Public safety and adequate staffing of the Fire Department should be addressed, however in the current environment that discussion could well lead to "shared services" and combining the departments throughout the county. What I am curious about is why did it take a neighboring business to raise the alarm? Hopefully someone will look into the adequacy of the smoke and/or fire alarms in the restaurant and apartments which presumabaly should have brought assistance much earlier.

Next time theWFD has a working fire, the IC needs to make sure dispatch notifies all elected leaders and they can see first hand how it is to work with your hands tied behind your back...Wake up Westfield before one of the bravest is seriously hurt or worst yet killed.....Remember we risk ours to save yours!

Why was the ladder truck left in the barn. Was the pumper more useful? What about voulenteer fireman like many other towns.?
Why can't the chief make compensation in order to use all equipment.? Fireman are beginning to sound like the teachers union,
They are brave and great men and I do not want to undermine their efforts but hopefuully they can find a system that will let all equipment roll and stay within budget.

Shared services is the answer not more hires or truck purchases.

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flow-rate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Although historically only used in factories and large commercial buildings, home and small building systems are now available at a cost-effective price. Are they required in Westfield? If not, why not?

The recent passage of the $83 million passed with a minimum votes cast. Why is there no consideration given to the safety issue; just to whatever the Board of Education wants. Who is running this town, the mayor and council or the Board of Education?
Bernard J. Fitzsimmons

Bernard, what does this issue have to do with the Board of Education?

It's all very simple. Pay more in taxes, get more on fire dept. staff. Pay less in taxes, get less on fire dept. staff. My preference is to pay more in taxes and get the necessary protection. I also find it interesting that usually, not always, the people who argue against budget/staffing cuts like this are typically also the same people who argue against higher taxes when they are needed. (Same for school budgets/staffing too). You cannot have both. You cannot keep taxes the same or reduce them and get more services/staffing. This is not even college level Economics 101... it's Lincoln School Kindergarten p.m. math. I also think there is something inherently wrong with our reliance on volunteer staff for the fire dept./rescue squad. God bless those people who volunteer. It is very generous what they do for the rest of us. But, why aren't we paying them? We should be paying them! Why should a few kind souls have to bare this burden for the rest of us. Given the number of houses in Westfield, I really doubt that a few extra people on the payroll would make all that much difference to each homeowner. We have a top notch fire dept. (and rescue squad and school system)... we should be equipping these fine employees with all the tools/staffing that they need to continue their fine work, while keeping themselves (and the rest of us) safe.

Totally agree with your statement, well said! These two fires in such a short time span requires rethinking of staff cuts. Do we want Westfield to become a ghost town?

"curious citizen" had a good point - "If there are 20+ firemen in the department, is there not a procedure in place to have them report for duty ASAP during a large fire (and even get paid for their time)?"

For the salaries and fringe benefits these folks get paid, why isn't it a job requirement that a certain percentage of off-duty firefighters are on call at any given time?

Given that the fire department is across the street from Ferraro's something does not smell right about the outcome of this fire. There should be more being looked into than just the reported arson investigation.

To: Curious Citizen

There is a procedure for off duty firemen to come in for a fire, however it is up to the brass to call in all of the men. They opt to only call anywhere from 6 to 9 men because they don't want to pay the o/t. They rather wait the 15 minutes or so for outside towns to come in. As for sprinklers they hold down the fire not prevent em. I don't know if that building was up to code.

If shared services were such a great invention then there would be a whole lot more towns doing it. If you read the papers you would see that many NJ towns have looked into shared services and have decided not to do it. Hmm maybe because it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Hey Jeff B: Its sounds like your THAT Scotch Plains volunteer firefighter who just couldnt pass a firefighter entrance test that is disgrunted. Only a Scotch Plains firefighter would know that station number.

LLRowe..Well said and your exactly right! I find it very interesting that a 600 or 700 thousand dollar piece of equipment sits in quarters....Thats what they should be up in arms about..If I lived there(used too) thats the question I'd be asking....Seems like those that don't know the fire service have all the answers...Seems like they know how to call when it hits the fan...and who shows up with no questions asked! Just saying!

