Fire Chief Seeks New Uniforms, Firehouses

Wright laid out those intentions in a City Hall interview following his official swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

Wright has been acting fire chief for several months now. Wednesday’s event — which featured drums and bagpipes and dozens of the chief’s colleagues, family and friends — made it official.

In remarks from the podium in the Aldermanic Chamber, Wright promised to support the department’s leadership and rank-and-file firefighters. He also acknowledged recent tensions in the department, which have fallen along racial lines.

“I have very little patience for office politics, rival factions, or cliques,” said Wright, who is African-American and whose appointment enjoyed support from firefighters of all races. He promised to turn over a new leaf in the department, which he said needs improvement in many areas. ​“Together we will achieve great things,” he said. ​“Change is coming.”

Asked after the ceremony about his efforts to improve morale, Chief Wright said he’d like to see firefighters take part in more extra-curricular activities together, like ballgames and shopping trips. (Click the video to hear him.)

Wright said that the department needs to make sure all firefighters have complete ​“Class A” uniforms, and fully repaired firehouses to work in. Both of those initiatives would improve morale as well, he said.

“I want to fix up these firehouses. They’re in need of repair,” Wright said. ​“They haven’t been fixed in about 30 years, and they’re at the point where they’re starting to fall down. It’s almost the same way the schools were, give or take a few years ago, when Dr. [Reggie] Mayo came about and had a program with Mayor DeStefano to try to either rebuild or renovate the schools, and that’s what I’m looking to do to all 10 firehouses.” (He said he didn’t yet have a cost estimate for the job.)

Wright also said he’d like to make the fire department ​“greener,” by installing solar panels on the firehouses.

Asked about another top challenge — understaffing — Wright said he’s proud to have a class of 45 trainees in the academy right now. The red-shirted rookies (pictured) lined the chamber during the ceremony.

Wright said the department has about 122 vacancies currently. He said he hopes to seat another class in the fall.

Fire union President Jimmy Kottage said the chief’s plans sound fine, but may be impossible, given current contract disagreements and tight budgets.

The chief won’t be able to seat a new class until the city and the union resolve a dispute about the relative weighting of the oral and written components of promotional exams, Kottage said. Since only about 60 of the vacant slots in the department are for rookie firefighters, it needs to make promotions to open more slots up. But it can’t do that until the conflict is resolved.

Kottage agreed that the fire stations need repair. ​“The firehouses are disgusting,” he said. Roofs are leaking; mold is growing; toilets don’t work.

On new uniforms, Kottage said, ​“I think that’ll be great. But they need to open up the pocketbook and pay.” Firefighters have been asking for new hats for some time, he said.

Solar panels are not the first thing the department needs, Kottage said. It needs more supervisors first.

When it comes to morale, Kottage said, the most important thing is that the chief needs to follow through on what he promises. If he doesn’t, morale will sink even lower, Kottage said.

“I look forward to working with Chief Wright and accomplishing things,” Kottage said. ​“But he has an awful lot on his plate and he needs to come through on some of the promises he’s making.”

“Worth Celebrating”

Featured speakers at Wednesday’s ceremony included Dr. Henry Lee (pictured), the forensics expert, who said he used to work with Wright when Wright was on the arson squad. He said Wright is know as a ​“people” person, and always says hello to everyone.

Judge Lubbie Harper (pictured) said he remembers Wright as a ​“youngster following me around in Newhallville.” He praised Wright as a man of ​“keen intellect” as well as strength, kindness, compassion, dignity, spirituality, vision, and honor.

The city fire department is beginning a new chapter,” said Mayor Toni Harp (pictured). ​“His promotion is well-earned and well-deserved and worth celebrating.”

After the ceremony, Wright posed for countless photographs with family and well-wishers, and joked with firefighter Ray Saracco (pictured).