EDISON ORDINANCE COULD DOUBLE MAYOR'S SALARY
MYCENTRALJERSEY.COM - April 28, 2008 - The township administration may introduce an ordinance that could increase salaries for department heads and other township officials — and nearly double the mayor's pay.
Under the ordinance, the salary for the mayor's position, which is currently set at $49,000, would be changed to a range of $49,000-$97,000.
The salary range for the business administrator's position would go up to $110,000-135,000 from the current $66,950-$100,940 range.
The township clerk position would go up to the range of $70,000-$125,000 from the existing $45,000-$82,400 range.
The salary range for all directors would fall under a new range of $70,000-$125,000, except for the Director of Law position which would fall under a $35,000-$95,000 range.
The tax assessor position would see a drop in salary range from $71,955-$100,940 to $55,000-$100,000.
If the ordinance is introduced and adopted by the council, it would be up to the business administrator to determine the exact individual salaries within the appropriate salary range.
Township spokesman Jerry Barca said passage of the ordinance would "bring everyone to a fair market rate."
In February, Councilman Anthony Massaro brought up the issue of raising the township clerk's salary. At the time, it was pointed out by the administration that the salaries for other positions also needed attention, Barca said.
The ordinance appeared on the agenda for Monday's council meeting, but the administration pulled the measure, with officials saying it was a clerical mistake to include it. Councilman Sudhanshu Prasad, one of the council members aligned with the mayor, could not attend Monday's meeting because he was out of town. For the ordinance to pass, it would require approval by a majority of the seven-member council.
The ordinance will likely be introduced sometime in May, Barca said.
EDISON MAYOR FAILING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
THE HOME NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE - March 14, 2008 - I have begun to question the integrity and leadership of Edison Mayor Jun Choi. I thought he would be a change in the right direction for a township riddled with divisions and corruption. It is disappointing to say that in two years little has changed.
The mayor's insecure and secretive behavior is worrisome; he seems unable to make clear decisions when faced with any opposition by residents, even abusing the legal system to intimidate known activists.
I read of his desperate need to depoliticize the Edison Police Department by jumping ranks, a move that seems by design to demoralize any employee who works hard but refuses to join the mayor's bandwagon.
Choi and his Township Council allies campaigned on open government, yet they are shutting down council meetings at 11 p.m. This has never been done before. Even under George Spadoro's rule, council meetings would continue until every resident said his or her peace.
It seems that residents are struggling to receive township documents in a timely manner, and more troubling is that the township attorney is billing thousands of dollars to review what residents are requesting. Of most concern is the mysterious lack of audio at a recent council meeting where citizen after citizen spoke out against many of the mayor's decisions, including a massive tax increase.
Choi's call for unity will continue to ring hollow until he begins to work along with the people he has been elected to serve.
Lin Ziskoski
EDISON
EDISON DEBATES FULE SUPPLIES
THE HOME NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE - March 9, 2008 - Officials of township firefighters union have expressed concern over reports of a township-wide fuel shortage, speculating it was because the fuel bill was not paid.
But township officials call the incident a "miscommunication."
Scott Law, second vice president of the Edison firefighters association, said he heard about the possible fuel problem around noon Friday and had heard that there was no delivery due to lack of payment.
"Our call volume has the potential of going up greatly in storms," he said, adding that a typical Nor'easter could generate between 50 to 100 calls a day.
"It concerns me if we have a major fire," said Edison Firefighters Local 1197 President Robert Yackel. "Everything runs on diesel fuel."
A call to Edison Mayor Jun Choi was referred to township communications director, Jerry Barca.
"There is no fuel shortage in Edison," Barca said, citing the incident as a "miscommunication."
He said that the fire department doesn't handle fuel and the union is in arbitration over their contracts.
But Yackel said it had nothing to do with negotiations.
"This is a safety issue. People's lives are at stake," he said, adding that a number of charges were filed against Mayor Choi and acting Fire Chief Norman Jensen, including unfair labor practices.
Deputy Chief Ralph Ambrosio would not comment.
An e-mail went out Friday afternoon to all volunteer fire company captains, lieutenants and fire stations about the township-wide fuel shortage.
"All fire Apparatus (sic) are to remain in quarters except for emergency response," according to the e-mail from Capt. Robert Sofield, who is the deputy coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management. The memo said the directive came on the instructions of Ambrosio.
Sofield responded with a terse "no comment" Saturday when asked by phone about the memo he put out.
Ambrosio, who was copied on the electronic memo, denied that there was a major fuel shortage, just a delayed delivery.
"No one called me and asked if we were in trouble," he said.
Ambrosio said the department had to wait a few days for their delivery, but some emergency fuel was delivered on Friday afternoon when 500 gallons were delivered to both Fire Station 1 on Plainfield Avenue and Station 3 on Amboy Avenue. He said that the tank, which can hold 1,000 gallons, at Station 3 was down to 250 gallons.
"If a tank has 200 gallons, it might sound like a lot to a normal person," said Law, but added that there is sediment and water that collects at the bottom of the tanks. If the levels dip that low it could damage the motor of the vehicle.
Yackel, who is also a retired firefighter, said that it was a lucky thing that it was raining, not snowing, Saturday or there would be more problems.
He said that normally the firefighters would refuel at Fire stations 1, 3, and Station 5 on Beverly Street, or at the township garage on Durham Avenue — but there was no fuel available at any of these locations.
Edison Director of Public Works Jeff Roderman disputed the fuel shortage.
"I think it's a non-issue," he said.
He said a delivery request was made around noon on Friday and delivered about an hour and a half later for Station 3.
Roderman, who handles the invoices for the department, said there have been outstanding invoices for the John Duffy Fuel Oil Co., but the company has never refused delivery.
Still, Yackel stands by the shortage and said it's an unusual event.
"It's never happened before in my knowledge and I've been here 35 years," said Yackel.
COUNCIL RESCINDS LATEST BUDGET AMENDMENT
Time to adopt spending plan running out, according to statute
SENTINAL - February 20, 2008 - The Edison Township Council voted to rescind its latest budget amendment, due to what was said to be a procedural error as well as lingering questions about some specific budget items.
This move pushes the adoption of a budget to at least March, with a public hearing scheduled by the council for the end of February. The township's finances operate on a fiscal year timetable that ends in June, meaning that discussions of the next budget year would be set to begin in about four months. According to state statute 40A:4- 10 Adoption of Budget, municipalities must adopt a budget by March 20.
The unanimous vote, which took place without discussion or comment during the Feb. 13 council meeting, essentially puts the budget process back to start, with progress on adopting an amendment essentially wiped clean.
As it stands now, the proposed budget, without amendment, is about $115 million, which would represent a roughly 14 percent tax increase. An amendment from Mayor Jun Choi was said to reduce the initial budget's tax levy increase to about 9.8 percent as the first part of his potential three-year plan to stabilize property taxes.
According to Councilman Anthony Massaro, the council had decided to rescind the budget amendment because a public hearing on it had not yet taken place and to adopt a budget amendment without a public hearing would "be a disservice to the taxpayers."
Another issue in the delay had to do with acquiring state approval of certain aspects of the proposed budget amendment. BusinessAdministrator Anthony Cancro said the state Division of Local Government Services had not approved the full amendment yet, which was the reason why the completed document could not be provided to the council that night.
