As details emerge about concessions that Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin is seeking from the union representing the city's firefighters, dozens of high-ranking veterans are putting in for retirement.
Fire Chief Reginald Freeman said this week that more than 50 firefighters have put in their retirement papers, and he expects that number to grow to between 80 and 90 by the end of the fiscal year, June 30. The department currently has 294 firefighters. "When you lose all that experience, it's going to affect how you respond. Strategies and tactics will have to change," he said, adding that there would be a trickle-down effect on the department's ability to protect residents and property, as well as on firefighters' safety.
Thomas J. Garrahy, a 22-year veteran who is among the department's eight deputy chiefs expected to leave, said Bronin's proposal is so onerous it doesn't leave many options for the firefighters pondering retirement.
The proposal, Garrahy said, would increase the amount of hours he works weekly from 42 to 56 with no overtime. It would result in the loss of many experienced firefighters, he said.