By Dirk Perrefort
Connecticut Post Online (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
MILFORD, Conn. — The city’s Board of Fire Commissioners on Wednesday terminated the employment of a dispatcher who made jokes during a medical call last month for a Stratford man who died while in police custody.
Fire Chief Louis LaVecchia said Teresa Burrows, who has been employed by the department for the past two years, and a police dispatcher handled the medical call in a “joking manner,” although he declined to comment on what was said.
The commission voted unanimously to terminate Burrows’ employment during a special meeting held at the Fire Department’s headquarters on New Haven Avenue.
The matter was brought to the fire board’s attention by Police Chief Keith Mello as part of that department’s ongoing review into the death of Nicholas Brown, 24, who died Oct. 19 about five hours after being shot twice with a stun gun. The Chief State Medical Examiner’s office said the cause of Brown’s death was cocaine toxicity.
The police called for paramedics after an officer doing a routine cellblock check noticed that Brown appeared ill and was sweating profusely. Brown had a seizure after being placed in an ambulance and suffered cardiac arrest while being transported to the hospital. “At no time was the public in danger,” LaVecchia said, adding that the response time to the call wasn’t affected by the dispatcher’s conduct. “This employee has a long history of not following the department’s rules and regulations.”
Officer Vaughan Dumas, a spokesman for the Police Department, said they are also reviewing a “labor issue” and expect to have a decision in the matter by the end of the week. He declined further comment.
Daniel P. Hunsberger Sr., an attorney with the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters association who represented Burrows during Wednesday’s meeting, said he plans to file an appeal of the commission’s decision today with the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration.
“The underlying incident was unfortunate and embarrassing for the city,” Hunsberger said. “But as a result, these dispatchers have been made scapegoats. There was no just cause for termination. Everyone I’ve spoken to said [Burrows] is an excellent dispatcher whose reviews have been above average and excellent.”
Jim Connors, president of the local International Association of Fire Fighters union that represents the dispatchers, said nobody has ever complained about Burrows’ job performance in the past.
“This may stem from the call itself and what happened,” he said. “The call was dispatched in a timely fashion with the proper resources. Whatever happened before or after that is not our issue.”
Burrows declined comment on the matter.