You know that $80,000.00+ Tractor the SFD just bought to pull their new customized HAZMAT Trailer, well, guess what, there's a lot more to it than ever told before.
As many of you know, Salisbury News is always the first to break major news locally and we're about to do so again.
During the application process, Firefighters were promised that NO MONEY would come from jobs or overtime to help pay for the Tractor. They Lied! Rick Hoppes and Bill Gordy purposely did not hire 4 positions for the past year and they did so to raise the necessary money to pay for this unit.
Talk about Firefighters getting HOT! So much so, the leader of the HAZMAT Team has resigned and from what we hear, many will follow. Right now they only have one individual who is qualified to actually drive the vehicle and he just resigned. Now it sits and even if there's an emergency, that unit will go nowhere. Not that it will ever be used here in Salisbury, just like the Fire Boat.
Anyhow, Gordy and Hoppes continue to dig their holes deeper and deeper and are losing the respect of the people underneath them. Salisbury News stated almost 2 years ago that they SFD was losing Volunteers and that many would not relocate to the new Fire Station 16 and we were right. So much so that the former Fire Chief IGNORED protocol on background checks and hired one individual with a very questionable criminal background and was soon arrested after he was hired.
It should also be noted that Mayor Jim Ireton dismissed the top three candidates who applied for the Chief's position and has asked for a brand new list of applicants. Salisbury News broke the story about some of these individuals also having a questionable criminal history and Mayor Ireton listened. No other News Source provided such information, clearly showing they are afraid to buck the system and challenge the committee leaders.
The good part is, again, we're putting the information out there for all to see and as Salisbury News has grown to a level in which we have surpassed everyone else on the Internet readership wise, people are listening and forcing change. So why is this such a good thing. Because Salisbury spent the last 12 years being blinded with only the information your former leaders wanted you to see and hear.
Today there's a whole new form of accountability and I'm confident the funding that was used to purchase the Tractor and Trailer will now be questioned and researched. Hoppes and Gordy need to stop using PUBLIC SAFETY money to pay for their TOYS at the expense of lives being saved. 4 positions were supposed to be filled and they were not. This is a game Comegys has been playing for many years. They continue to claim they're going to also hire 4 paramedics for the past 5 years, yet they never do. They reserve that money in the budget to hire them and just as soon as these guys want some more toys they come back at the end of the year and say, well, we didn't spend this money so we'd like to use it for this or that.
This is why I firmly agree that the City needs a line item budget. The taxpayers are constantly being scammed.
56 comments:
More of Gordy's toys for the boys program. That Pepsi truck was fine for what Salisbury responded to a few times a year. Sounds like selective planning to me when you apply for a grant and forget what will pull it. They knew what they were doing, but these firefighters are smart. They can smell a rat when something is not right. Shame on this administration.
This is why salisburys web site suddenly went down. The members didnt even know it the chief didnt pay the bill and now its gone. Will it ever return ?
I'm not surprised to hear this about Gordy since this is what he did in Delmar. He doesnt care about a paid man or jobs. He has his own business and the fire department is a hobby to him. Spend somebody elses money and buy lots of toys. Thats what has all but bankrupted Salisbury. I am surprised to see that Hoppes has let Gordy do this. I remember him as a career minded fireman that claimed to be a fine christian. Let someone higher than me judge that. What an embarassment this is to Salisbury.
They don't understand that grant money IS tax money. We just pay it to the Feds vs. the city. I bet that fireboat will never see any real use in this area; or at least any use that couldn't be handled by the current boat.
Rick, Bill, clean out your lockers and join the ranks of the unemployed.
You cant trust these guys. Hell, Gordy was behind the station 2 rebellion with Harolds gang. Gordy met with us and laid out a plan to cut ties with the City. Then when we moved forward he acted like he had nothing to do with it. He suddenly appeared when his buddy See gave him a title and told him to get station 2 in line or else. It was all a calculated plan to get him his spot today. You can thank Barrie for all this mess because she created the monster.
You chose the wrong horse to ride Deputy Chief Hoppes.
Your right about the grant money is tax money. More importantly the country is in a mess because of this type of thinking. Imagine if every town had a Gordy mentality.Well sadly they do and the taxpayers have no say in stopping this nonsense.
If there is money in the budget Gordy has a plan to spend it and Hoppes will let him do it. You can blame Comegys to for securing the 3 to 2 vote to allow it. What in the hecht are they going to do with this beast ?
Google the June 22, 2009 council minutes and you will see along with the attached paperwork. The request for account fund transfers from Hoppes is attached to the minutes, as well as the minutes approving it as presented by Pam Oland.
