ignorant assessment regarding the level of skill and knowledge needed to repair such equipment.

I have not encountered one regular (non-emergency apparatus) truck or automotive technician who is qualified to work on some of the systems that are exclusive to fire apparatus, and to a certain extent, police vehicles.

The water pump systems, whether controlled manually through cables, levers and rods, or through electronic controls or a combination thereof, take an incredible level of training and knowledge in order to maintain, adjust, and repair the water system. I'm willing to bet very few people who read my post will know the difference between a single stage and a dual stage water pump, or for that matter, even know that there are different types of pump options available.

Any competent truck technician could change the oil, do the suspension work, and all of the other basics along the lines of replacing headlights and turn signal lights, but too much further into the electrical system than that, it can become a mess.

Can the average truck technician explain a multiplexed emergency lighting system works or how the wiring is routed? Good luck getting a correct answer, or answers, from them. The only correct answer that they will provide is an odd look and ask what you are talking about. The manner in which the warning/emergency lighting systems are wired makes it quite a PITA to deal with at times, due to the complexities involved in the way the operation of the lights are coordinated, operate, and controlled from the inside of the cab.

Make no mistake, there are a multitude of flash/lighting switches in the cab to select what lights to use and what flash option to select. Try learning to repair that at a local college. Most of that information gets taught only by the manufacturers of the lighting or the manufacturer of the apparatus, depending on who decides how the emergency warning light system gets installed and what control unit gets used.

I will state that you are correct that it's not necessarily rocket science or a profession that requires a PhD, but it takes a great level of education to maintain and repair these unique vehicles, just based on their specialty attachments and equipment.

For the record, I'm not from Boston, but do keep up on apparatus maintenance issues, and I'm not very in tune with the issues in the City of Boston, but I will say that it looks like a situation where everybody appears to be in the wrong in some manner-the Fire Department, City Hall, and the Union. Based on the comments that proceeded mine, it looks as if everybody at the white collar level and at the union hall, need to realize it's time to grow up and acknowledge that there are consequences for ignorance, stupidity, and arrogant views.

That's why we pay them the big bucks! They make sure those POW flags are screwed on tight.

All of these negative and slandering comments to YOUR BOSTON FIREFIGHTER'S is so appalling to me and any other firefighter. We took the job to put our lives on the line to try to save a complete stranger. We run into burning buildings, car fires, medical calls that people may have infectious diseases and many more types of calls that are hazardous and life threatening. What im saying is, all the above comments are from NON FIREFIGHTERS and tried to become one but just cant handle it. You would all give your left arm or you first born to become one. Their ar alot of Boston Firefighter's that have saved a life or two. Go ask the people they saved if they care about this article. They probably dont. If they do, at least their alive to read it.

The Boston Fire Department has bosses who have a hush-hush deal to call in sick so the other will get overtime pay for covering their shift. The other will reciprocate at a later time. The fact that the AVERAGE pay for a Boston firefighter is around $93,000 (when you include benefits) explains why it is so damned expensive to live, work, or start a business in Boston.
Bostonians, I feel sorry for you.

Is anything in this city being managed properly?

Its funny that when people bring up that the fact that firefighters are not qualified to do maintenance on the vehicles, the firefighters friends and family attack the posters, YET NOT ONE FIREFIGHTER FRIEND HAS DEFENDED THEIR UNION BOSS. Maybe its because they understand that he is not helping their cause. Also "FF" maybe you need to take a good look at the economy lately ALOT OF "BUMS" WOULD LOVE TO BE MAKING $18 AN HOUR NOW.

One comment from a certified emergency vehicle operator instructor, and Chief Engineer of our local Fire Department. Regarding the requirement of a "CDL license to operate a GINORMOUS truck". A fire truck is not a commercial vehicle and, and firefighting is not commerce. It is a common mistake to refer to Weight Classification endorsement as CDL. The CDL is a federal program put in place for over the road drivers crossing state lines, and is inapplicable to firefighting. I do agree with the intent of the comment though, Fire Apparatus operators should be licensed by their state for the weight and configuration of the vehicle they are operating.

Nice to see everyone concerned about their tax dollars at work. As an out of state firefighter that took the time to drive up to LT Kevin Kelly's funeral, lets not forget him and his family through this ordeal. If you've never been to a firefighter funeral, you don't understand the amount of pride and respect that exists amongst firefighters and our profession. If you're not a firefighter, you don't know much about the fire service. As much as you insult and cut down the BFD, its union or anyone else affiliated with them...they will still show up at your door, any time of day or night, regardless of your problem- big or small, no matter the color of your skin, job you do, or anything else. They work with what they have and make the best of it. They are there for YOU. They risk life and limb for YOU. They will not leave until the problem is rectified. Shame on you for not taking care of them.

I'm sure you'd be completely satisfied if you called 9-1-1 for a medical reason or your house on fire and the response was "sorry, our truck won't start or stop, maybe you can get someone else to help you. " The unique thing with the fire service...when you call the FD for help, you ALWAYS get someone to show up in a timely fashion. No window of time like the phone people or cable guy...a timely response.

The fire department is like an insurance policy for YOU. They are there when you need them. They are a big expense for the city and don't bring in revenue like other departments. BUT, they are always there when you need them and they should have the resources to do their job safely. Budget cuts for the BFD jeopardize your safety and those that have the proud job of keeping you safe. They should be given the resources to do the job they have sworn to do. And remember, union contracts are negotiated...remember that on Election Day.