Massaro also said he had concerns about a $700,000 revenue item stemming from a developer's agreement from an unnamed developer and noted that before he could move on, he would want more information about who this developer is and what he or she might want.
"My reason to do this is if themayor has chosen to include $700,000 from that developer in our budget, and the budget is a public document, then the public has a right to know," said Massaro. He said he is prepared to pursue this information outside the council chambers if need be. When asked if he means pursuing litigation, he answered yes.
During the meeting, many people expressed disapproval at how convoluted they felt the budget process has become.
"It's really taken turns that I don't think anyone could have anticipated … I don't think anyone could have scripted this. This is very unusual," said council President Robert Diehl. "I apologize it's taken this long."
Resident Joe Petrucelli, a regular at town meetings, stated during the meeting's public portion that it was also important to know how much money had already been spent during the current fiscal year.He reasoned that since money for this year is already being collected and spent, despite not having an adopted budget, it makes sense to account for those funds when determining a spending plan for that same year. He also said it was important to know because looking at the line items can ensure that the government is not exceeding the amount that would be budgeted to them.
Former Councilman Salvatore Pizzi agreed with this sentiment when he spoke during the public portion.
"You are eight months into the budget and these appropriations are for a whole year. …You should ask the administration 'It's been eight months, do you really need this much now?' " said Pizzi.
Cancro said that all the documentation that the council needs to make an informed decision, including a 172-page line item account, has already been provided and that "there is no other documentation to give." He also said that both the current and previous chief financial officers for the township have certified each month that the township is not spending more than has been allotted.
Petrucelli responded that the information should be released to the public instead of having to rely on a certification, so figures can be double-checked.
This development is the latest in a series of budget-related difficulties in Edison. During the winter and fall last year, a great deal of conflict emerged between the Township Council - which at that point did not have the four new members - and the administration over the release of the line item budget details. The administration had dismissed these demands as political grandstanding, saying that the figures were still being worked on. However, certain council members, including Massaro, had accused the administration of stonewalling.
The line item details were finally released to both the council - which at that point had turned over, with the winners of the last election taking their seats - and the public on Jan. 9.
According to Cancro, when the township finally receives its approval from the state, a new document will be provided, with footnotes explaining its differences from the previous one. At that point, a full public hearing will be able to be held and a budget can be adopted. giving the civilian director actual police powers, which state statute prohibits.
"[The ordinance] clearly would give law enforcement powers and day-to-day operations to the director, and that clearly comes under the statute of chief," said Wieners.
When asked about other towns that have police directors, presumably lawfully, Wieners said that the structure there is different from what is proposed in Edison. He pointed to Elizabeth as a perfect example, saying that in that town, a police chief handles day-to-day policy while a director creates general policy.
He said that the state PBA is adamantly supports a police chief in Edison rather than a police director and said that the organization is willing to pursue litigation if necessary.
Township spokesman Jerry Barca, however, said that the administration is just as committed to a police director instead of a police chief.
"We remain strongly committed to appointing a police director to help improve this police department," said Barca.
Representatives from the township and the PBA met Feb. 15 to discuss the matter further, and both sides said that their conversation had been productive.
"The mayor is considering a number of suggestions about the ordinance," said Barca.
"The meeting went well. [There was] sharing of ideas. Communicating," said Wieners.
Edison Mayor Jun Choi had proposed creating the position of civilian police director, which would be occupied by DEA agent Brian Collier, to head the department earlier last month. Choi said that this would remove politics from the force because the director would be held accountable directly to the administration, as opposed to a tenured chief, who would be much more difficult to remove if things go sour. Opponents of the civilian director measure, including the local PBA, have said that a chief 's tenure is the number one reason why a chief is preferable to a police director, saying that a director would lack independence from the administration, whereas a chief would be able to make decisions that are sound, regardless of whether or not they are politically unpalatable.
Also at issue, though this was not discussed by the state PBA, is another measure that would remove the in-grade durational requirements from the force. As it is now, officers must have a certain number of years of experience before being able to be considered for promotion. Removing this requirement would allow Choi's nomination for deputy chief, Lt. Thomas Bryan, to bypass the needed ranks. Choi said that removing these requirements allows the most qualified officers to rise to the top quickly and that the current system can result in stasis and stagnation at the top ranks.
Opponents have said that experience is very important and that having people skip ranks can be demoralizing to other officers who might be hoping to work their way up slowly through the ranks.
Both measures came in the wake of the sudden retirement of former Police Chief George Mieczkowski in November.
While there had not been a public hearing that night, some at the meeting expressed their views during its public portion. One resident, Lin Ziskowski, was particularly vocal against a police director and for a police chief, wanting Deputy Chief Mel Vaticano to fill that role. She spoke at length about what she felt were Vaticano's merits, including the amount of experience he has on the force, before concluding that the township would be better off if he were chief.
"We do not need a police director when we have a candidate, a chief, who is more qualified to lead this department," said Ziskowski.
A new public hearing on the matter is set to take place at the end of this month.
POLICE CHIEF PREFERRED TO CIVILIAN DIRECTOR OF EDISON COPS
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE - January 17, 2008 - Edison Mayor Jun Choi announced his attention to fight "politicizing" within the township Police Department by way of the political appointment of a civilian police administrator. The mayor's honorable intention is, in his words, to increase accountability within the department. However, the fact is that a civilian administrator is less accountable, not more accountable, than a sworn police chief.
While a civilian administrator does depend upon the good graces of the appointing authority to maintain his position, he is outside of the chain of authority constructed for law enforcement by our state's statutes. Under our state laws and constitution, a chief of police is accountable not only to the local elected officials, but also to the county prosecutor and to the attorney general. A civilian director has no such constraints. Accountability, in this case, really means remaining in the good graces of the appointing official.
Moreover, a civilian director has no additional tools at his disposal than a sworn police chief to hold the officers of an agency accountable for their conduct and performance. In fact, there are significant legal limitations placed upon the activity and authority of such a civilian administrator. Under either scenario, police officers still retain legal rights to due process and progressive discipline.
The mayor also evinces a misunderstanding of the nature of tenure and oversight that applies to the statutory office of chief of police. A sworn police chief, like every police officer in our state, enjoys certain statutory protections against groundless discipline or removal. The laws and regulations that govern the office of chief of police were not created out of thin air. In fact, they evolved as a response to the history of profound and undue political interference in the operation of local law-enforcement agencies exercised by elected officials. Our state statutory system strikes a deliberate and appropriate balance between necessary civilian oversight of the police function with the need to remove arbitrary political interference in the operation of law-enforcement agencies. Civilian directors are not a part of that system and are mere creations of local ordinance.
To be clear, this is not in any way to disparage the individual whom the mayor has put forth as his choice for the civilian director's position. His distinguished career as a federal agent and public servant speaks for itself. The mayor, as well, is a man of honor. The problem is not the personalities of the individuals involved. However, positions in government are not created for specific individuals, and there is no getting around the inherent problems and limitations that come with such a civilian director's position.
In fact, Edison has in the past gone down this same road. Peter Barnes Jr., a former FBI special agent, was appointed as civilian police director for the Edison Police Department. His experiences led him, when he was later the chairman of the Assembly's Law & Public Safety Committee, to draft and sponsor a bill to clarify state law and basically eliminate such civilian directors. Nothing better points out the problems and limitations to come along with the creation of civilian police directors for local law-enforcement agencies.
