Firm Studying NY Department's Operations, Staffing

Sep. 12—TROY — A Peekskill company will analyze Troy Fire Department operations and make suggestions on staffing levels in a $60,725 study under a resolution adopted by the City Council at its Sept. 7 meeting.

The study comes as the firefighters union has argued the city needs to ramp up service so that it can fully staff four ambulances per shift to meet the needs in the community.

The contract was awarded to Manitou, Inc., which has conducted similar studies in the U.S. and Canada. In New York state, the firm has provided studies for the town of Bethlehem's fire districts and fire departments in Peekskill, Ossining, Putnam Valley and Sullivan County.

"The city issued a Request for Proposals in May seeking consulting services for the purpose of analyzing the operations of the Troy Fire Department and making recommendations for the optimization of the department with respect to size and structure in order to meet current and projected needs in the city within a fiscally sustainable framework," Mayor Patrick Madden said in a memo to the City Council explaining the selection.

Troy received 13 proposals in response to the RFP, according to Madden. All were then reviewed by the selection committee comprising Fire Chief Eric McMahon, Deputy Mayor Chris Nolin and Madden. "Based on that review, the committee unanimously determined that Manitou Incorporated is the best-qualified consultant to perform the study," Madden said.

Firefighter Eric Wisher, president of the Troy Uniformed Fire Fighters Local 86, said the department needs to add firefighters in order to ensure the four city ambulances are staffed around the clock. He said two of the ambulances share their crews with an engine and pumper company. That means if the firefighters are out on a fire alarm they can't answer medical calls. In addition, the city's fourth ambulance company is only used during the day on overtime instead of being regularly staffed.

Wisher said similar studies conducted by Manitou in other northeastern cities cited a need to expand staffing to meet the needs for providing adequate firefighting crews. Troy has 124 firefighting positions but needs to add more to have adequate crews on its fire engines and ambulances, Wisher said.

"It's interesting to have someone come in and take a look from the outside," McMahon said.

Wisher said the consultant should talk to the firefighters about what they see day-to-day when it comes to firefighting and responding to ambulance calls.

Manitou is supposed to conduct the study over a six-month period. That means when the report is delivered in 2024, it will be to a new mayoral administration as Madden is leaving office after serving two four-year terms, the maximum allowed under the city charter. Either City Council President Carmella Mantello, a Republican, or Rensselaer County Legislator Nina Nichols, a Democrat, will be the next mayor depending on who wins this year's election.

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