NHFD Filling Top Ranks

Ten people in the city’s fire department are moving up the ranks thanks to decisions made at Tuesday’s Fire Commission meeting, where out-of-town colleagues were also recognized for pitching in with staffing during a fallen firefighter’s funeral.

Fire Chief John Alston Jr. recommended and the Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously approved a promotion list that includes filling some of the top slots in the department.

Battalion Chief Mark Vendetto will be promoted to assistant fire chief of operations. Vendetto was one of six who took the exam for that position and was the top scorer. But the other five applicants for that position also will be moving up in the department too.

There are three openings in the department for deputy fire chief. Battalion Chiefs Thomas Neville, William Gould and Benjamin Vargas — the top three scorers respectively on that exam —will be promoted to fill those slots. All three men sat for both the assistant fire chief of operations and the deputy fire chief exams.

Director of Training Antonio Almodovar, who was among the six who sat for the assistant chief position exam, will be promoted from the rank of private to lieutenant. Almodovar, who was promoted to director of training last June, will remain at the fire academy. Private John Twohill also will be promoted from the rank of private to lieutenant.

Captains Terrence Rountree, James Watkins, Bruce Galaski and Ryan DiVito will all be promoted to battalion chief.

Chief Alston said that he is tentatively looking at a promotion ceremony date of April 18, depending on Mayor Toni Harp’s schedule. It also could depend on whether the Civil Service Commission squeezes in one more meeting on April 11 and approves a captains’ promotion list. Alston said should the commission do that, a special meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners will be called to approve that list and those new captains will be part of the promotion ceremony.

“If not, we’ll move forward,” he said.

Saying Thanks

The fire department and the fire union took time at Tuesday’s meeting at Grand Avenue headquarters to recognize fellow firefighters from other departments around the state who assisted the department during the funeral of New Haven firefighter Jeffrey K. O’Neil, who was killed in a car crash in New Britain in February.

Fire Union President Frank Ricci said the assistance from other departments allowed New Haven firefighters the opportunity to honor the life of one of their own, while making sure the city stayed safe and without incurring additional overtime costs.

“It’s easy for the fire department to help our community, but what we find is that it is not easy for firefighters to ask for help for themselves,” Ricci said. ​“This is the first time in New Haven Fire Department history that when we lost one of our brother firefighters from a tragic accident that labor and management working, with Chief Alston, put together a planning team, put together an incident action plan and reached out to other departments, unions and management and mayors offices and they answered that call for help.”

Ricci handed out plaques of thanks and recognition Tuesday to Stamford Fire Department, the East Haven Fire Department, Stratford Fire Department, Emerald Society, Horwitz Career Apparel and Uniforms and American Medical Response. New Haven Fire Lt. Stan Slubowski and retired firefighter James Kelly were also recognized for their direct assistance with putting together and running the funeral honors for Firefighter O’Neil.

“One of the toughest jobs we have as firefighters … is to assist in burying one of our own,” Alston said. ​“In my past 32 years of experiences it’s probably one of the hardest things you can do. And to see that the other departments came in to cover our shifts, reminded me of how Jersey City, when I was there, came in to cover the New York City Fire Department shifts because they had so many funerals to go to. So whether it was serving food, riding apparatus or even bird dogging, believe it or not, in some places it is good to see the support we have.”

Wallingford Firefighters Association Local 1326 President Shock Baitch said firefighters from that community were happy to volunteer. Six volunteers came from the Wallingford department; Baitch said he easily had twice as many people volunteer.

“It was a very simple ask,” he said. ​“This one was an instant response. We’re very lucky to have a good working relationship with New Haven Fire and hope to be able to use it in the future.”