Assistant Fire Chief To Retire

ive trashed the department on this site for a minute with good reason. that being said chiefs bialecki and coughlin have been the most effective assistant chiefs in over a decade if not more with keeping long overdue accountability and actually addressing operational needs and not ignoring problems hoping they go away. for the first time since the days of chief grant and president egan morale has improved. seeing both mccarthy and bialecki leave in the same year as two young and very ambitious assistant chiefs of admin is undeniable evidence of the insufferable politics that poisons this city

Full retirement at age 39?

How much will Bialeckis retirement payouts be boosted by overtime? Will it end up being higher than his base salary?

Chances that he goes to work elsewhere in Connecticut, still as a firefighter, essentially getting paid double?

The joke is on us New Haven taxpayers. Luckily we can afford it.

I hope his replacement will be based on their ability to do the job rather than how politically connected they are. Bialecki had both the educational prerequisites required to do the job, and the institutional knowledge gained by working in the firehouses at all levels. He will be hard to replace.

AverageTaxpayer- my point is that most retired firefighters will not live up through their 80s, due to the incredible toll and health risks these days of being a firefighter. So the taxpayers probably wont be paying as long on a firefighters retirement as they would for other jobs with the city.

Bialecki, is a person that believes in New Haven, grew up here and has worked harder than most people. He as always strived to DO the job right! He does not have full benefits because he did not put in a full 30 years. I am tired of reading comments of people that do not know all the facts! He worked more than he had too and filled in when he was needed. A dedicated member of the New Haven Fire Department. Backed up his fellow firefighters, always! So, before you make all your comments, think twice. He is getting what he deserves. He is smarter than all of us! He is taking time to be more present for his family! If he ends up getting job in another city somewhere, good for him. He played his cards right.

Bilecki, was a dedicated member of the New Haven Fire Department! He worked harder than most people. Was always trying to be a better firefighter. He stayed and worked when he was asked and worked a lot of long hours than were not required of his Assistant Chief of Administration. This is the kind of person a city wants on the fire department. The comments of him getting a full pension are wrong. He has not worked a full 30 years. Instead of putting in 10 more years, he decided to spend his time with his family. Good for him! If he does get another job in the future, it will be in another city and New Haven taxpayers are paying for his partial pension but will not pay for his future job! If we all could do it again, wouldn't you start a job young, get part of a pension and maybe get another job? Of course, we would! He will be missed.

We need to thank our lucky stars Coughlin is as strong as he is, fully capable, and able to lead the entire dept because this position seems to have a revolving door attached to it and snd without him it maybe concerning. Kim kardashians marriages last longer than this asst chief did.

Thank you Justin for all of your support of the Public Safety Academy at Hillhouse. You inspired many young men and women to explore and pursue public safety careers. Good luck !!

It sounds as though Justin Bialecki has served his City well based on the comments from people who know him. Thank you for your service.

I don't think it is right to criticize an individual member of the NHFD (or NHPD) for benefiting from the contract rules. It's the elected officials and their minions who negotiate the contract. There are plenty of areas in the contract for improvement. But take it up with the Mayor and his team who negotiate the rules, and Alders who approve the contracts.

It is completely shameful and selfish how people critique and determine how anyone else should financially plan their future. We have athletes that than build their physical prowess and play child games as adults for millions and billions of dollars. They dont stay with teams for 15 years anymore ..They leave one team to go play for another , they parlay their positions into positions that garner them much more money such as commentators etc. Coaches who are payed MILLIONS to leave one place and go coach somewhere else for millions more...CEO's that leave one position and go else where etc and none puts an age criteria of how long they should do something..Yet people who put their life on the line and do things that others couldn't last a week in are pissed off because these civil servants choose to take advantage of leaving with their talents in tact , physical abilities in tack to go work somewhere else and make another check. Police officers and firefighters are not doing anything unjust by saying I have earned a b and c so I am going to take that and go somewhere else and earn D E and F. If the pay escalated with the talent and services provided you may well retain officers longer. If the lack of support and politics wasn't such a factor in how work is done promotions are made etc you may well retain more but until those in power check themselves and their contribution to why sooo many leave. Remember this civil servants only make a LOT of money if they give up their family time and work two or three times as many hours. So if you want to make more money give up your family time and go work more hours and you too can have larger retirement benefits. CONGRATULATIONS CHIEF for taking a moment to go be a part of your children's regular lives and contribute more than finances to the household by being present and not working 60 plus hour weeks

I tell young people to take these jobs.Let me tell all you haters somethighWhen I got out of high school in 1971.I work on crooked wall street for a company name Drexel Burnham Lambert.I used to see Michael Milken who was head of Drexels bond department.He serve nearly two years in prison for securities fraud. Which force the company to close.I was talking to a old man who was a messenger and he told me to get out of this place young man.This place is as crooked as a Barrel of rattlesnakes.One day his son came up to the job in his New York City sanitation uniform and was driving a brand new 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.He said my father told me about you.He said this is what a government job can do for you.He said said 25 and out.I Took the test for a job working for the state of New York.Got call in 1974 did 30 years and now I have a fat pension pay for buy the state of New York.I do not that bullshit crooked 401k.In fact all of my peeps have civil service jobs.And that is why I tell young people get public sector or civil service jobs.You will be taken care of for the rest of your life.

the back lash that people feel towards civil servants is mind boggling. Yet individuals don't go out and vote to get senators and congress people out of office. How is it that you can be elected to a two or four year position ONE time and have a medical plan that supersedes anything in the private industry for free the remainder of your life. How is it that your children as an elected office get FREE tuition at any state college as does your spouse simply because you are an elected official. How is it that congress people and presidents dont forfeit their pay like our REGULAR federal employees do when those elected officials fail to do their job. Yet the person who will run in and save your or your families lives ,your possessions your pets is supposed to just keep doing and doing ..Why because MANY people are like crabs in a bucket ..IF I cant have the same benefits then no one else should either. How about go take the darn exam and take on the careers that afford these options.