It states it is from the Health Insurance account.
Is this a salary account? Is this the firefighters pay? These guys have been tasked with cutting $500k from the budget, possible furloughs, and even layoffs! Yet there seems to be surplus money every year? Is this true?
Gordy you are messing with these peoples livelihoods. Take your nestegg and leave Salisbury!
I would like to hear from the firefighters on this one. Please answer this.
How many firefighters hold a license to operate this vehicle ?
How many firefighters are on the HazMat team (w/physicals) ?
How many firefighters respond back off duty for these calls ?
What does this vehicle do that the existing vehicle cant ?
How many real HazMat calls do you handle a year ?
SFD has beeen screwing the entire county for years, this shouldn't supprise anyone in or around the fire service! It's funny to hear how the paid guys are mad because the city didn't hire 5 guys, get over it you've been driving vol. out for a lot longer than 5 to 10 years!
The country is almost economicaly unviable. We aint seen nothing yet and attitudes and corruption like this are part of the reason this country is where it is today. We are screwed. Hunker down folks there is a storm coming...
Volunteers have it made in salisbury.
No EMS
No Fundraisers (Bingo's, Carnivals, etc.)
City Funded Retirement
County and State LOSAP
State Tax Deduction of 3,500 every year
35% of calls (about 5 a months, maybe)
Sounds like a social club. The Elks Lodge has stiffer membership requirements.
Insley resigned because he was tired of Gordy's shit. Insley did most of the legwork for the new boat as well. He has the best interest of the department at heart and all Gordy wants to do is spend money. Gordy told him he would just buy another tractor to pull the special ops trailer he wants to buy. Insley wanted one truck to pull both. Hoppes is off worrying what to do to become the fire chief and could care less and won't step in to make any decisons.
He also was doing all of Bragg's work as well. He actually resigned from Exec. Director of the Special operations division. Wismer is the hazmat leader.
As long as there has been a Salisbury Fire Dept, why when you go to their site it reads "under construction"? Shouldn't that be a site thats updated? Maybe the press person can get on it.
Gordy lead us to believe we had to buy two pumpers in the early 90's here in Delmar. It was classified as an enhanced pumper. When it arrived it was a ladder truck like the two Salisbury just got. We didnt like it one bit and we had to live with it. Fortunately for us he moved to Nithsdale before we were bankrupt. We know what Salisbury is going through.
Oh ! It came from the health insurance fund. So i guess its OK to take funds from an account that protects SFD members when they are ill and need help. Its the same old story. Gordy is running the department and controls the purse strings. Any time your looking for money he knows where to dig it up. Hoppes and Gordy can take their firefighter safety and stick it where his fat ass wont fit.
Look at the pictures of this thing. It was supposed to say Special Operation and it says HazMat. Thats because Gordy already has plans for another rig just like this at taxpayers expense.
Comegys has been fueling their behavior for years
Hey guys I know a way to save enough money in just two years time. Bill and Rick's salary is how much?
Wismer is in charge of Hazmat. Insley was forced into the Exec position, no one else wanted it. Hazmat at SU that dumped into Tony Tank No No off duty response. Its time for the county to pick up special operations. Salisburys people are losing interest. Trench Trailer? Who is qualified to do trench or confined space other than on paper.?
Our county and city taxes are falling because they are tied to our state income tax. People are working less and making less money. We cannot afford luxuries like new equipment etc. It is more important to have the manpower needed for the job.
I vote no more spending
Are any of these equipment pieces recommended by ISO as necessary for Sby? ISO reviews the various fire departments nationwide on many things, including training, equipment, certification, etc.-- did ISO say all of this was needed.
Remember ISO's ratings determine OUR (homeowners and business owners)fire insurance rates!
Insley should be Chief! He has ALWAYS had the fire dept.'s best interest in his heart and soul. He has a good heart and truly cares!
Comegys needs to GO! Patsy for Gordy, blowhard for the WWTP, sore election loser, waster of millions.
Need I go on?
The money that salisbury gets from haz mat calls is funneled through a secret account with the volunteers. The volunteers are where Gordy gets most of the money from. See and Gordo saw haz mat as a money maker and grabbed it before the county could.
They get refunded if they take the time to bill for it. That doesnt happen much with the pirate. In fact he doesnt do anything. You never see any training drills with haz mat. At least Insley had the dive section working great and now they've pissed him off. What a train wreck salisbury has become.
If these two boneheads are out of the running for chief, maybe, just maybe the new chief will see them for what they are. They're killing the morale of the whole department except for the suck-ups they surround themselves with.
