Many people believe the Firehouse is just one big happy
family. It now appears that the Saratoga Firehouse is more akin to angry family
breakup.The termination of Phil Turcotte was just a symptom of a much more systemic
problem.
The Firehouse is a hierarchical system. The Chief being at
the top. But in this department some have told me that Chief Williams is vindictive,
cruel, cheap and maniacal leader. Those are their words not mine. Below
Williams there is what’s known as the "righteous".
These are the old school fireman. The products of past
generations where being born to a Fireman you have a god given right to be a
fireman. Civil service tests are seen as just a minor annoyance to be overcome.
The “righteous" are given all the overtime .Even before
Williams was Chief back when he was a captain, he (along with 3 other officers)
would come in and train the staff every day. And they were on overtime. 5 days
a week, these 4 officers came in on their time off to "train" the
guys... 2 hours per day, 5 days a week on overtime. The joke was the “ordinary fireman" called it “the Christmas fund". These 4 made a killing. While rank and
file fireman were getting by working 1 or 2 other jobs just to survive.
Mike Evans never liked Phil. A few (3 at best) of Phil's
shift mates didn't like him. Mainly because he was just a little eccentric. One
of those shift mates was Evans... Called by co-workers a self-centered,
obnoxious cretin with a certain propensity to pick on "the class
geek." He thrives at fucking over
coworkers to show himself as being an "effective leader"; keep the
genuine guys at bay by showing them "who's boss". Other fireman who
crossed Evans know just how vindictive he can be….
Enter Capt. John Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick is one of the "righteous"
and a personal friend of Chief Williams. He was also part of the special training
crew I mentioned above that raked in the overtime. Enough to push their
salaries into the high eighties and low nineties while the rank and file {you
know the ones who actually go into burning building} could barely break 50 K a
year.
Kirkpatrick was one of the "righteous" who had run
into those annoying civil service rules when it became time for his spawn to
join the force. His kid even though a ‘legacy” had come in forth in the civil
service exam. Prior to Turcotte losing his job, this "righteous" son
of a captain was not "reachable". One of the guys goes down the road,
opens yet another position.... Boom. Captain’s son is reachable.
So Kirkpatrick was
the one who tipped off the chiefs to go to Albany Airport and talk to the chief
there to dig up some dirt on Turcotte . When Assistant Chief Peter Shaw came
back from the airport, Shaw said "The chief down there told us to distance
ourselves from Phil ASAP." But no one knows why... He never did say why,
more smelly politics. Shaw again is one of the "righteous" who regularly
pulls in over 100k a year. And in an odd twist of fate he’s one of my neighbors
in Milton.
So someone had to be sacrificed for the incestuous family of
“righteous” fireman to maintain their grip on power in the firehouse. Some
have described this to me as political terrorism...
I have been told that about a dozen of the hard working rank
and file would love to transfer to other departments even knowing they’d lose seniority and take a pay cut and have to
go through the entire hiring process again. They no longer want to work for officers who don’t support them that
they view as corrupt,who would rather use and abuse
them to the point of pure, utter disdain
& hatred.
These men deserve better, this city deserves better.
You can yell and wave signs at a gun show all fucking day. You
can have antigun parties and psychiatrist John Nicholson can stamp his feet and
yell “NO” to the Gun Show. Charlie Samuels
can yell “No guts!” to the Saratoga Springs Civic Center Board and feel they
really accomplished something. But it’s all bullshit and they know it.
There are real problems in this city. Ugly nasty problems that
throwing little anti-gun parties won’t solve. But hey who wants to deal with
reality when its sooooooo much fun to protest and think you’ve accomplished
something.
This story will stay up till I report on the Gun show Saturday
This story will stay up till I report on the Gun show Saturday
Saratoga in Decline’
We never Sleep
Because something stinks on Lake Avenue
36 comments:
Kirkpatrick......his Dad was a fireman, so it is automatic that his kid should be a fireman.....right?
But there is this stupid thing called a civil service test.......... but heck, don't the politicians know that the name Kirkpatrick is golden, worth lots of votes, so we can make exceptions....somehow.
It's been going on for years.....
