04/26/2023
Unfortunately we have lost yet another fire chief. For many of us on the department this means that we will have served under FIVE OR MORE chiefs! We regret the upcoming departure of the Chief but wish him the best on his future endeavors. The union sincerely hopes that the town administration reaches out to ask our input on the coming search for an interim and permanent chief, and that that search begins quickly and without delay. There is well over a hundred years of combined experience located inside our walls and it seems that more often than not our expertise is diminished and dismissed by town administration. Unfortunately due to lack of support from the town, our department lacks the rank structure to provide a qualified internal candidate. Once the Chief leaves, if an external interim is not brought in our only internal candidates hold the rank of lieutenant, and lack the proper certifications and experience that the position requires. After the retirement of Captain Bigger last year, the town still has not appointed an interim Captain and despite the best effort of the union the town still will not work with us to help us develop and support a succession plan that will increase retention, allow us to function more effectively and prevent problems like this in the future.We feel that this is largely due to an environment of inconsistency that the town continues to support. Every new Chief that has been hired has re-written policy and procedure to reflect their own style or approach, which means that every time this happens our firefighters need to meet different standards and sometimes completely change the way we operate. WE NEED CHANGE. We need standards, policy's, procedures, and equipment that reflect industry standards for our size and level of service. Your Manchester Firefighters will always be here to answer the call, and we will continue to do whatever we can to provide the highest level of service possible. If you feel that these conditions are unacceptable we urge you to contact a town representative and voice your concerns