I could care less about the ISO. Gordys big ISO plan has cost this city millions and the ISO hasnt changed yet. Salisbury needs to just survive with what it had and that was good enough.
The two amigos are done and they know it. Gordo wont be able to fool the new chief. Any rational manager would never attempt what these two have. Well three. I'm not letting See off the hook because he's just as responsible. The morale is too low to measure and dont even see it. At least Hoppes stopped quotin MLK verses every chance he got to speak. Do us a favor and stay in your office on Thursday afternoon.
Maybe the pirate is preparing HazMat bills when he works from home on Thursdays. Yeh right.
Who in the Fire Department is properly lisc. by the U.S.C.G. to operate the fire boat? And don't forget about the "mutual aid" requirement in the fine print.
Hours have passed and nobody can answer my questions. Who,what and how many ?
I hope the new chief will hire a consultant to review the fire department's decision making and operations. If so, the consultant will probably reveal the urgent need for changes at the management level of this department.
Only outside consultants should be considered. Those who work currently in the department will be intimidated from telling the truth about the wasteful spending and abuse of power.
The Salisbury Fire Department is out of control. The leaders are spending money we don't have and isolating good members from contributing in positive ways.
Chief Barkley has been a breath of fresh air at SPD. I hear it from everyone. I saw him last night on the South end of town - must have come back to work when there was a problem. What a great change. A chief who works for us. If we could get the same at SFD and Hoppes & Gordy would go we might stand a chance of turning 10 years of abusing the taxpayers around.
Mr. Gordy is simply too powerful to get rid of. He will always be a force in Salisbury. There are many people who love him and support him.
He does spend a lot of money.
It's about 8:15 PM and the Salisbury Fire Department has been dispatched for a house fire on Upland Drive in Harbor Point Subdivision. It sounds like a major cluster f#%k. Wannabe assistant chiefs screaming and yellowing into the radio. Arguing about sending manpower into the house or keeping them on the outside. Sounds like they have water problems in the city limits. WTF. Assistant Chief Gladwell riding the engine and screaming his unprofessional stupidity as usual. Now a volunteer assistant chief is screaming into the radio and telling them how to pump the water the correct way. OMG! I guess the house burnt to the ground because they didn't have the new fire boat in service yet. Acting Fire Chief Hoppes is on the scene and the house still burnt down. The Salisbury Fire Department is a joke and they sound like it. I hope not everyone with any good sense is listening.
Anonymous said...
Are any of these equipment pieces recommended by ISO as necessary for Sby? ISO reviews the various fire departments nationwide on many things, including training, equipment, certification, etc.-- did ISO say all of this was needed.
Remember ISO's ratings determine OUR (homeowners and business owners)fire insurance rates!
3:36 PM
That is a crock of shit Gordo and you know it. You are the one that requested the ISO review so that Salisbury could look like a big time fire department.
So what if the ISO determines our fire insurance rates?? WTF! I would much rather pay less taxes then worry about that BS you are spreading. We as homeowners and tax payers will never realize any savings in our fire insurance premiums.
Anonymous said...
Insley should be Chief! He has ALWAYS had the fire dept.'s best interest in his heart and soul. He has a good heart and truly cares!
3:48 PM
LMAO
Caring doesn't equate to knowledge, skills and abilities.
Caring doesn't equate to qualifications. Good try though, he would make a better chief than Hoppes, Gordy and Bragg put together.
Insley would never make a good chief. He loves being in the trenches with his shift and is a excellent company officer. John Tull was the best option for the Deputy Chief position but, he got wise and dropped it before he got put under the bus.
11:03 - Doug Church cut off FD's web site for non payment? That seems odd, since he's so tight with Comegys. Most likely the server crashed.
Anonymous said...
Are any of these equipment pieces recommended by ISO as necessary for Sby? ISO reviews the various fire departments nationwide on many things, including training, equipment, certification, etc.-- did ISO say all of this was needed.
Remember ISO's ratings determine OUR (homeowners and business owners)fire insurance rates!
