Firebirds Confront Wingate

Members of the New Haven Firebirds and the NAACP confronted a key city alder at City Hall Tuesday night, calling him ​“the problem” blocking their efforts to investigate alleged mismanagement in the fire department’s top ranks.

The confrontation took place after a meeting of the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee. (Click on the video to watch a sample.)

Members of the Firebirds, a group representing black firefighters, had sat silently in the aldermanic chambers through the hour-long meeting. They had asked to have the meeting’s agenda include a discussion of their ongoing concerns about the fire department. The item was not put on the agenda.

But the discussion did take place — informally — after the meeting. the Firebirds cornered committee Chair Brian Wingate, who represents the Beaver Hills neighborhood, on his way out.

The Firebirds first brought their concerns to Wingate’s committee last year. At the time, the committee voted to hire an outside lawyer to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations of racial discrimination and mismanagement by top fire officials. The Board of Alders then hired attorney Martyn Philpot last November to conduct the investigation.

Since then, the Firebirds charged, they have seen no evidence that an investigation has actually begun. In the meantime, the group has charged that the problems have continued. They blasted the way a white assistant chief, Pat Egan, handled an alleged attempted-bribery incident involving a black firefighter, Aaron Brantley; the Fire Commission subsequently fired Brantley, and the case ended up in court, with Brantley found guilty and sentenced to prison. The Firebirds also accused Egan of mishandling the response to the Aug. 25 fire at Delaney’s and jeopardizing firefighters’ lives.

The most recent request to Wingate’s committee included a call for a public hearing on the issue.

The Firebirds don’t trust the city’s ​“ability to investigate itself,” Vice-President Darrell Brooks (at left in photo) told Wingate as about a half-dozen Firebirds cornered Wingate near the rear entrance to the room following the committee meeting. He asked why the investigation still hasn’t begun.

“I’m actually disappointed that it took this long,” Wingate responded, then cited the ​“legal process” (for instance, the criminal case that played out in court against Brantley).

“If you were stonewalled, we would be gladly standing with you. But right now, you’re the problem,” Brooks responded.

“Absolutely not,” Wingate (at right in photo) told him.

“On June 21, you told us, ​‘You guys [will] have an investigation.’”

“And you’re going to get it …”

Other Firebirds joined in, noting the Brantley verdict and the Delaney’s fire.

“You’ll actually get your investigation, which is going on right now,” Wingate told the group. ​“Honestly.”

Attorney Philpot could not be reached for comment for this story.