http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1benoit9.29sep24,0,7483886.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer
September 29, 2007
First Selectman Jim Lash said yesterday that the town has twice
been cited for failing to file reports on fire calls with the
state fire marshal under the watch of town Fire Marshal Joseph
Benoit, whom he wants fired.
"Once is bad. Twice is unacceptable," said Lash, who
placed Benoit on paid administrative leave Sept. 5 for what he
described as performance-related issues.
Lash had declined to answer specific questions on what led to
Benoit's suspension until an interview yesterday, saying that the
details would come out during an upcoming hearing on the fire
veteran's job status. A date for that hearing has not been set.
Lash, who serves as the town's fire commissioner, said it was
Benoit's responsibility to file the reports on a monthly basis
with the state fire marshal. The town received a letter from the
state this summer that it was in noncompliance, the second in as
many years.
"Let's put it this way, he reported so little, that the
state cited us twice," Lash said.
Messages seeking comment from Benoit, who has been fire marshal
since 1984 and is also the deputy fire chief, were left yesterday
at his home in Riverside.
According to the state Department of Public Safety's Office of
Education and Data Management, which serves as a clearinghouse
for the state fire marshal, Benoit only filed reports for April
and May of this year and for March 2006.
State law currently requires local fire marshals to file reports
with the state fire marshal on any fire or explosion within 15
days of the incident itself. In addition to those reports, state
officials said they routinely ask local fire marshals for
documentation of other calls that require the fire department's
response, even though it is not required by law. Greenwich
receives about 4,000 fire calls per year.
"We try to stay on top of municipalities," said Sue
Vaughn, director of the Office of Education and Data Management.
According to Vaughn, 10 fire departments did not file any reports
at all with the state in 2006, and 29 haven't done so this year.
It was unclear how many departments in the state, which has 169
municipalities, filed incomplete reports.
Vaughn said a majority of departments file reports with the state
on a quarterly basis, though the state prefers that be done at
least on a monthly basis. There are no fines or penalties for
noncompliance, and the state posts statistics about fire calls on
its Web site.
"I can't say we would call it a public safety issue,"
Vaughn said. "It's statistical data we hope is used for
prevention and planning purposes."
Local fire marshals can file reports by e-mail or regular mail,
according to Vaughn, who said Benoit communicated with her office
in the past about computer software upgrades that were causing a
problem with reporting.
Vaughn also said that local fire marshals often rely on the local
fire chief for the reports and may not have the resources to keep
up with records requested by the state.
"Some towns have very limited staffing," Vaughn said.
In an interview earlier this month, Benoit, 58, said Lash had
been trying to blame him for a number of stalled fire-fighting
initiatives for which he was not responsible, including the
installation of dry hydrants in areas not served by town water
mains -- the hydrants allow firefighters to pump water from ponds
to use at fire scenes. He would only cite one example, saying he
wanted to wait until the hearing on his status.
"I'm aware that part of his defense is to say that the
problems weren't his fault, but there are other facts that follow
on from that, and those will be discussed during the
hearing," Lash said.
In Benoit's earlier interview, the 34-year department veteran and
town native also said Lash was trying to smear his reputation and
pressuring him to take early retirement.
Benoit was suspended about a week after the town conducted his
annual performance review. Although Benoit is not a member of the
firefighters' union, he is covered by special employment
protections for fire marshals in the state that require
municipalities to follow certain steps when taking personnel
action against them, including holding a hearing.
Lash said Benoit, whose annual salary for the 2006-07 fiscal year
was $114,838, can choose whether he wants the hearing to be open
to the public.
Benoit said a day after he was suspended, he received an award
from the New England Association of Fire Marshals for his
achievements in the profession.
The Board of Selectmen appointed Fire Inspector James McDonald, a
20-year department veteran, as interim fire marshal on Sept 13.
Lash said a report explaining the reasons Benoit should be fired
will likely be issued within a week, with the hearing following
five to 10 days later.
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.