3:36 PM
Hmmmmmm... ISO? Well explain this to your ISO people. The Salisbury Fire Department responded to a house fire tonight on Upland Drive and the house was a total loss. Yes a total loss, it burnt to the ground. A $14 Million dollar station just 2.3 miles away and it burnt down? A $14 Million dollar with a $1.5 Million dollar ladder truck. A $14 million dollar fire station with 2 newly refurbished fire engines. A $14 Million fire station with a 24 hour paid fire crew and the house burnt down to the ground. The paid fire crew on the engine and a volunteer crew on the ladder truck were on the street in seconds and the house burnt to the ground. That's right just 2.3 miles from a $14 million dollar fire station with paid firemen and the house still burnt to the ground. Oh yes we can't forget those Five brand new fire trucks that cost even more millions. Tell those ISO people how important their ratings are now. Better yet tell those poor home owners how much that new multimillion dollar fire station and it's and it's ISO means to them and all their worldly belongings. Where are those poor tax paying homeowners going to sleep tonight in this freezing cold weather.
Jim Ireton WTF are you waiting for? Get those thieves out of that fire department NOW!!
Anonymous said...
11:03 - Doug Church cut off FD's web site for non payment? That seems odd, since he's so tight with Comegys. Most likely the server crashed.
10:04 PM
Tight? Doug Church is the same person that gave Comegys his website in his failed attempt to run for mayor.
It's 11:20 PM and the Salisbury Fire Department is still on the house that burnt to the ground? What do they need to be there for over 3 hours for?
Anonymous 12:46 get your facts straight. The majority of volunteer firefighters across the state receive a lossp type retirement, but that's not handed to us that only kicks in after 20 years of service. The volunteers do run ems calls. If all three staffed ambulances are busy they hit the all call and volunteers staff the auxilary ambulances. I'd like to know where you get your run stats from cause at station 2 we have to make more than 5 calls a month to maintain our membership. It averages approximately 30 calls a month, on top of us working full time jobs, making time for our families, taking additional classes to further our ability to protect this city, do our annual training SFD makes us complete, and squeeze in a small amount of personal time for the various personal interest we hold. Add all that up and tell me what the answer to your equation is. Because I personally work full time, working on a degree in fire science, am starting a MFRI class this month, have a wife and a young son at home, and maintained about 50% on the year last year, all while living in Mardela Springs the last 7 months of 2009. The men and women I work side by side with in the SFD have just as much if not more dedication to the community than I do. So it's easy for you to sit behind your computer and that anonymous label and blast the volunteers. But if you know so much about what's wrong with our organization why don't you put in an application, come on down and fix it for us. Come on down and wear my gear for 3 months. Then tell me it's a social club. Oh no, that's right it's easier to spread the poison than to find an antidote. Some people have no clue the stress this life can place on us and our families. Do I agree with everything SFD's administration has done, no. But your downing the many at the sake of a few. Those of us running into a burning building; saving you, your loved ones, and your property only have one thing on our minds and that's the benefit of the community. So before you all throw a label on all of the members of SFD think about this one last thing. Think of how busy your lives are, about the little bit of time most of you get to do what you want to do, and then think about us. We have the same hectic day to day schedule you do and all the extras that come with the life of being a firefighter, but when you lay down to go to sleep at night your day is done, ours could be just beginning. Not knowing when that middle of the night alarm may call us from our nice warm bed and our families, to possibly never return.
Daniel Hill
FF/EMT-B
The house on Upland Dr was fully involved upon arrival of fire department. It did not burn to the ground.
Speaking of the budget why in the world is Gordy tasked with reducing the SFD's budget by $500,000. Although he is the one that created the mess he can't be trusted with managing our task dollars.
Note to Mayor Ireton: Get rid of Gordy and Hoppes before we get rid of you. We put you in office and we can certainly take you out of office.
Insley has always had the best interest of the department, and the city in mind. For years as a paramedic he poured himself (everybit of himself) into the EMS program with Salisbury and Mardela, even participating with Hebron and Westside at times. Everything he devotes himself to, be it Salisbury EMS, Fire, Special Ops, and even Mardela (in the past) he gives TOO much. He is one of the most under appreciated members of the EMS/FIRE service in the County, and has assisted EVERY DIVE UNIT in the area (SHARPTOWN,WESTSIDE,SALISBURY,OCEAN CITY) The Department has pushed and pulled, and he has gone along with them giving his everything. I can understand why he has become so frustrated and decided to bow out of this. The department can't take take take, and not give anything back. You can only take so long, before there is nothing left to take...
Anon. 7:50 a.m.:
Well said!
Anon. 9:50 p.m.:
What do you mean Insley is lacking in knowledge, skills and abilities?! David has busted his a$$ in the Fire Dept.! How can you say that! What knowledge, skills and abilities does David lack in order to be chief? The last time that I looked, the chief and assistant chief usually sit in their vehicle and bark orders. Even as chief, David would be inside a burning building fighting the fire or rendering his parmedic skills on a patient! How dare you say that! He is the perfect candidate because he can't be bought and has integrety that seems to be lacking in those in charge now!
