Millville lays off firefighter
MILLVILLE – The town has laid off one of its two fulltime firefighters, the latest casualty in the town’s ongoing struggle to close a $300,000 deficit and balance the town operating budget.
The firefighter/EMT was Danny Desmarais, a full-time member of the Millville Fire Department since 2015.
The department only had three full-time members – Fire Chief Ronald Landry, Firefighter/EMT Steven Furno and Desmarais. The rest of the department is made up of approximately 20 on-call firefighters.
The layoff of Desmarais represents 50 percent of the Millville Fire Department’s full-time manpower and how that will affect the department going forward is unclear. Landry could not be reached for comment on Friday, but the chief is reportedly planning to hold a departmental meeting of all firefighters next Tuesday.
Desmarais and Furno both worked 8 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but on Tuesday both of their hours were cut back by one hour. Two days later, Desmarais was let go.
Town officials had been sounding the warning bell
for months, saying the town’s public safety department may not be immune to cuts and layoffs as it works to close the deficit.
So far, the town has been forced
to implement significant cuts in service, including eliminating municipal trash service; closing the Senior Center and laying off all its employees; shutting off 64 percent of the town’s street lights; cutting all stipends; eliminating vacant positions; and reducing town hall department hours.
“Unfortunately, with the failed override, the town continues to face the very difficult challenge of closing a significant budget deficit which has included further considerations for reductions in personnel,” Town Administrator Jennifer M. Callahan said in a statement Friday. “It has been widely communicated
that in order to balance the budget all service areas were on the table for further consideration for possible reductions, including public safety areas which had been held harmless with regards to previously implemented budget cuts. As the department head, Chief Landry has worked closely with the adminis-
tration and the Board of Selectmen in reviewing and determining the best way to proceed in making this particular reduction in force, while ensuring the public’s safety service needs will continue to be met.”
Callahan said more announcements will be made soon regarding the closing of the budget deficit.