WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Watertown City Council sold the fire department’s heavy rescue truck last year. Now, one city council member wants to find a replacement for it.
Councilwoman Lisa Ruggiero is bringing forward a resolution at next Tuesday’s city council meeting that would designate a Ford pickup truck already in the fire department’s fleet as a rescue truck.
One of of her reasons: a serious crash that happened on Arsenal Street back in October.
“I think that was an eye opener for many – the fact that we didn’t have a rescue truck that could respond,” she said.
While on scene, the city had to call in mutual aid to bring equipment to help with entrapment inside a vehicle. That equipment became unavailable when city council voted to take the heavy rescue truck off the road and eventually sell it at auction.
The fire department is purchasing new equipment and Ruggiero says, in speaking with Fire Chief Matt Timerman, the Ford pickup has the space needed to bring those tools to crashes.
“If we can provide that extra level of safety to people, then I see the need for it,” she said.
Ruggiero says she feels she has the votes to get the resolution passed, and, if it does, she is recommending that the city promote four firefighters to captain positions.
That’s something Chief Timerman says would need to happen if this does go through.
“My recommendation would be if you don’t want to have the additional captains, then don’t bring the company back. If you do want the company, then bring the company officers with them,” he said.
The firefighters union said the city violated the collective bargaining agreement by eliminating the rescue company in the first place.
But, an arbitrator disagreed, saying the team was never clearly done away with and members still carry out those duties.
We reached out to Mayor Jeff Smith, who had no comment. Fire union president Dan Daugherty could not be reached for comment.
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