Mitchell C. Sklar
Executive director, New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police
Marlton
EDISON TAXPAYERS WISE TO CHOI'S BUDGET GAMES
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE ONLINE - January 11, 2008 - Wouldn't it be nice if Edison Mayor Jun Choi's facts about the 2007-08 budget would have crossed paths with the truth somewhere along this prolonged budget process? Is it any wonder why the line between fact and fiction has disappeared on a budget that's been delayed so long that the year is already half over?
If you recall, the town was operating under an estimated 7-cent tax rate increase for fiscal year 2007-08 when Choi introduced his $116 million budget that called for a 13-cent tax rate hike back in September. At that time, the Township Council accepted it, and it became the council's budget to review and either pass as is or amend. But there was a problem. Choi wouldn't provide any details of the budget to the sitting council or the public. Long story made short, he was waiting for his handpicked council to be seated.
Choi then called a special council meeting on Jan. 4 to institute a revised estimated tax rate hike — this one of 9 cents, raising the municipal tax rate to $1.01 per $100 of assessed property value. The four handpicked council members voted for it without any support other than Choi telling them to do so.
At the same time, Choi sends to all the local papers a press release claiming he now has his 2007-08 budget done and it has, you guessed it, a 9-cent tax rate increase. Now, he can send all the press releases he wants to the newspapers and try and misrepresent his budget to the residents, but the bottom line is his handpicked council is still dealing with that very same budget he introduced in September. Choi at that time gave up any ability to change the municipal budget by submitting it to the council, who then forwarded it to the state Division of Community Affairs. This is now the council's budget, and only the council can change or amend it, and not Choi.
Further, the proposed changes that Choi is now spinning as his budget recommendation is not by choice but rather by law. State law limits the increase that can be charged to the taxpayer to 4 percent above last year, with some exceptions and the ability to get waivers if necessary. Finally, we have tax-increase limits that can be measured and verified.
So now you have to ask yourself why Choi is increasing the tax rate by 9.8 percent when the law says 4 percent. One reason is those exceptions and waivers that may or may not be granted. But you wouldn't know the status, since he's not providing the details of anything about the budget and you can't see what's going on.
I wouldn't be surprised if Choi comes up with a zero tax increase in 2009, when he is running for re-election, and a 20 percent increase after the election.
Joseph Petrucelli
Edison
SIX MONTHS FOR MAYOR CHOI TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER BUDGET
SENTINAL - January 9, 2008 - Wouldn't it be nice if, just once, Edison Mayor Jun Choi's facts about his FY 2008 Budget of $116.1 million would of crossed paths with the truth somewhere along this prolonged sixmonth budget process? Is it any wonder why the line between fact and fiction has disappeared on a budget that's been delayed so long that the year is already half over?
If you recall, the town was operating under an estimated 7-cent increase for FY 2007-08 when Choi introduced his 13-cent or 15 percent tax hike budget back in September. At that time, the council accepted it and it became the council's budget to review and either pass as is or amend. But there was a problem. Choi wouldn't provide any details of the budget to the sitting council or the public. Long story short, he was waiting for his handpicked council to be seated. Hence, six months pass without a budget.
Choi then called a special council meeting on Jan.4 to institute a second estimated tax rate and this one from 7-cents to 9-cents or an additional 2 cents to $1.01 per hundred. This is 14 percent more then was being collected and the four handpicked council members voted for it without any support other than Choi telling them to do so. Council member Dr. Prasad actually said to me his vote didn't raise taxes. I guess the good doctor doesn't know how to add. That's now a total increase of 9-cents or 9.8 percent over last year's tax rate of 92 cents.
At the same time, Choi sends to all the local papers a press release claiming he now has his 2007-08 budget done and it has, you guessed it, a 9-cent tax increase. Now, he can send all the press releases he wants to the newspapers and try and misrepresent his budget to the residents, but the bottom line is his handpicked council is still dealing with that very same 15 percent tax hike budget. Choi gave up any ability to change the municipal budget when he submitted it to the council back in September, who then forwarded it to the Division of CommunityAffairs. This is now the council's budget and only the council can change or amend it and not Choi. So, for Choi to try and run away from his original budget submission of 13- cents and claim his budget is now ready and only has a 9-cent tax increase is disingenuous at best.
Further, the proposed changes that Choi is now spinning as his budget recommendation is not by choice but rather by law. State law limits the increase that can be charged to the taxpayer to 4 percent above last year with some exceptions and the ability to get waivers, if necessary. Finally, tax increase limits that can be measured and verified.
So, now you have to ask yourself why Choi is increasing the tax rate by 9.8 percent when the law says 4 percent? Exceptions and waivers applied for which may or may not be granted is one reason. But you wouldn't know the status since he's not providing the details of anything about the budget and you can't see what's going on. Then he does some other things. First he uses surplus (even though he cries deficit), increased revenue from new ratabales, gimmicks like refinancing debt and one shot deals with developers for a million dollars in order for the government to allow them some backroom deal benefit we taxpayers will never ever learn about.
As for this 9.8 percent increase this year enabling the next two years increases to be 5 percent, Choi has nothing to do with it. It's the new 4 percent cap law that limits the increase. I, however, wouldn't be surprised if Choi comes up with a familiar zero tax increase in 2009 when he running for re-election and 20 percent increase after election.
Choi has proposed two of the largest tax increases in Edison history and still cries deficit and threatens layoffs. Maybe Choi should have taken some budget classes at MIT. Because once again, his numbers don't add up and fortunately for us taxpayers the numbers don't lie.
Joseph Petrucelli
Edison
MAYOR OWES PUBLIC VIEW OF EDISON BUDGET
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE - November 29, 2007 - Edison Mayor Jun Choi is flouting state law and his obligation to taxpayers by refusing to release the details of next year's township budget.
And if no details exist, as the administration claims, the mayor has failed miserably at doing his job.
The spending plan is scheduled to be voted on in just a few more weeks. Calculations ought to be further along by now. And they ought to be available for a detailed, systematic inspection by the entire governing body, even those members who are about to leave office at the beginning of January, before the budget's scheduled adoption.
Not only has this latest budget process been flagrantly illegal, it is a farce and insult to anyone who pays taxes to Town Hall. Sadly, the public is left with no recourse.
Even though Jeffrey Lehrer, the municipal attorney, has conceded that Choi is in violation of the law, there is no mechanism in place for any grievance to be heard or to compel the release of the budget particulars. The state Department of Community Affairs conceded as much this month when it denied an official request by the Township Council for release of the administration's math, saying it was "not empowered to investigate or adjudicate" the council's complaint. That leaves Choi free to do what he wishes. And he has. How arrogant, not to mention secretive, abusive and flat-out destructive.
Departing Councilman Sal Pizzi had it right when he complained: "He's breaking the law and he's getting away with it, and it's not fair. We make them (the DCA) aware of the violation and it has no teeth. What good it it?"
And what good is a budget — even a preliminary one, at that — if no one can see it?
Not much, that's for sure.
Council members are elected representatives. It's their job to shape government spending and report those actions back to the public. When Choi disses the council he disses the people of Edison.
It is obvious that the mayor wants to keep this year's budget under wraps until the new council is seated. Choi's ticket swept to victory earlier this month, handing him what will be a far more compliant council come next month.
Choi's motive is no doubt the huge spending increase that is about to hit taxpayers. Estimates are that next year's spending plan is $10 million more than this year's budget. If that number sticks, residents will be hit with a massive property-tax increase of 15 percent. A more cooperative council that is loyal to the mayor could ease the way for the administration's financial blueprint and help deflect criticism.