Hopefully this two faced bastard kirkpatrick gets his,most of the men hate him and wonder how heever became a firemen in the first place.
could we please have a list of all the firemen who are on 207a with traumatic injuries that we are paying for fully for the rest of their lives
Just because it's been going on for yrs. doesn't mean it can't be changed. If enough city employees in all the various dept. joined together & started protesting, filing grievences, & holding meetings together with their various union representatives & demanding change especially from the disfunctional city Civil Service dept. maybe, just maybe change would come. The problem w/the different dept. (i.e. Fire, Police, DPW, City Hall)they believe one is better than the other rather than joining together & fighting the way Civil Service allows this bull-shit to continue. There is always power in numbers!! First thing that needs to be taken care of is the destruction of Saratoga Civil Service. Question for you JOHN, is this city the only city w/it's own Civil Service Commission? WHY? I believe it's time to join forces & end the disfunctional Civil Service & total disregard for the "Loyal, Hard Working" employees of this city. The way honest, hard working employees of the city are treated is totally disgusting. Seems the employees with the least amount of drive, the ones that continue to suck of the city taxpayer w/foney OT, that are allowed to report to work under the influence of drugs or booze are the employees "some" Commissioners & the City Civil Service continue to promote & reward with promotions! Change is possible.
Does anyone remember that fireman who was on disability who used to show up regularly at city council meetings carrying a paper sack? Can't remember his name. He owned a lawnmower repair shop in town.
Don't Be Mad At Us Cuz U Ain't Us! Take the test! It's only $15.
Several were not in favor of the EMS service that will strggle to cash flow and soon will be a taxpayer expense. But there is danger there. Common sense dictates that if you look at shift numbers if two ambulances were to go out minutes apart and a major fire occurred who would be left to address the fire. You can't backfill that quickly. The question is what would be in jeopardy. Obviously the structure and contents but how about the residents and even the FF who arrive first working shorthanded until backup arrives. I have a nice copy of a picture of a toilet bowl with the name "ASSHOLE" on it that was used to intimidate the Ff's that did not support the program. John, your perspective if right on. Unfortunately people have to eat, pay a mortgage and monthly bills so it is tolerated but the level of motivation has been destroyed.
If you think the Capt is bad you should look at Shauna Sutton, with her gestapo highheels stomping down the hallway and the second job at Greenfield.
I have worked in many places and in several roles including management. Every work environment is different but I have found that: 1. Most people complain about their boss; 2. The boss always has a few people that are or are perceived to be favorites ; 3. People love to complain ; 4. If asked everyone will say they are overworked and underpaid; 5.there are cliques and gossips everywhere; 6. management cannot discuss personnel matters (like why someone Got fired); 7. Upper management cannot control or mandate morale; 8. If you operate your business to make your employees fail your business will fail and your employees will always still complain.
The firehouse sounds like every other work place. I would say the firemen should grow up, stop feeding info to JT, stop reading and posting on this blog, and remember that on any given day your life may depend on your fellow fire fighter.
I am NOT a fireman. I am a nurse. I don't know anyone who works in the firehouse.
Casting dispersions on other individuals does not solve this issue. Thta is called the art of deception. If you can't address the issue intelligently just change the issue. By the way it is Greenridge Cemetary not Greenfield.
Being a firefighter in Saratoga Springs used to mean something. Now it's no different then driving a forklift at munogue's or quad graphics. Half the guys don't give one rats ass about anything anymore & just pick their check up every Friday & leave. These chief & union toadies on each side can do whatever they want to because no one cares. Pretty soon nobody will even show up for open house. The chief, Mike Evan & his shift toadies can run it all by themselves.
is it true kirkpatrick's brother-in-law lexy stone is tryin to get a job as dispatcher on weekends with the fire department
Why does the Fireman's shoulder patch say Union 343?
Why should a city patch advertise the name of the union? Does the union buy the patches? No it does not.
The Police patch doesn't, so why does the fire patch say union?
Everyone might complain about work, but here is the difference - these jobs are public jobs. That means everyone has an equal opportunity to get one of these taxpayer funded positions, not just dynastic heirs. The jobs don't belong to the boss, they belong to the people, and civil service is a matter of LAW.
