Edison Fire Fighters Association

I.A.F.F. Local 1197 - AFL-CIO

The Mission of this page is to inform and educate YOU, the tax payers and residents of Edison, about YOUR fire department. While this column is not intended to scare you,
it is designed to make you aware of the dangers that our community faces. What you will read here is what our former mayor, certain council members, town administrators and the ex-fire chief, DID NOT want you to know.

This is simply because it is The TRUTH!!!

Protecting our residents lives and property is a very serious business. All of your Professional Firefighters are dedicated and committed to serving and protecting you. Unfortunately, due to personal and political agendas, our town fathers are not as
committed to your safety as they promise to be. For those reasons, we will use this page
to dispute, counter and “set the record straight” as your family’s safety and the safety of your firefighters continually fall under attack from these unscrupulous politicians as they “grandstand," distort the truth and profit from such actions.

JENSEN'S SMOKE SCREEN

The need for this column has never been more obvious as it has been during the past couple of weeks. On Sunday May 11, 2008, Edison Ex-Fire Chief Norman Jensen, with obvious help from the Ex-Mayor's Communications Director Jerry Barca, released a commentary that primarily serves as a smoke screen and personal attack against our Union President Robert Yackel, yet the author(s) want you to believe their continuing lies about public safety. Before we get into specifics, I’ll point out the most obvious of points. Jensen’s attempt at using a personal attack instead of explaining the facts clearly demonstrates that he does not have any evidence to substantiate his policies and lies. If Norman Jensen was as professional, competent and truly concerned with firefighter safety as he wanted everyone to believe, he wouldn't have spent taxpayer’s time launching personal attacks against an individual whose job is to protect the safety of Edison firefighters. After all, wasn't that Jensen’s job too?

The TRUTH is clear to see. This administration was trying to avoid the facts regarding the safety of Edison’s residents by attacking Yackel. This diversionary attempt was as transparent as Jensen’s political motives for jeopardizing the safety of Edison’s residents and firefighters.

Allow us to point out the ridiculous statements and lies made by Ex-Chief Jensen in his past commentary.

Jensen stated, “Since 2006, the township’s safety has been bolstered by the addition of firefighters and emergency medical technicians”

THE TRUTH: There is a total of 39 less firefighters (5 career & 34 volunteer) currently protecting the residents of Edison than there were when Jensen took command in May of 2006. This number is scheduled to increase due to retirements. In addition, during a recent fatal fire on Lily Court, the fire department response was significantly reduced due to faulty equipment and the handling of a previous EMS call because volunteer first aid crews were un-staffed. Furthermore, when the fire victim was rescued from the building by firefighters, a Township EMS crew WAS NOT present and firefighters had to abort their firefighting duties to attempt to revive the woman.

**********

Jensen stated, “officers have been promoted”

THE TRUTH: Jensen was correct, two officers had been promoted to the command staff to replace officers who had retired. Unfortunately, we currently have less suppression staff /front line officers than prior to Jensen’s command.

**********

Jensen continued to boasts about the new fire apparatus that have been purchased with more on the way.

THE TRUTH: Please read previous “Truth” articles, enough said!

**********

Jensen didn't want you to forget about the new computers, fax machines and upgraded technology in the firehouses.

THE TRUTH: We have yet to receive the kind of fax machines or pc’s that respond to fires, pull hose lines or save peoples lives. As for computer generated training material, Jensen did occasionally email web links to the stations for firefighters to read for training purposes. One such document comes to mind, it was an article about safe fire apparatus driving. After touching on some brief examples and tips, the article proceeded to state each department should have their own driver safety course including actual behind the wheel training. Unfortunately, Jensen must not have read the article completely.

**********

Jensen personally criticized Yackel for having a post retirement job, which most individuals need to have to live in New Jersey

THE TRUTH: A very hypocritical statement when you consider that Norman Jensen attempted to have a second career as a Fire Director. Luckily for the taxpayers of Edison, Council members were able to see
Jensen’s inadequacies and were able to do what was in their power to cease the appointment of Fire Director Jensen.

**********

Jensen stated, “Yackel’s idea that there would be some sort of trouble responding to two simultaneous emergencies is completely erroneous.”

THE TRUTH: Our minimum staffing is 24 men. If a confirmed fire is reported, the automatic response is 16 men, this leaves 8 men to cover an additional fire anywhere within a 30 mile radius. Eight firefighters CANNOT provide adequate and safe fire protection in a timely fashion while covering 30 square miles. It is humanly impossible.

**********

Jensen further stated that available volunteers will make up the difference in manpower for a second alarm.

THE TRUTH: We had documented to Jensen on many occasions when volunteers were not available and HAVE NOT provided any additional firefighters when needed.

**********

Jensen wished to compare our staffing levels to New Brunswick Fire Department claiming that New Brunswick Fire Department does it with less.