Choi is, no doubt, counting on that fact. Perhaps he has surrendered as well to the realization that he is ineffective in working with the current council, which has never been shy about challenging his moves. If so, Choi is admitting his weakness as a politician. The mayor does fine so long as events go his way. When they don't, Choi seems incapable of bailing himself out by reaching consensus.
With his powers of persuasion so obviously weak, the mayor's counting instead on getting a stacked deck. He'll have one for this budget, when his new council's in tow. But Edison residents shouldn't allow themselves to be fooled: Choi is hiding critical budget information to which the public is entitled, facts and figures that were supposed to have been aired weeks ago. No one should forget it — or excuse it.
'INTERIM' WORKER DRAWING FIRE IN EDISON
Official came aboard as member of transition team two years ago
NJ.COM - November 25, 2007 - Howard Dill agreed in 2005 to work for Edison for a couple months as a member of the transition team for the administration of then Mayor-elect Jun Choi. But he never left.
Dill's role has evolved into a jack-of-all trades for Choi, and he earns $75,000 a year for his three-day-a-week position, which includes a township car for his more-than-200-mile round-trip commute from his home in Somers Point, Atlantic County.
"I didn't anticipate on being here this long," said Dill, who was first named interim business administrator, but now works as special projects manager for the township. "I believe I'm an intricate part of this operation."
Dill, who served 25 years as the head of public works in Ocean City and Somers Point, now handles everything from union negotiations to development of Edison's capital budget program. But the township's continued employment of Dill has become a point of contention for Choi's critics, who suggest the need for his services have long expired as the administration hired other people to fill roles Dill had been assigned. "During the transition, he was great," said William Stephens, former council president who unsuccessfully challenged Choi in the last mayoral election. "But he should have been gone a year ago."
Dill, who also teaches government services classes at Rutgers, acknowledged his three-day-a-week position is not commonly found in municipal government. But he said his unique role has helped save Edison thousands of dollars through measures like his decisions to cut overtime in the public works department. He also took a $10,000 pay cut this year when a business administrator was hired, he said. "I think I contribute a tremendous amount to taxpayers in this community," said Dill, who serves at the discretion of Choi.
The mayor said Dill's work as a special projects manager has been instrumental in filling gaps and allowed the administration to run more efficiently. "If it requires a flexible role, like a SWAT team, like a special projects manager, call it what you will, the bottom line is he's getting things done for the taxpayers of Edison," Choi said.
Dill said he met with Choi in 2005 through his friend and business partner Donald Hansen, who has served as Choi's political campaign adviser. Dill agreed to work on the transition team after Choi won the election and the consulting business Dill ran with Hansen, DRH Associates, was closed. Dill said he considered the short-term position "just a favor, a goodwill gesture." He said he expected to work for Edison for about two months. Stephens, a frequent and vocal Choi critic, said he believes the hiring of Dill was a political favor by Choi for Hansen's service to his campaign. "It's payback," Stephens said. "Apparently, he hit the lottery."
Dill, a registered Republican and former Army drill sergeant, said he doesn't believe politics should play a role in who gets hired in government. He said his position continues to evolve and believes he is an important contributor. "I assist an understaffed administration," he said. "Everything is done with the approval of the mayor and business administrator. I consider myself a member of the business administrator's staff."
Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano, who lost re-election after Choi fielded his own slate of candidates in the June primary to oust incumbents, said she particularly objects to Dill receiving a township car as part of his employment. "It's an absolute disgrace," she said. "I personally don't think he should have a car."
Dill and nine other senior administration members, including the mayor, police chief and emergency management coordinator, have township-owned cars. The perk includes free gas at the township pump. Dill has fueled up for 1,941 gallons, according to township records.
"With taxes spiraling, why should we be paying salary and transportation for these people?" Ricigliano said.
Dill said he negotiated the township car instead of receiving health benefits, which would cost Edison taxpayers more than $32,000.
Dill's township position could also lead to a bump in his pension payments when his employment concludes.
Dill retired in 1993 from his public works position in Atlantic County had been collecting monthly pension payments of $1,523 until he resumed work with the Edison position.
State officials pension officials said when he leaves the Edison job, Dill's pension payments would be recalculated based on his highest three years of salary, which could increase his pension.
Dill said it remains unclear how long he would continue working for Edison. "I guess until the job is done," he said.
FIREFIGHTERS AGAINST CHOI
Home News Tribune Online - April 6, 2007 - The Edison firefighters union has voted no confidence in Mayor Jun Choi's administration and in Acting Fire Chief Norman Jensen, citing "deplorable" conditions in the fire stations, a short-staffed department, ethics issues and unfair labor practices.
The firefighters supported Choi in his bid to unseat former Mayor George Spadoro in 2005, but have since become increasingly agitated with the mayor as contract negotiations dating back to Spadoro's administration have continued. "He was going to be our savior and we supported him," said Robert Yackel, president of Edison Firefighters Local 1197, adding that Choi had done nothing for "the fire department except make it go backwards."
Jerry Barca, the township spokesman, said the no confidence vote is political, and contends that the administration is working to improve conditions at the fire stations.
"We have a great deal of respect for firefighters and they do a great job protecting our community. It's unfortunate that during union contract negotiations they would politicize these points," Barca said, citing Monday's filing deadline for the council primary elections. The firefighters say this has been a long time coming.
On March 22, the union filed a complaint with the township ethics officer, citing a $1,000 contract awarded to Fire Ground Technologies, a firefighter-training firm, in 2006. Walter Boychick, currently the chief of the township's Volunteer Fire Company #1, is a principal in Fire Ground Technologies. "In an environment in which they're supposed to be very concerned with ethics (Acting Fire Chief Norman Jensen) is making an arrangement with one of his very own fire chiefs," said Iselin-based attorney Raymond Heineman, who represents the firefighters' union.
"The financial dealings between these two township employees is self-dealing which is contrary to the higher standards of ethics adopted by the township," Heineman wrote in the complaint. Administration officials contend that there was nothing ethically wrong with contracting Fire Ground Technologies, which is "a well-known company." "They teach throughout the state of New Jersey, and at the Middlesex County fire academy," Barca said. "Walter Boychick is part of that company, but he did not get paid for that training."
The union on Feb. 27 also filed an unfair labor practice charge against the township, charging that the township "has discriminatorily imposed increased supervision and more onerous working conditions . . . at Station 4 because of their membership" in the union, according to the complaint filed with the state Public Employment Relations Commission .
Heineman said township officials moved a lieutenant to Station 4 from Station 6 in order to watch the firefighters more closely. But township officials maintain the move was in response to need, citing more fires in the area of Station 4. "The personnel changes are based on the fact that the majority of fires — most structure and house fires — are in that area," Barca said. "It's a public safety measure."
The firefighters' contract ran out in December 2004. The Township Council has since agreed to hire seven new firefighters, but before that happens, Barca said, something has to give. "We have worked with the fire union and we can hire more firefighters but the union has to concede on one or all of the issues that we've already brought up to them," Barca said, noting a cut in firefighters salary and benefits package, a shift change or an accelerated attrition plan. "We can't hire more firefighters when there's the risk over the next two years that we may end up having to lay them off," Barca said.
