Winslow City Manager Stephen Pauken said during a meeting last week that the Winslow Fire Department will improve and that doing what is needed for that to happen is a priority for him.
He noted that he had told the city council on Oct. 28 that the fire department is underfunded, understaffed, underequipped and undertrained. Improvements are already underway, but more must be done.
He was speaking after explaining why he agreed with hearing officer Jack Barker, who upheld the dismissal of firefighter Christopher Jack. He noted that while Jack received his dismissal notice from Fire Chief James Hernandez that Hernandez does not have the authority to dismiss an employee by himself. Both Pauken and Personnel Director David Coolidge must agree with the act, which they did in this case.
Pauken said that there are changes being made at the department. These will include improvements in procedures. He said that all of the employees must be team players who work together and follow the procedures. There must be communication within the department and all must be willing to listen to suggestions properly submitted.
An improved fire department with the proper equipment, an adequate number of well-trained firefighters, both full-time and on-call, and the support of the administration and city council will pay dividends for the city. Such a department would fight fires more effectively, possibly even preventing some and definitely cutting losses. Such a department would earn the respect of the community and become an entity with which many would wish to associate.
It is likely that once the fire department has improved to this level, insurance rates on property within the city would decrease in cost. That will not necessarily happen immediately, but it is certainly something that is likely to occur once the improvements have shown their value in the successful functioning of the department.
