By William Kaempffer
The New Haven Register
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Fire Department added seven new firefighter paramedics Wednesday, providing a much-needed increase to the number of medics to staff department ambulances.
Thomas Connors, 45, retired after 23 years from the Milford Fire Department in April, and in May started at the New Haven academy. Theodore Oliver left an ambulance corps in Manchester to join his brother Kenny as an NHFD paramedic. Frank Filardo jumped at the chance when the city decided to hire a paramedics-only class, and left American Medical Response after 10 years.
“I’ve been trying to find my way on the department for quite some time,” said Filardo after taking his oath of office.
The addition of new firefighters/paramedics will give some needed relief to the existing firefighters who staff the department’s emergency units. The department was down to nine paramedics, said Fire Chief Michael Grant, barely enough to staff the department’s two ambulances 24 hours a day.
“They’ve been able to hold this together through a lot of work hours,” said Grant. “They deserve a little rest.”
For the first time, the city opted to hire a recruit class open only to existing paramedics, who went through an abbreviated academy to obtain their firefighter certification.
While the graduation ceremony infused new staffing at the entry level, the department over the last month has lost a significant number of veterans.
Assistant Fire Chief Ron Dumas, second-in-command at the Fire Department, retired with 22 years on the job, the last 10 as assistant chief, at theof July.
Two deputy fire chiefs — Thomas Holman, with 32 years, and John Marquez, with 26 years — also left, as did 911 supervisor Andrew Campion, a member of the department for 39 years, and Abraham Colon, the department’s EMS supervisor and 23-year member of the department.
But Assistant Chief Ralph Black said it is unusual for so many of the retirements to be in the department’s top ranks.
“It’s a lot of experience. It’s the first time in my 24 years that I’ve seen this kind of experience leave all at once,” he said.
Fire Chief Michael Grant said he plans to fill Dumas’ position, an important administrative post at the department.
Dumas, he said, effectively completed a number of projects that moved the department forward, often behind the scenes.
“He did things that people don’t even know happened. I certainly do. He is a very loyal man,” Grant said.
Campion, who joined the department with Grant, performed “exceptionally well” in every assignment he had at the department, Grant said.
The departures leave three out of four deputy chief positions vacant. Three out of eight battalion chief spots are vacant as well.
The city plans promotional tests for the deputy and EMS supervisor positions later this fiscal year.
At City Hall, Grant described Wednesday as a “good day.”
Few professions, he told the new hires, offer the satisfaction of saving someone’s life.
“It’s very self-rewarding. Very few professions provide that satisfaction. With this reward comes a responsibility.”
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