The Township Council will vote on Wednesday to give $1.7 million to capital improvements for the fire department.
HEAT'S ON AT EDISON FIREHOUSE
Home News Tribune - December 15, 2004 - Heat has been restored at Firehouse 6 on Route 27 in Menlo Park after the station went without heat for several days.
Firefighters staffing the station slept at Firehouse 4 on New Dover Road Friday and Saturday nights. The problem was fixed yesterday afternoon.
But the nights firefighters spent at Firehouse 4 meant they were about three miles from where they normally respond.
The Firehouse 6 heater first broke on Dec. 8 and was fixed that day. Then it broke again on Dec. 10 and remained out of commission until yesterday at 2:30 p.m.
The building did have heat in the bays where fire trucks are kept. Township officials suggested leaving the bay doors open in order to heat the building. The firefighters declined this option.
"I know it's not a Club Med, but that's no way to live," said Doug Kosup, a vice president with Edison Firefighters Local 1197, referencing a comment Mayor George Spadoro made to the Home News Tribune about firehouses not being resorts but still needing upgrades.
Fire Chief Robert Campbell said he is concerned whenever his men's working conditions are effected.
The chief also said it was obvious that by staying at another station, the firefighters' response times would increase. But, he added, that is similar to when firefighters fuel up fire trucks, go to training sessions or visit another firehouse to share a meal.
Fire response times and firehouse conditions were two issues explored in The Home News Tribune series earlier this week probing problems in the fire department and its relationship with the township administration.
The township Department of Public Works is responsible for the daily upkeep of Edison's firehouses.
DPW Director Bob Heck said a part was emergency-ordered after Friday's breakdown. The part was suppose to arrive on Monday. When it arrived yesterday, Heck's staff had the heat on in about two hours.
"What more do they want? I don't know. We did everything humanly possible," Heck said. "Nothing is good enough. Everything is controversial."
RESPONSE-TIME DISCREPANCIES RAISE ALARM
HOME
NEWS TRIBUNE - December 13, 2004 - A resident could call in a
fire alarm, and it could take the township's bravest 25 minutes to arrive at
the scene -- or it could take six seconds.
The truth is that no one connected to the Edison Fire Department can provide
consistent response times. Not the firefighters. Not the fire chief. Not the
mayor, who is also the Public Safety director.
A five-month investigation of the Edison Fire Department by the Home News Tribune
yielded several different sets of numbers on fire-response times. The investigation
ended two weeks ago with the latest set of numbers, which the township said
are the correct ones.
"We're here to save life and property in that order," said Doug Kosup, a vice president with Edison Firefighters Association Local 1197. "They don't kid when they say 'seconds count.' "
Mayor George Spadoro said response
times are crucial. "It's something we pay a lot of attention to."
But in July, when firefighters complained of failures in the fire-dispatch system,
John Covello, Spadoro's chief of staff, told the Home News Tribune that response-time
analysis is not routinely kept by the township.
Since July, when the newspaper initially asked for firefighter-response times, the township has provided three sets of numbers, each showing different times. The latest figures came eight days after Spadoro was shown data with increased response numbers.
In Carteret, Fire Chief Brian O'Connor said response times are generally between 3 and 5 minutes. In New Brunswick, Fire Department Director Robert McLaughlin said the average response time is between 2 and 3 minutes.
When someone dials 9-1-1 in Edison, a dispatcher in the basement of police headquarters answers the call and alerts the firehouse through a tone followed by an announcement heard over loudspeakers.
In July, firefighters said inaudible firehouse speakers and broken printers, which normally provided the street address and crossroads of an incident, delayed them in getting out the door.
The township said the problems were fixed, but firefighters have provided documentation showing problems still exist.
The Home News Tribune asked for response-time data for the nearly 5-month period when printers were broken (March-July 22, 2004), and the five previous months (October 2003-February 2004), when the printers were working. The times were separated into 20 different call categories, which require a primary response from firefighters.
The categories included building fires, fire alarms, vehicle fires and carbon-monoxide alarms.
Initially, the township-provided times came from Edison's computer-aided dispatch system. The figures showed times were unaffected by printers, but there was a 2 1/4-month data gap during the period when the printers were broken.
Fire Chief Robert Campbell confirmed it took firefighters more than 20 minutes to respond to a July 16 call for a malfunctioning water heater. But that response, from a date outside the 2 1/4-month gap, was excluded from the initial set of numbers.
The figures provided showed firefighters responding to fire alarms in 6 seconds, 17 seconds, 19 seconds and 39 seconds.
"That's impossible. How can they go that fast?" said Robert Yackel, president of Local 1197.
"I don't understand that. Not unless we're on the road and next to (the alarm)," Kosup said.
Of the 128 responses to fire alarms, four exceeded 10 minutes.
A week after providing the first set of data, township officials attempted to fill the gap. Officials presented a new set of numbers in a different format than the first set. This information still included a month long gap.
The second set of times showed longer responses. Some fire-alarm responses were: 25 minutes, 6 seconds; 24 minutes, 44 seconds; and 19 minutes, 26 seconds. Of the 114 fire-alarm calls in the second batch of numbers, 10 were less than eight minutes.
The average response time for the period during which the printers were out-of-service increased when numbers from the first and second sets of data were combined. Response to fire alarms jumped from 5 minutes, 25 seconds to 8 minutes, 2 seconds. Answering a call for a carbon-monoxide alarm climbed from 6 minutes, 23 seconds to 8 minutes, 6 seconds, and response to a vehicle fire increased from 5 minutes, 12 seconds to 8 minutes, 8 seconds.
The mayor and firefighters couldn't believe the increased times.
"There's no reason for that," Kosup said. "I've got to think we're being delayed."
When Spadoro saw the numbers he did not have an answer. "I don't know why they would go up," he said.
Eight days after Spadoro was shown the numbers, Business Administrator Jonathan Capp produced a third set of numbers. On this occasion, response times for the 10-month period being looked at by the newspaper were pulled from Fire Department computers.
Township officials, including Spadoro, stand by the latest results, which show most average responses ranging from just less than 5 minutes to a little more than 6 minutes.
But there are flaws in the data. Each individual time could be off by 1 minute, 18 seconds because all the figures are rounded to the lowest minute. And, the 20-plus minute response on July 16 is logged as an 11-minute response.
Township officials used the latest numbers to distinguish between "firefighter response time" and "total response time" in explaining the discrepancy in figures.
Officials said the new numbers measured the time it takes firefighters to reach the scene after an alarm is sounded in the firehouse -- the "firefighter response time.".
The earlier set measured the time it takes firefighters to reach the scene after the call is received by a dispatcher -- the "total response time."
Because of differences in the data furnished by the township, the newspaper could not match the calls to show a difference in the two measurements.
"They're stacking up our calls (in the dispatch center). For fire calls, we've been telling them for years they can't do this. When there's a police call, the incident has already happened," Yackel said. "Our calls are happening now."
The newspaper found total-response-time averages exceed the 10-minute mark when answering fire alarms, vehicle fires, carbon-monoxide alarms and calls for entrapment, according to data supplied by the township.
The mayor and township officials deny that answering emergency calls has taken that long.
"I've probably done more than any mayor in Edison history to hurry response times," Spadoro said, referencing his initiative to have every emergency call met with responses from emergency-medical technicians and the Fire and Police departments.
Spadoro and Campbell stressed that in major emergencies multiple firehouses are alerted, and that this practice would lessen the chance for a slow response.