THE TRUTH: New Brunswick FD does in fact have less firefighters on duty than Edison at any given time, but please keep in mind some very important FACTS that Jensen failed to tell you:

New Brunswick FD covers 2 stations in 5.6 sq miles, Edison FD covers 6 station in 30 sq. miles
The population of New Brunswick is 49,000; Edison’s population is 100,000, not to mention Edison’s commercial and industrial businesses.
New Brunswick FD responds to approximately 3300 calls per year, Edison FD responds to approximately 6500 calls per year.
New Brunswick FD automatically recalls an entire off duty shift and requests mutual aid from Edison FD upon arrival on a structure fire. For a similar fire, Edison FD hopes that a sufficient amount of volunteers respond
In 2007, New Brunswick’s tax rate was $4.57 per $100. Edison’s tax rate was $3.72 per $100.

**********

Jensen claimed that Yackel is anti-volunteer and his actions are based on such notion.

THE TRUTH: Yackel’s father was a life long volunteer firefighter as well as all of Edison’s Career Firefighters were at one time volunteers. President Yackel’s priority is to the safety of his members. Yackel’s thirty years of experience is what guides him in the direction that is the safest for his members. While performing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, it has been proven that a firefighter’s safety depends on among other things, staffing levels. For firefighters to save life and property, fire scenes require an adequate number of highly trained, reliable and competent personnel. There are several facts about the volunteer force in Edison that Jensen does not want you to know when he is trying to fool the public into believing that your safety is not compromised by relying more on volunteers.

Volunteers are just that, volunteers. There is no guarantee that they will be ready to respond when duty calls.
Nationwide, volunteerism has declined drastically due to the complex needs of families in this generation.
Under Jensen’s command and due to his policies, the Edison volunteer firefighter force has decreased from 89 to 55 volunteers.
In a 2007 grant application, Jensen stated that to perform firefighting operations safely, Edison needs to increase its volunteer force above 89 members. Currently, he has allowed the volunteer force to drop to 55 volunteer firefighters.
Jensen tried to fool the public into thinking that we have a sufficient volunteer firefighting force by giving manpower totals that include members than are unable to perform firefighting duties due to either age or medical restrictions and with members that were unable to successfully complete the volunteer fire academy.
Eighty percent of the volunteer force took the entry level exam the last time a test was given, this shows that these young men are volunteering for one reason, a job, not for Jensen’s imagined sense of community service.
Jensen disregarded the submissions informing him about the lack of volunteer responses.

**********

Jensen said “Yackel comments on the cut in firefighting training are smoke and mirrors manipulation of the facts.”

THE TRUTH: The volunteer academy (Firefighter 1) consists of 150 hrs. I ask parents of 21 year olds, would you want your son or daughter running into burning buildings reaching 2,000 Fahrenheit, climbing 100 foot ladders in the snow and sleet, working on burning roofs, crawling through smoke filled warehouses, or tending to lifeless and sometimes mutilated human bodies all after undergoing less than a month of training? Probably not, and that is why in the past, prior to making firefighting a career, new recruits were given an additional 3-4 months of training. Under Jensen’s command, recent recruits had been in training for less than a month, most of that time was spent being fire department errand boys. What Jensen also failed to tell you was that these new recruits received virtually no training on driving or operating a fire apparatus. Imagine the liability of allowing 21 year old men to drive 22 ton trucks to emergencies while navigating through Edison’s congestion with little or no training.

**********

Jensen refered to Yackel not supporting his training lectures.

THE TRUTH: In the beginning of Jensen’s command, this form of training was looked at in a favorable light. Our opinion did change when we learned that Jensen paid his longtime friend $1,000 for a 3 hour lecture of a topic unrelated to the Edison Fire Department. This fee was double or triple the amount paid to other trainers. Shortly after we filed an ethics complaint based on this unethical use of taxpayer money, the lectures ceased.

**********

Jensen stated that “Today’s new firefighter come on the job with more education than some retired firefighters leave with.

THE TRUTH: In defense of our retirees, we strongly disagree with Jensen’s statement. If Jensen was correct, we learned that they sometimes return as an ex-chief.

**********

Jensen stated, “The truth is that we have an active first response program and the closest staffed ambulance is sent to 9-1-1 calls.”

THE TRUTH: There are 2 or 3 less EMT’s and 1 less ambulance responding to a call such as a heart attack or stroke than before Jensen’s command. While a dual ambulance response may have seemed wasteful to the layperson, it was proven to be most efficient for the resident’s health and well being due to navigational issues, response locations and volunteer first aid staffing procedures, all of which were submitted to Jensen but ignored.

**********

Jensen stated “the claim by Yackel that there is a delay in the response to medical emergencies is flat out false”.

THE TRUTH: Jensen’s policy did not provide the efficient emergency care as past policies. We have documented many such instances, including a woman having a stroke who waited over 15 minutes to have a fire department ambulance dispatched from the opposite end of town. The woman later passed away. A First Responder Fire Engine was less than a half mile away and was never dispatched. Jensen’s complete and total arrogance was obvious when he refused to address these deficiencies.

