NAACP seeks reconsideration of changes to fire commish standards
Date: 12/4/2012
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comSPRINGFIELD — The president of the Springfield Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called on Mayor Domenic Sarno to reconsider lowering the standards for the position of fire commissioner, but Sarno appears not to be backing down.
At a press conference conducted Nov. 28, Rev. Talbot Swan II questioned why the filling of the positions of police commissioner and school superintendent resulted in national searches and public input, but not the job of fire commissioner.
Sarno has advocated changing the requirements of the job in order to allow Acting Commissioner Joseph Conant to be eligible for the permanent appointment.
"Watering down the requirements for the sake of a single preferred candidate sends a questionable message to the rank and file within the Fire Department, our youth and city residents, Swan said. "It only solidifies the well-know adage that it's not what you know, it's who you know."
Swan had written a letter to Sarno voicing his concerns on Nov. 19. As of the press conference, Swan hadn't received a reply from the mayor.
Swan noted that other cities the size of Springfield require either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree for the position of fire chief or commissioner. Although some people have said the role of the fire commissioner in Springfield should require a person with considerable fire-fighting experience, Swan noted that with the elimination of the Fire Commission, the fire commissioner is responsible for all personnel matters and should have management experience and education.
He added the manager of the dispatch office is a job that has a higher education requirement than those for the fire commissioner as proposed by the mayor.
Members of the firefighters union have told Swan that no one has asked for the rank and file's advice in the matter.
"It's clear that this is the mayor's choice," Swan said of Conant.
Swan also brought up larger issues of racism in the department. "African Americans and Latinos have had a difficult time advancing within the Springfield Fire Department as evidence by the fact that we only recently celebrated the appointment of the first ever African American captain and Latino district chief, which call many of the practices of the department into question."
Swan mentioned how the report on the department compiled by Carroll Buracker & Associates Inc. in 2005 noted, "During interviews with employees, there were a number of themes that related to accountability and consistency. Some were at a more severe level. Two themes relative to defacing a female bathroom wall and the use of the 'N' word were particularly repulsive. While these particular themes appear to be related to a small number of personnel, such actions have no place in any workplace, let alone government service. These actions should not be tolerated, and people involved in these alleged actions should be asked to seek other employment. Those supervisory personnel who take no action should also be held accountable."
Swan added he still receives complaints about racism in the department.
When asked by
Reminder Publications to respond to Swan's charges, Sarno sent the following statement: "During the Finance Control Board's tenure in Springfield, some provisions of the city ordinance relative to the appointment of a permanent Springfield Fire Commissioner were modified to require that any such appointment possess a master's degree.
"Joseph Conant has been serving as Acting Fire Commissioner since January 2012, and has demonstrated a commitment to the residents of this city and to the department.
"At this time, I do not feel that the provision of the ordinance requiring a master's degree is necessary because we have such a highly qualified individual who possesses hands on experience. Conant served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 1984 to 1988 and was appointed to the Springfield Fire Department on Sept. 14, 1987. He was promoted to Lieutenant on April 21, 1997 and Captain on April 16, 2004. Conant's strong work ethic and commitment to the job allowed him to continue moving up the departmental ranks leading to his appointment as District Chief on Jan. 1, 2007 and the appointment to his current position on Jan. 10, 2011.
"Conant's work performance with the department over the last 20 years and my personal interaction with Conant during last year's unprecedented natural weather disasters allowed me to see first- hand Joe's strong work ethic and leadership abilities. Specifically, after the June 1st [2011] Tornado Joe demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring the public safety of our city's residents and to the men and women of the Springfield Fire Department. His leadership abilities helped the Fire Department communicate very important, and in some cases life-saving information to residents impacted by these disasters.
"Additionally, Conant has shown strong budgetary and administrative decision making skills especially during these challenging economic times, and a strong command and respect of the rank and file of the Springfield Fire Department," Sarno continued.