"I don't really need to see a report on how long it took to get Mrs. Smith's cat out of a tree," Spadoro said. "(Longer responses) would only concern me if it was treated as an emergency call from start to finish."
SPARKS MAY FLY BETWEEN MAYOR, FIREFIGHTERS UNION
Home News Tribune - December 12, 2004 - Mayor George Spadoro and the township firefighters' union will have to attempt to work out a new contract even though their marriage is a contentious one.
The Edison firefighters, along with police and emergency medical technicians, have contracts with the township that expire at month's end.
Under the current contract, Edison taxpayers pay 21 cents of every municipal-tax dollar for fire department services. The fire department budget amounts to $16.05 million of the township's $97.35 million spending plan. Salaries for the 145 paid firefighters account for $14.5 million of the department's budget.
Payment for health-insurance coverage will be the major issue in negotiating a new contract when the two sides finally meet. The township wants the firefighters to contribute to the cost of their insurance. The firefighters want to retain the fully paid benefit.
The two sides haven't discussed the issue face-to-face. In fact, a rift has kept the administration and the union from sitting down to negotiate the contract.
Firefighters' public complaints about delayed alarm-response times and poor firehouse conditions, and Spadoro's characterizing those complaints as nonthreats to public safety, have exacerbated the situation.
"I could see the pope quicker than I could see this guy," said Robert Yackel, president of Edison Firefighters Local 1197.
Yackel said he has had no response to a certified letter he sent Spadoro on Oct. 8 in which he offered the mayor his cell-phone number as a line of contact.
The letter asks Spadoro to speak about public-safety issues. The mayor first said he forwarded the communication to Township Attorney Lou Rainone because of the impending negotiations and then, days later, Spadoro said he thought he met with Yackel since receiving the letter.
The relationship has become so disjointed, township officials said they filed paperwork with the state Public Employment Relations Commission demanding Local 1197 meet to negotiate a new contract.
Rainone said both parties are required to make three attempts to negotiate a contract before the current one expires.
"There's less incentive for them to begin negotiations," Spadoro said, adding that whenever a new deal is struck the pay is retroactive to the expiration of the last contract.
All three branches of emergency personnel do not pay for health insurance, but the township would like that to change.
Last month, Spadoro heralded new contracts with other Edison union employees. The deals increased employees' health-insurance co-pays, deductibles and contributions.
"We're no different than any other large employer in America today," Spadoro said. "We have researched ways to minimize the increase in cost so taxpayers are better protected."
Spadoro said he plans to offer firefighters two options; a traditional plan and point-of-service coverage. Both options would have the firefighters paying for health care.
"I see no reason those unions (fire, police and EMTs) should not accept the terms," Spadoro said.
Yackel offered a different opinion on charging for health coverage.
"It's substandard," he said. "We should all get health insurance."
In Carteret, New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, three paid fire departments in Middlesex County, firefighters do not pay for their health insurance. The average salary for a Carteret firefighter is $66,000; in New Brunswick the average is $70,735; in Perth Amboy, firefighters receive a 2 percent bonus on their base pay, which ranges from $27,000 to $67,000, according to officials in the three municipalities.
The average base salary in the Edison Fire Department, including officers and the chief, is $85,137 a year. The 117 members of Local 1197 earn an average annual income of $79,952.
"This is a rich contract. It doesn't surprise me that the union wants to keep it this way," Spadoro said.
The mayor pointed to added pay beyond salary, such as:
"Those things have been in there for 30 years. Politicians come and go. The fire department stays," Yackel said. "We reduced the longevity payment in the last contract."
Yackel said the union has hired a health-care consultant to find a better price for health-care coverage than the township will offer.
If the township and the firefighters' union fail to agree on a contract, both sides will go before an arbitrator who will render a binding judgment on a new deal.
WRONG ADDRESSES OCCUR
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE - December 12, 2004 - At 4:45 p.m. on Oct. 9, firefighters, police and EMTs were dispatched from Firehouse 4 on New Dover Road to an emergency-medical-service call at 218 Prestwick Way, where a person was unresponsive but breathing. When personnel arrived at Prestwick Way they searched for the address, but could not find it.
Personnel called the dispatcher and asked to have the individual making the call meet them outside. A minute later emergency personnel at Prestwick Way overheard units from Firehouse 3 on Amboy Avenue being dispatched to 218 W. Prescott Ave.
Personnel at Prestwick Way confirmed they were searching for the wrong address. It took 28 minutes from when an alert sounded in Firehouse 4 to when personnel arrived at 218 W. Prescott Ave. Township officials said a temporary software glitch in the dispatch center resulted in units being sent to the wrong address.
Shortly after 1 a.m. on July 16, Firehouse
2 (at its temporary location on Route 27 near Vineyard Road) received a call
about a resident's water heater making a crackling noise at a location firefighters
heard as Park Avenue.
The firefighters dashed toward Park Avenue. The commanding officer asked for
a cross street when he approached Park Avenue. The dispatcher said it was off
Route 27.
The commanding officer said Park Avenue does not intersect with Route 27. The dispatcher said it was Clark Avenue. The commanding officer double-checked that it was indeed Clark Avenue.
It took more than 20 minutes to respond to the call on Clark Avenue. Township officials said in the case of an emergency more firehouses would be notified and all the firehouses would have to misunderstand the address in order to have a Clark Avenue/Park Avenue blunder occur.
FIREHOUSE FRICTION: PROBE REVEALS DEFICIENCIES AT EDISON DEPARTMENT
HOME NEWS TRIBUNE - December 12, 2004 - Poor record keeping, unkempt firehouses, decaying equipment and communication difficulties are among the findings of a five-month investigation of the Edison Fire Department by the Home News Tribune.
The newspaper looked into the fire department after firefighters said that residents could be at risk because of inadequate staffing, obsolete equipment and delayed emergency response times.
Township officials portray firefighters' recent batch of complaints as a campaign for better bargaining position. The current contract for Edison's 145 paid firefighters expires at the end of this month.
But the newspaper investigation found evidence of problems beyond contract disputes, including:
Disparities in average response times for fire calls in Edison, times that no one can cite with certainty. Numbers for individual calls provided to the newspaper at different periods over the five-month probe vary from 6 seconds to 25 minutes.
Firehouses in disrepair, leading to citations from the state Department of Labor.
Fire equipment in constant need of repair, forcing the township to rely on neighboring departments for assistance.
Communications equipment that can prevent township firefighters from having direct contact with members of other departments who assist at a fire scene.
Occasions when only two firefighters per company respond to a scene.
The newspaper visited every Edison firehouse, reviewed fire department data, repeatedly interviewed township officials and local firefighters and spoke with firefighters in other towns.
"Unfortunately, the township doesn't take it seriously. They look at complaints like it's a labor issue and not a safety issue," said Robert Yackel, president of the Edison Firefighters Local 1197.
'Honestly, yes' there is a risk, said 11-year Edison Firefighter Tony Pepe. 'All those things are creating a time delay in response. We're stretched to do more with less."
But Mayor George Spadoro, who also is Edison's public safety director, said the fire department provides first-class service.
"We're in the process of beginning negotiations," Spadoro said. "The union becomes a little aggressive in their day-to-day activities."
Response-time disparities
In July, firefighters said faulty printers and inaudible firehouse speakers, both of which are responsible for providing fire locations, delayed their alarm-response time and could lead to the loss of life.