I would like to know why the Mayor seems to think this is a labor matter.First and foremost it is a safety issue.
There is no doubt the union wants more firemen. According to the comments of Mr.Ciarrocca,the present level of staffing is the equivalent of the dangerous level we would have reached if there had been layoffs. We have the assurance of Mr.Loughlin that we meet "federal standards" without naming the exact standards.
It would seem that the only knowledgeable sources to whom the Town turns on the subject of fire safety are the appointees in the Department who owe their jobs to the Mayor and Council.
There is a reason why , for years, the staffing was at the level of nine man teams.The reason had nothing to do with budgets, it had to do with safety.Let us staff the department based on safety.

Westfield seems to have avery large Parking Enforcement staff who spend an enourmpous amount of time riding around the town mearsuring & noting how long a car is parked on a side street or riding thru the parking lots over & over. I would think it would be in the town's best interest to decreaase the number of parking enforcement agents & for the safety of it's residents increase the fire & police staff.

Vote Democratic in the fall! Its funny how Presidential elections ar e democratic but not town officials... the proof it in the pudding!

Regarding parking enforcement......why do the police use a car ? The town is small and easily walkable. No need for the expense of a car and fuel. Plus these police cars always create congestion in parking areas. Maybe elimination of this car and a few other smart moves will help towards the expense of creating a professional rescue squad that can also be part of the FD.

Proof, Vote Democrat? Depends on who they put up to run. They have to put someone better than the people te Republicans have. The last Democrat mayor we had was Jardim and his performance was very underwhelming. It is not a funny or odd thing that when the federal elections go one way and local elections go another - it is proof that we do not have the same perspectives and it is what makes a democracy a democracy. One more thing - our county is run by Democrats and the bulk of our tax dollars are going to Plainfield, Hillside, Elizabeth - all areas where we know Democrats are in control. Now, that is odd or funny as it is not a coincidence.

Says who that Jardim's performance was underwhelming? Look at the crew we have now!!!!!! All Republicans care about is cutting taxes and saving those taxes for the rich at the expense of the middle class and the poor. This mayor and town council do not serve us well when they cut areas of vital services, putting lives and property in harms way. It is incredible that they cannot allow full staffing. I am sure we would get the money from just $50 per household.

I would agree with you if we were talking about income taxes here. For approximately half the period since the income tax was instituted in 1913 the top marginal rate was 70% or more and the country made considerable progress. Now it is 35%.

However, the services under discussion are paid for by property taxes. Everyone pays the same tax rate, applied to the property's assessed value. Collecting revenue through property taxes is not progressive and particularly hurts the poor and middle class homeowner. To add insult to injury, the elderly, who make the least demand for public services by far (no children in school), typically live on fixed income and are treated especially unfairly by property taxes. Stories are common of Westfield elderly who have to sell homes they have lived in for decades because they can no longer afford the property taxes, which are now more than the mortgage payments they once had.

Many hundreds of dollars per family to pay the questionable 12% salary increases to Westfield teachers in their 2010 contract, perhaps a hundred per family for more firefighters and a few hundred more for the paid, professional rescue squad able to deliver advanced services that others on this blog want and pretty soon you're talking about real money - that the middle class, the poor and many elderly can't afford.

Christopher, previously, I responded to "Ken" who wanted a paid, professional paramedic service for Westfield:

"Your comment about the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad is accurate but incomplete. Police will coordinate the needed level of response, including arriving on the scene within moments of a call and securing a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for potentially serious situations, to provide the appropriate level of care. Paying for this level of expertise on a full time basis is both unnecessary and a waste of money."

"A few hundred (dollars per year in taxes per family) more" was an armchair guess of the cost of adding a 24/7 paid staff of paramedics qualified to deliver advanced services, plus supervision, equipment, and administrative support - basically another operation like police and fire. But my implicit point of the whole comment you responded to is that there is no end to personal wish lists - large salary increases for teachers, more firefighters, a paid paramedic service, etc. It takes true leadership to draw the line somewhere, which has been woefully absent at the Federal level from either party for many years. In my opinion, as citizens we need to make our wishes known, be willing to pay for them, be respectful of those who are financially less able, and vote.

Brendan, I am not ranting at all, and certainly NOT for Advanced Life Services but AGAINST, contrary to your claim! The status quo is effective, free (unless you really need MICU) and very much appreciated by the folks who have needing the service, including my extended family.