7:06 a.m. it is attitudes like yours that enable the corrupt to keep things that way. I suspect you do have an interest or why would you want people you don't know to stop talking to Mr. Tighe?
Look what happened in Schenectady City Schools. This is how things get so bad, people treating public employment jobs as their own property to hand out to people who please them. Why do people try to paint reformers as troublemakers?
Lexy Stone? Now that's funny.
12:36
Everyone has the opportunity. Nice theeory but not true. Several people have been hird in the last three years that were not even on the list. They were hired because they were a son, nephew, brother, cousin etc, both in DPW and other departments. There have been several in grade increases to the chosen few that have caused several moraled problems and quite honestly may be deemd as corrupt hiring practices among others. The whole city knows this. Are you NAIVE OR JUST OUT OF THE LOOP. The family following family continues to be Standard hiring practices and the poor performer in most cases not all have ben the recipients.
The mentality around fire safety needs to change. With advances in technology and better information the old "bucket brigade" should have gone away years ago.
In the beginning, fire companies existed to help people get out of burning buildings quickly, and keep the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings, causing the whole town to go up.
Structure fires wiping out the town aren't the worry anymore, thanks to modern construction materials. Advances in technology have also made escape ladders, smoke alarms, sprinklers and fire supression systems a reality.
Much like cars are no long designed to withstand impact, instead being designed to protect the driver and passengers, even at the expense of destroying the vehicle, we should look at fire safety the same way.
Maintain larger main stations throughout the county, for the rare large scale fire. Keep smaller volunteer units to handle small fires, or contain things until the county crew can make it.
How can you expect these people to have a realistic expectation of what their job entails, and what their compensation should be, when the reality is, these jobs shouldn't even exist.
I hear in DPW you all need to do for a job is see ricki for some coke,geri for some weed ,make some bets with russel ,get drunk with anyone named Delaney and invite skippy over to share all your recent drug purchases.....PS it helps if you talk like you have marbles in your mouth and carry five different newspapers with you and as many plastic shopping bags as you can fit in your pockets...
Can you imagine an SSFD union meeting? These tools have five fires once a year, then show up and pat each other on the backs?
The dictionary definition of a poser should be a saratoga springs firefighter!
The most scary thing about this firehouse family-legacy hiring policy is that we now have a CAPTAIN, (he skipped the lieutenant position altogether!) who has NEVER BEEN IN A FIRE. No experience necessary SSFD?? From the firetruck he is directing men running into a burning building and he’s never done it himself. oh, and 7ish years into the job he makes almost 100K. Coincidentally, his dad is also a fireman and is now on 207a (that’s disability, full payment folks!) Dad seems to get plenty of odd jobs done around town on our taxpayer dime though. How do you think morale is if you’re one of the guys running into the fire, an inexperienced kid with some family ties making life and death decisions for you?? Bad management decisions are the makings of a disaster in this profession.
Your house is burning down cause nobody is risking their life for these political hire idiots who are all scared of fire.
3:26 p.m. - I know what standard practice is, the law is not being followed, that is what I said in my post. Go back and reread it . I am SUPPORTING openness and the rule of law. Sheesh.
Anyone remember their history as to why civil service was reformed under the Pendleton Act? Well, it needs cleaning up again. Don't listen to the 'nurse' who would have you believe that things are the way they are everywhere and if you don't like it you are a 'complainer". No. Don't shut up. Nothing gets cleaned up that way. Remember, public employment belongs to the people.
I don't know how old you are but I would never let no FOOL lay my ass on the line like that especially for the asshole city you work for turn him in to the federal branch ASAP
12:36 Civil Service is a matter of law? Maybe you should attend a few "open to the public" Saratoga Civil Service meetings. This commission is a hugh joke! You have the Civil Service secretary buddy, buddy with the different Dept. commissioners & their deputies & secretaries. She works with them to implement whatever it is they want done with the dept. employees. Then talks with Mr. Eli Delsette, who discuss the issues with the rest of the civil servic commission on how they're going to vote before the public mtg. Mr. Eli was the deciding vote to give the casino bookings to his niece, taking the job away from a supervisor that has been handling the job for 5 1/2 yr. with no issues. Now that supervisor is performing labor work for supervisor pay & the Civil Service APPROVES of it!!! I ask you, do you call that representing the matter of the law. I would be willing to bet if this & all other CSEA issures were handle in Albany the employees of this city would be dealt with in a lawful manner. Elimate the Saratoga Civil Service Dept. Great way to save the city one un-needed, over paid position.