**********

Jensen commented on the comparison between Edison and Woodbridge “being like apples and baseball bats”

THE TRUTH: Just another lame attempt at a smoke screen by Jensen and Barca. They tried their best to avoid the issue. The fact is that Woodbridge Township is very comparable to Edison in size, demographics, population and amount of total fire budget. With that being said, Edison provides career firefighters 24 hour a day fire protection to 100% of its residents. In Woodbridge, only 38% of its residents are protected by career firefighters 24 hour a day. So much for the notion that volunteer fire departments cost taxpayers less than career departments.

**********

Jensen criticized the work that Bob Yackel has done as Union President.

THE TRUTH: Norman Jensen hypocritically forgot that he himself enjoyed ALL of the fruits of Bob Yackel’s labor.

**********

Jensen once again tried to avoid the real concerns of the taxpayers and tried to distort a topic that he knew very little about, the Contract.

THE TRUTH: During his career, Norman Jensen benefited quite nicely from what he had called “overly generous contracts”. Being able to move out of Edison in 1993 and buy a mansion in the hills and a vacation home in Florida, I wonder if Jensen ever reimbursed the town for being over paid. Jensen should have at least contributed a little back to the township since his side businesses would tire him out so he would religiously head to the bunk room 3 hours before rules allowed, never mind his driving restrictions.

**********

Jensen (Barca) refered to this union concerns as a cry of the “sky is falling” which comes after failed negotiations.

THE TRUTH: We have already clearly and publicly stated that we are pleased with the contract award and feel that the state appointed arbitrator awarded a fair contract for all. The Township receiving 1 complete item from the 42 that they sought is far from being failed negotiations on the part of Local 1197. We understand that the administration wouldn't know how else to avoid the real issues except to blame “the contract”.

**********

Jensen stated that “public safety and the taxpayers are not on the top of Yackel’s priority list”

THE TRUTH: Unlike Jensen, whom hasn't lived & paid taxes in Edison since 1993, Barca and other Choi administrators never lived nor had they ever paid taxes in Edison. Yackel is a lifelong tax payer and resident of Edison. Not to mention, all the township firefighters either live in town or still have family that is residents of Edison.

**********

Jensen refered to workplace safety issues that were abated by “enormous efforts to create a safe working environment”

THE TRUTH: Many of the items had been outstanding for years. After the initial violations issued by PEOSHA, the township requested an extension, upon re-inspection, many items had not been abated and they were found to be in violation that would have totaled over several hundred thousands of dollars of fines. As is the Township’s way of operating, just prior to the closing conference where the fines were to be levied, the township fixed the outstanding issues. Therefore, fines were not levied. That unfortunately is the game played by the township rather than just fixing what is broken prior to PEOSHA coming into town.

***********************************************************

While Jensen and the administration tried to dilute the waters by launching a personal attack on Union President Bob Yackel, the facts are the facts. Unlike Jensen, we have substantial documents to back up all of our claims and are willing to disclose this information to any serious inquires.

THE TRUTH: By way of a UNANIMOUS VOTE, this entire organization felt that Jensen’s policies were severely detrimental to the Taxpayers of Edison and to its sworn protectors, the Firefighters. Additionally and foremost, we feel that Ex-Chief Jensen’s actions will continue to be attributable to resident deaths. Jensen stood alone as he stood behind his policies. Jensen wanted everyone to believe that over 140 Professionals with various backgrounds and lengths of service are wrong, while 1 individual with a personal agenda was right.

Additionally: The fire service recently experienced a major tragedy in South Carolina where 9 firefighters tragically perished in a fire. As the facts and reports about the circumstances to what lead to this disaster surface, it clearly shows that the leadership and policy faults in South Carolina are eerily similar to Jensen’s. The vocal ness of this organization and President Yackel is simply to avoid such a catastrophic event like Charleston.

Furthermore; The day before the official report for the Charleston Tragedy was to be released, Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas resigned.

Addendum:

To further illustrate the lack of integrity and the blatant lies told by Ex-Chief Jensen and others in Choi’s administration, allow us to show you evidence of such.

In his recent commentary, Ex-Chief Jensen boasted about their hard work in resolving all violations recently cited by the Office of Public Employees Occupational Safety & Health (PEOSH). A closing conference was held on April 21, 2008, between Township Officials, Union Officials and State Officials.

Township Officials declared ALL violations to have been abated with exception of concrete work that would be completed within a couple of days.

As previously stated in this column, items such as this have been in need of repair for years.

The following pictures were taken at Station #4 on May 20, 2008 and clearly show that not only did Ex-Chief Jensen lied and mislead the public in his recent commentary, but the entire administration lied to State Officials when trying to avoid hefty fines by stating that the work would be performed within a couple of days of April 21, 2008.

Click here for a copy of the original violation.