| The blame for the faulty fire hydrant
mess in which the city currently finds itself rests squarely on the shoulders of the citys
former fire hydrant inspector not doing his job, Fire Chief Harvey Applegate says. Its
as simple as that, Chief Applegate said.
I was trying correct it, he added, when it blew up in our faces.
The situation blew up about two weeks ago when it took firefighters 30 to 45 minutes to
find a working hydrant to battle a blaze that destroyed four houses in the 300 block of
North Garfield Avenue.
Since then its been learned that up to 10 percent of the approximately 1,400 fire
hydrants in the city may not be in working order.
Fire department brass and the firefighters union chief, Mike Ferke, were well aware of
where the blame for the threatening situation lied, but chose instead to point the finger
elsewhere.
Chief Applegate said money and delays by Pennsylvania-American Water Co. were the
reasons nonworking hydrants were not being replaced.
Mr. Ferke pointed the finger at City Hall and fire department brass.
Chief Applegate now concedes that the citys firefighting capability was threatened
because Edward Joyce, the citys fire hydrant inspector, was not doing his job.
The union knew he was the problem, the chief said. Everyone in the department knew it.
Mr. Ferke does not go that far.
He is a member (of the union), Mr. Ferke said of Mr. Joyce. I really cant say anything.
The union chief went on to concede, however, that from time-to-time he (Mr. Joyce) was
off, but I dont know to what extent.
Mr. Joyce was named to the $34,417-a-year job as fire hydrant inspector in 1997 even
though he scored fourth among the five people who took the exam. Despite repeated
telephone calls and a reporters appearance at his home, Mr. Joyce was unavailable for
commet this week.
Civil service rules require that the job goes to one of the top three candidates on the
list. Mr. Joyce became eligible only after Lt. Robert Pflecki, the top scorer, withdrew
his name from consideration.
Mayor Jim Connors then appointed Mr. Joyce to the post.
Mr. Joyce resides at 2705 Colliery Ave., approximately four blocks from the mayors
house.
Hes a good man, a hard worker, the mayor says of his decision to appoint Mr. Joyce. I
think he did the best he could under the circumstances.
The mayor, though, apparently has not talked to Chief Applegate.
Although department records indicate Mr. Joyce reported off sick 25 days in 1996 and
only three days in 1997, Chief Applegate reluctantly concedes Mr. Joyce did not show for
work for some 13 months during 1996 and 1997 immediately before he was appointed fire
hydrant inspector by the mayor.
I cant deny that, the chief said.
Nobody checks inspectors, he said. Theyre more or less their own bosses.
Thus, after Mr. Joyce became an inspector, the chief conceded there may have been days
that he took off and did not call in sick.
We just took it for granted he was working, he said.
There were other days when Mr. Joyce came to work and left early, Mr. Applegate said.
He might start working on a hydrant, get depressed and go home without putting the fire
plug back together. He wouldnt finish the job until he came in the next day.
The chief tolerated Mr. Joyces actions because the inspectors wife died of cancer in
1997. She suffered from the disease for some time before that.
I feel sentimental for the kid, Mr. Applegate said.
The hydrant inspectors written job description calls for him to inspect, repair and
replace fire hydrants.
Because of his sympathy for Mr. Joyces personal situation, the chief said he never
asked the hydrant inspector for a list of non-working fire hydrants in the city.
Mr. Applegate is now being criticized for not knowing which of the citys 1400 hydrants
are out of order.
I dont know if he (Mr. Joyce) had such a list, the chief said.
The chief said he didnt know why he never asked Mr. Ferke for such a list.
Chief Applegate said he knew he had a serious problem shortly after the water company
conducted flow tests of the citys hydrants last May.
The results didnt reach him for some time, but they sparked my eyes, he said. I knew we
had a problem.
Thus, in November, he temporarily assigned Joseph Perroti, who scored second to Lt.
Pfleckl on the Civil Service test, to help Mr. Joyce for 30 days.
When the 30-day period was up, Mr. Perroti returned to his regular job as a
firefighter. If he hadnt, the union could have required the city to create a second fire
hydrant inspectors position.
At the same time, Chief Applegate said he tried to convince Mr. Joyce to return to his
old job as a chauffeur, but he wouldnt do it.
Last Monday, with the news media asking questions about the fire hydrant situation, Mr.
Joyce called the chief and agreed to be reassigned to his old job as chauffeur.
The reassignment drops Mr. Joyces salary to $32,984.49 a year.
On Tuesday, Mr. Perotti was named fire hydrant inspector. Since then, Mr. Perroti has
restored nine malfunctioning hydrants to working order.
Interviewed while repairing a hydrant at Lackawanna and Penn Avenues that firefighters
could not get to work during a fire Wednesday at 111 Penn Ave., Mr. Perrotti said he feels
the job is manageable.
But, he said, it will take time to catch up on the work that needs to be done.
An assistant would be useful, he said, but within a couple of months Mr. Perroti feels
he will have the situation under control.
Its going to take a year or so, though, he said, before the hydrants are in the shape
he would like to see them. |