Hahahahaha! This whole thing started over Phil Turcotte from Schylerville? Please keep this going! It might be funnier than anything on TV! By the looks of the guy...he probably couldn't drag a dead cat out of a building.
jakey you are funny but you are right hahahaha
I thought women were hard to work with! But I do really like the idea of Lexy Stone as dispatcher. At least he knows where the streets are.
Murphy, Dejonkszka, Beech, Kirkpatrick, Cogan, cogan, Dejonkszka, Beech, Dorey, Williams, Beech, Murphy, and on and on, and so it goes.
Nice "work" if you can get it.
Or 207-a, whatever, you still get paid.
It would be very important to note th employee harrassment just like sexual harrassment is subject to termination. That is if there is factual and documented eveidence and hopefully supported by witnesses. The big question is "Who will step forward" That is the critical first step.
10:41 - becoming judge and jury is not funny. Now one's appearance is in question. How about all those out of shape 240 pounders. You're just blowing smoke and reflecting bias and ignorance.
And me,"I'm riding in my Taxi take'in tips and gettig stoned.......I go flyyyyyyyiiiiinnnnggggyyyy sooo high when I'm stoned".....the bride is back and loaded for bear.
@5:43 am - Oh, those 240 pounders will be sweating off the pounds in no time. They've got a TRAINER... with a SPECIALIZED FITNESS PROGRAM... through SKIDMORE... they just need us to buy somethings for them so they can start. It will start soon though.. you know, in a little bit. Not tomorrow, but soon.
If you really want to see the nepotism in all this, why don't you see who the Firefighters "personal trainer" buys a card for on Father's Day.
Listen for me with Dave Lucas at noon on WAMC/Northeast Public Radio wamc 90.3 albany
Blast from the past
The Albany, NY Police Department has been under investigation by the BATF since 2002, when a fully automatic weapon registered to the department was discovered to be for sale at a local gun shop. The gun had been sold to the store by a member of the Albany PD.
Shortly after the investigation began, the then Albany Police Chief Robert Wolfgang wrote a letter to the ATF claiming that the department had managed to "lose" 12 fully automatic weapons. Albany Police have been unable to locate the purchase records of a total of 52 machine guns. However, all of the guns have supposedly now been recovered and destroyed by the Albany Police Department.
Dozens of police officers have been implicated in the investigation. In addition, both a county Assistant District Attorney and a local judge were also implicated as having each illegally obtained one of the machine guns. The Assistant DA, Brian Farley, has even admitted to returning one of the guns to the Albany Police. Yet, not one single person has been internally disciplined within the department over the matter. And despite the fact that there is clear evidence that crimes were committed, no criminal charges have been brought against anyone.
It is illegal in New York state for private citizens, even if they are serving in law enforcement or any other public capacity, to privately possession a machine gun.
BATF officials say that they are frustrated, and that the statute of limitations for filing Federal charges is not that far away.
What do you think is up with this? How is it that so many records related to these weapons have been lost? Why is the police department refusing to make public any information regarding their internal investigation?
Are all of these police officers, the judge, and the Assistant District Attorney above the law?
And on top of that, six years have now gone by, and BATF has still yet to bring any charges against anyone. What is up with that? If these had instead just been private citizens, would the BATF have let this case slide for so long??
Something really smells here about this matter, don't you agree??
Here is an investigative news story done by the Times Union newspaper all about this case:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=712581&TextPage=1
On top of all of the above, a New York State Police Commision had been formed recently to investigate many reported irregularities within the Albany Police Department. However, when they issued their report recently, it turns out that they totally ignored the machine gun scandal, and failed to investigate it!
How on earth could that possibly happen? Something wrong appears to be going on inside the state of New York. Here is a report about this aspect of the case:
http://timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?storyID=701214&newsdate=8/13/2008&BCCode=MBTA
Who do you think keeps track of the evidence locker at the SSPD?
Yep, the PD.
Caught you on NPR. Sounded good.
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