Spadoro's administration has always said there was no threat to public safety and the alerting equipment never hindered firefighters' responses.
Township officials said the printers were fixed, but firefighters said glitches remain.
The township provided the Home News Tribune with two different sets of response-time data in July. Last month, the newspaper discussed the response numbers with Spadoro. Eight days later, Business Administrator Jonathan Capp released a third set of data, this time showing response times had not been affected by unreliable equipment.
Firefighters say they are still being delayed. They distrust the numbers provided by the township showing responses at less than a minute, and they do not understand how some of the response times exceed 20 minutes.
"It doesn't surprise me that this is so convoluted . . . because we don't know what goes on down there (in the dispatch center and town hall)," Yackel said. "How would they (township officials) know if there are delays? Don't let them tell us our business."
"A Club Med"
Firefighters have complained about building conditions in the firehouses. The complaints led to tours by representatives from the state Office of Public Employees Occupational Safety & Health. PEOSH has issued a 1/2-inch stack of citations dating back to 2000.
The PEOSH documents include citations for violations ranging from holes in firefighters' helmets, and worn boot heels and soles to unacceptable storage of flammable liquid, unlit exit signs, and broken and missing shower and floor tiles. There were two instances from the records provided by PEOSH showing inspectors found nothing wrong.
In tours of firehouses, the Home News Tribune saw leaking roofs or moldy, cracked and water-damaged walls in four of the five permanent stations (Firehouse 2 is unoccupied as it undergoes renovations).
"We're not asking for nice stuff," said Firefighter Steve Kucinski, Local 1197's health and safety officer. "But you wouldn't let this stuff happen in your own home."
Spadoro said firehouse conditions are "minor building improvement issues."
"I've got some rooms in my house that need painting too, and one of these days I'm going to get around to it, when I have enough money," the mayor said.
At Firehouse 3, on Amboy Avenue, behind a stack of plates in the kitchen cabinet, is exposed outer wall, with wood paneling showing behind Sheetrock. Firefighters have to unplug the refrigerator in order to use the microwave.
When told about the outlet problem, Spadoro questioned why firefighters would complain about it rather than just moving the microwave to another room.
At Firehouse 5, off Oak Tree Road, rain leaking into the building used to knock out the phone system. The panel covering the phone system's connection to outdoor wiring crumbled at a firefighter's touch. The panel has been fixed since the newspaper's visit.
"They don't need a Club Med. Does it mean we shouldn't upgrade our stations? No. That's why we're going through renovations. Remember, I've got a responsibility to taxpayers," Spadoro said.
Spadoro said the township has a plan to update one firehouse a year for the next five years. He points to the $1.7 million renovation of Firehouse 2 on Route 27, which is slated for completion in March
The township department of public works is responsible for firehouse upkeep.
"We go to the administration with problems and no one there seems to have the time to answer them," said Doug Kosup, a vice president for Edison Firefighters Local 1197.
Bob Heck, director of public works, disagrees.
"We have one or two calls a day from the fire department and we give them responses everyday," Heck said. "The firehouses get more attention than any other building in the town. . . . They cry more than anybody else."
In New Brunswick, Fire Department Director Robert McLaughlin said he seldom hears complaints about station conditions. The firefighters even painted parts of the interior at their headquarters. The three firehouses in the city range in age from about 32-year-old to 100-years-old.
The older houses have cramped quarters and receive continuous upgrades, such as new flooring and new roofs, which are planned for the future. But even the newest building has some water-damaged ceiling tiles, like those found in Edison stations.
Carteret fire headquarters have some water-damaged ceiling tiles, but Chief Brian O'Connor, who also serves as the PEOSH complaint officer, doesn't receive complaints about them because the tiles are continuously replaced.
When the newspaper visited Carteret firehouses Friday, a water heater was leaking and it loosened kitchen-floor tiles. A borough custodian was fixing the problem by noon and no union complaint was filed.
Yackel blames Edison for the current state of the firehouses and he said residents will bear the burden. "There is little or no preventive maintenance. It will cost the taxpayer millions in the end because they should've been kept up," Yackel said.
Equipment problems
When the Home News Tribune visited Firehouse 1 in July, 40 broken air pack harnesses lay in lines on the garage floor. Each one had a tag with the date it went out of service. Dates went back two and three years. Less than a week after the newspaper's visit, the harnesses were taken away and fixed.
But other problems still existed as of last week. Since early this year, Edison had to go to New Brunswick to fill air packs because the air pack-filling machine in Firehouse 1 needed repairing. The removal of an underground storage tank in the spring kept a repairman from accessing the circuitry that needed adjusting.
Spadoro touts $1.64 million spent in the last three years on three new fire department vehicles, the rehabilitation of two fire trucks and the replacement of all turnout gear.
"We have an orderly process for updating and acquiring new equipment," Spadoro said.
But firefighters gripe about arriving at blazes in trucks bought in the 1980s. Carteret and New Brunswick have older vehicles, but bungee cords strap cabinets shut on some Edison engines.
"I don't think there is a quick answer. It is really the result of bad judgment calls for the last 10 or 15 years," said Scott Law, a vice president for Local 1197.
Firefighter-kept records showed, and Chief Robert Campbell confirmed, times when more than half of the fleet responsible for covering the 32-square-mile township was being repaired.
"You have enough to cover two basic calls and that's it. And there are times when you have more than one call at a time," Law said.
The mayor said neighboring towns help respond to calls when Edison's equipment is being repaired.
But Yackel said Edison doesn't have enough radios to be on the same frequency as neighboring firefighters who come to help. That means a New Brunswick firefighter could be fighting a fire in Edison without means of direct communication with the Edison fire officer in charge of the scene.
Campbell said Yackel's scenario is conceivable, but, the chief added, Edison radios do have the frequencies to communicate with some other fire departments.
Manpower vs. money
Firefighters said, and Campbell confirmed, that there are times when only two men per vehicle or company respond to alarms. According to National Fire Protection Association standards, four firefighters per company should respond.
Edison doesn't adhere to those guidelines. Spadoro's reasoning is that if the state hasn't adopted the guidelines, why should the township?
Perth Amboy Chief Larry Cattano said firefighters' response in his city could be as low as two people per company, but at the same time he could be sending five vehicles with a total of 10 men.
"Certain people will highlight (NFPA standards) for their own use, but there are so many variables," Cattano said.
In New Brunswick, the response is usually four firefighters per company, said Fire Department Director Robert McLaughlin. In Carteret, Fire Chief Brian O'Connor said the number of responders could be as low as three and as high as six.
"It would be a gigantic step and a very realistic step, if we had three guys on a (vehicle)," Law said.
Township officials point out the cost of hiring more firefighters. The salaries for the department total $14.5 million or 15 percent of the township budget.
"The only question you have is, is it a Cadillac or Rolls Royce? Right now, it's a Cadillac and the union president wants a Rolls Royce. If he would voluntarily drop salaries by 10 percent, we could hire 35 new firefighters. If he cares that much and he thinks it's a real risk, then step up and be a man," Spadoro said.
Yackel said it would have to take a death or a cataclysmic event for the fire department to have some of its needs, like manpower, met.
According to township records, the fire department has increased from 116 to 145 men or by 25 percent since Spadoro took office in January, 1994.
