Bridgeport Fire Department sees record retirements
BRIDGEPORT — More than a dozen senior members of the city’s Fire department have retired.
But while Fire Chief Richard Thode said the retirements, all official June 26, pose a logistical challenge, he said they were prepared for it.
Of the 14 firefighters who put in their papers, 13 are ranking officers including the fire marshal and deputy fire marshal and three are assistant fire chiefs.
Because of the way the department’s pension system is structured, Thode said this time of the year is traditionally when firefighters who are eligible to retire do so. But he acknowledged the number of those with rank retiring at one time is unusual.
“It’s a lot of experience, a lot of the people were key members of the department,” he said.
There are nine assistant chiefs in the department and 12 members of the fire marshal’s office.
All the retirees began in the department in the 1980s, five were hired on the same day as Thode.
The list of new retirees includes:
Fire Marshal Henry Polite, Deputy Fire Marshal Richard Balestrieri, Assistant Chief John MacNicholl, Assistant Chief Richard Donofrio, Assistant Chief Mike Caldaroni, Fire Inspector Frank Duffy, Lt. Mike Meehan, Lt. Neil Carr, Lt. Paul Kochiss, Lt. Randy Pittman, Pumper Engineer Keith Williams, Pumper Engineer Dan Magri, Pumper Engineer Steve Kapitancek and Firefighter Tom Sansonetti.
“Logistically, it’s tough,” said Thode. “But it wasn’t a shock and we had time to plan for it.”
He said the department is working with the city’s Civil Service Commission to put out promotional lists to replace the retirees.
In February, the department hired 15 recruits in anticipation of the retirements. Thode said the recruits would have graduated from the fire academy already but then the pandemic occurred. He said they are now scheduled to graduate in July.
But there is another looming problem. Thode said he expects a similar number of firefighters to retire this time next year.