Syracuse Online - Borodino firefighter sounds alarm over recruiting

Borodino firefighter sounds alarm over recruiting

Thursday, January 10, 2002

By Dick Clarke

The Borodino Fire Department now has its own Web site attached to the Borodino Bullet site.

"It's a great way to let area residents know what's going on," said Matt O'Brien, fire department president. "And we are always looking for new members, so maybe this will help attract some attention."

The main Web site is:

www.borodinobullett.com.

Borodino has just over 20 firefighters on its roster, with 12 the heart of the working corps, according to O'Brien.

"It's kind of scary to think about us having a major fire," O'Brien said. "I'm 37, and there's only one on the roster younger than me.

"I joined a year ago, and I was the first new member in three years."

The problem is not unique to Borodino but still concerns O'Brien.

"We've got so many guys who have given so many years," O'Brien said. "Who replaces them when they have had enough?"

O'Brien is on a recruitment/retention committee, which is exploring the possibility of an ID card for volunteers that might earn them a discount at a major store chain - in lieu of offering firefighters pay, which would wreck most small-town budgets.

"Maybe that would make it more appealing to get involved," O'Brien said.

One of Borodino's immediate concerns is purchasing a light rescue truck.

"We make some money in fund-raisers," O'Brien said. "We tried to get a federal grant and were turned down.

"We were only asking for half a small truck, but we found out a lot of departments in the country are a lot worse off - some are trying to get their first fire truck."

Solvay police officer to go back to school

The village of Solvay has officially drawn up a contract for deployment of one of its police officers as a resource officer for Solvay High School for the next four years.

"It's been sent to the school board for review, and, hopefully, for their signature," Police Chief Rick Cox said.

The next school board meeting is 7 p.m. Monday at Hazard Street Middle School.

"We hope to have the program up and running real soon after that," Cox said.

Cox said officer Tony Asciotiwill be the designated resource officer.

"He's our DARE officer and he has already received some resource training," Cox said.

The resource officer is courtesy of a $125,000 federal COPS grant, which pays for Solvay to hire an additional officer for three years to make up for the loss of the school officer. Solvay pays for the fourth year.

Amber Fire Department re-elects Wheeler chief

The Amber Fire Department recently held elections.

Mike Wheeler was re-elected to his third term as chief.

Also elected were:

Scott Reich as first assistant chief; Chris Muncy as second assistant chief; Rich Kipp as fire department captain; Pete Randolph as rescue captain; Tom Schmidt as fire police captain; and Jeff Bailer as fire department lieutenant.