But Yackel said the March 1994 Durham Woods natural gas pipeline explosion, which led to one death and sent a flame 200 feet into the air, brought the department to the public forefront and forced expansion.
The lack of attention paid to their concerns leaves firefighters feeling like an ignored bunch. "We're like the last people on the totem pole when it comes to getting things done," Yackel said.
But Spadoro sees no threat to public safety and he has no plans to speed up his improvement plan.
"At the end of the day they're not the only division of our government," he said.
PROBE OF EDISON FIRE DEPARTMENT LAYS BARE A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS
COURIER NEWS - December 12, 2004 - Poor record-keeping, unkempt firehouses, decaying equipment and communication difficulties are among the findings of a five-month investigation of the Edison Fire Department.
Gannett New Jersey looked into the fire department operation after firefighters said residents could be at risk because of inadequate staffing, obsolete equipment and delayed emergency response times.
Township officials portray firefighters' recent batch of complaints as a campaign for better bargaining position. The current contract for Edison's 145 paid firefighters expires at the end of this month.
But the investigation found evidence of problems beyond contract disputes, including:
- Disparities in average response times for fire calls in Edison, times that no one can cite for certain. Numbers for individual calls provided to the newspaper at different periods over the five-month probe vary from 6 seconds to 25 minutes.
- Firehouses in disrepair, leading to citations from the state Department of Labor.
- Fire equipment in constant need of repair, forcing the township to rely on neighboring departments for assistance.
- Communications equipment that can prevent township firefighters from having direct contact with members of other departments who come to town to help at a fire scene.
- Occasions when only two firefighters per company respond to a scene.
Reporters for Gannett New Jersey visited every Edison firehouse, reviewed fire department data, repeatedly interviewed township officials and local firefighters and spoke with firefighters in other towns.
"Unfortunately, the township doesn't take it seriously. They look at complaints like it's a labor issue and not a safety issue," said Robert Yackel, president of Edison Firefighters Local 1197.
"Honestly, yes," there is a risk, said 11-year Edison firefighter Tony Pepe. "All those things are creating a time delay in response. We're stretched to do more with less."
But Mayor George Spadoro, who is also Edison's public safety director, said the fire department provides first-class service.
"We're in the process of beginning negotiations," Spadoro said. "The union becomes a little aggressive in their day-to-day activities."
In July, firefighters said faulty printers and inaudible firehouse speakers, both of which are responsible for providing fire locations, delayed their alarm-response time and could lead to the loss of life.
Spadoro's administration has always said there was no threat to public safety and the alerting equipment never hindered firefighters' responses.
Township officials said the printers were fixed, but firefighters said glitches remain.
The township provided Gannett New Jersey with two different sets of response-time data in July. Last month, the newspaper discussed the response numbers with Spadoro. Eight days later, Business Administrator Jonathan Capp released a third set of data, this time showing response times had not been affected by unreliable equipment.
Firefighters say they are still being delayed. They distrust the numbers provided by the township showing responses at less than a minute, and they do not understand how some of the response times exceed 20 minutes.
Firefighters have complained about building conditions in the firehouses. The complaints led to tours by representatives from the state Office of Public Employees Occupational Safety & Health. That office has issued a half-inch stack of citations dating to 2000.
The documents include citations for violations ranging from holes in firefighters' helmets, worn boot heels and soles, and unacceptable storage of flammable liquid to unlighted exit signs and broken and missing shower and floor tiles. There were two instances from the records provided by the state office showing inspectors found nothing wrong.
In tours of firehouses, Gannett New Jersey saw leaking roofs or moldy, cracked water-damaged walls in four of the five permanent stations (Firehouse 2 is unoccupied as it undergoes renovations).
"We're not asking for nice stuff," said firefighter Steve Kucinski, Local 1197's health and safety officer. "But you wouldn't let this stuff happen in your own home."
Spadoro said firehouse conditions are "minor building improvement issues."
"I've got some rooms in my house that need painting too, and one of these days I'm going to get around to it, when I have enough money," the mayor said.
At Firehouse 3, on Amboy Avenue, behind a stack of plates in the kitchen cabinet, is an exposed outer wall, with wood paneling showing behind Sheetrock. Firefighters have to unplug the refrigerator in order to use the microwave.
When told about the outlet problem, Spadoro questioned why firefighters would complain about it rather than just moving the microwave to another room.
At Firehouse 5, off Oak Tree Road, rain leaking into the building used to knock out the phone system. The panel covering the phone system's connection to outdoor wiring crumbled at a firefighter's touch. The panel has been fixed since the newspaper's visit.
"They don't need a Club Med. Does it mean we shouldn't upgrade our stations? No. That's why we're going through renovations. Remember, I've got a responsibility to taxpayers," Spadoro said.
The mayor said the township has a plan to update one firehouse a year for the next five years. He points to the $1.7 million renovation of Firehouse 2 on Route 27, which is slated for completion in March.
When Gannett New Jersey visited Firehouse 1 in July, 40 broken air pack harnesses lay in lines on the garage floor. Each one had a tag with the date it went out of service. Dates went back two and three years. Less than a week after the newspaper's visit, the harnesses were taken away and fixed.
But other problems still existed as of last week. Since early this year, Edison had to go to New Brunswick to fill air packs because the air pack-filling machine in Firehouse 1 needed repairing. The removal of an underground storage tank in the spring kept a repairman from accessing the circuitry that needed adjusting.
Spadoro touts $1.64 million spent in the last three years on three new fire department vehicles, the rehabilitation of two fire trucks and the replacement of all turnout gear.
"We have an orderly process for updating and acquiring new equipment," Spadoro said.
But firefighters gripe about arriving at blazes in trucks bought in the 1980s. Carteret and New Brunswick have older vehicles, but bungee cords strap cabinets shut on some Edison engines.
Firefighter-kept records showed, and Chief Robert Campbell confirmed, times when more than half of the fleet responsible for covering the 32-square-mile township was being repaired.
"You have enough to cover two basic calls and that's it. And there are times when you have more than one call at a time," said Scott Law, a vice president for Local 1197.
The mayor said neighboring towns help respond to calls when Edison's equipment is being repaired.
Firefighters said, and Campbell confirmed, that there are times when only two men per vehicle or company respond to alarms. According to National Fire Protection Association standards, four firefighters per company should respond.
Edison doesn't adhere to those guidelines. Spadoro's reasoning is that if the state hasn't adopted the guidelines, why should the township?
Perth Amboy Chief Larry Cattano said firefighters' response in his city could be as low as two people per company, but at the same time he could be sending five vehicles with a total of 10 men.
"Certain people will highlight (NFPA standards) for their own use, but there are so many variables," Cattano said.
Township officials also point out the cost of hiring more firefighters. The salaries for the department total $14.5 million or 15 percent of the township budget.
"The only question you have is, is it a Cadillac or Rolls-Royce? Right now, it's a Cadillac and the union president wants a Rolls-Royce. If he would voluntarily drop salaries by 10 percent, we could hire 35 new firefighters. If he cares that much and he thinks it's a real risk, then step up and be a man," Spadoro said.
Yackel said it would have to take a death or a cataclysmic event for the fire department to have some of its needs, like manpower, met.
According to township records, the fire department has increased from 116 to 145 men or by 25 percent since Spadoro took office in January 1994.
Spadoro said he sees no threat to public safety and he has no plans to speed up his improvement plan.
"At the end of the day they're (the fire department) not the only division of our government," he said.