The house on Upland Dr was well involved upon arrival of the duty chief. He made the decision not to send the crews inside due to interior conditions being to far gone. As the Incident Commander he gets to make that decision and apparently it was a smart decision. It was communicated to the I/C of collapse poetential on the rear of the house by the A/C in the bucket of the tower. Those that bitch about SFD burning a house down should look at the alternatives. If crews had made an interior attack and a collapse occured then you would have had pictures of dead firemen on the 11 o'clock news last night. Put yourself in the I/C's position and know that if you have never been in his position than you can not pass judgement on his decisions.
well it is certainly good to know that the SFD is more concerned about local small time politics than performing a public service. Yeah, I know this is nothing new. I also know that it's hard, if not impossible, to seperate their form of public service and politics. I personally don't know anybody in SFD, but it seems to me that their job is to put out fires. To the guys who quit because of this: I don't believe you were in it to help anybody... this is not a job you quit because of selfish reasons or because you simply disagree with a decision made way above your heads. Your function in this society is to help protect the people from fires. While that is a HUGE function, you need to back out and stay out of politics. You need to put out fires. You need to make the best of what the city does or does not give you. You need to rise above the small minds that try to steer you. You need to be men, firemen
Salisbury!!!! Require residential fire sprinklers in all new residential structures. Work towards the future. Fire Sprinklers, a firefighters best form of safety, on duty 24/7/365...they don't bitch, no salary, no recliners needed, wide-screen tvs, fuel, paid vacations, health care, always ready and on the scene....HELLO!
Anon. 12:01 p.m (or armchair quarterback):
Do not sit there typing if you dont have a clue! You have no idea what they are being put through. If you were being screwed over by your employer for years and years, I'll bet that after a while, you would get sick of it and quit too! Everyone that decides to be an EMS Provider is an extraordinary person! Many have volunteered countless hours to help save lives. When you have dedicated years to this type of service and someone comes in and takes over that doesn't have the best interest of the Fire Dept. in mind, it pisses you off! Seeing money wasted and hidden when it should be used to promote the continued education and training of EMS personnel, the proper amount of personnel per shift and the necessary safety equipment for them to do their job is not happening. If you think that all that EMS Personnel do is fight fires, you are sorely mistaken. Who do you think extracates people from wrecked vehicles, dives in the nasty ass river to search or rescue, responds to hazzardous material spills, assists Paramedics with lifting or CPR...the list goes on and on! The next time that you get a chance, take a ride down to your local Fire House and meet these people and talk to them (not the head honchos), you'll learn alot.
Daniel Hill FF/EMT-B<
Ho Hum, YAWN!!!
I had a conversation with some paid and volunteer firefighters from Salisbury. I was told that the paid Firefighter/Paramedic Officers were given a $2,000 a year bonus or incentive to keep their paramedic certification. The city keep messing with their pay at the start of 2009. putting it in their pay ,and then taking it out then putting it on as a different line item. Then placing it back in their pay because, "It's easier to tax that way."
So the year 2009 went on and the week before Thanksgiving it was taken out again, (not even placed on as a line item, removing the bonus/incentive all together) and did not get any warning from the city at all. This being done, the firefighter/paramedic officers were called to the "Chief's office" and told they owe the City of Salisbury anywhere from $200 to $2,000. A lot of it came from not having the personnel to work and they had to work overtime. They were told (afterward, about week before Christmas), the overtime they worked they were not supposed to get the $1.30/hr when it was overtime. The City of Salisbury messed up, and now some of them are trying to find a way to pay it back. As the City of Salisbury wants to garnish their wages to get the money back.
I believe for Insley that was the last straw. And from my understanding he resigned as a Paramedic for the City not any where else; he is going to work as a Paramedic for Mardela, Hebron, and Westside. And he is not the only one.
As for the Chief's position, the Local 4246 said that the mayor is look at 4,5,6 candidates. But did not suspect to find a Chief in one of them and that's when he requested the new hiring process.
But the City of Salisbury can not have an "Acting" Chief for more than a year. So is this a way for the mayor to give Hoppas the job? To stall and at the end of the one year mark say, "Here you can have it since we could not find someone else that is 'Qualified'."
I hope the mayor can really pull it together and finally say enough is enough. Pull it together, stop fighting each other and start working together.
Can't we all just get along? lol
Stay safe, Happy New Year
Lt Fire Eater
1:08... as I said, PRIORITIES!! What's more important? saving people's lives or fighting city hall? I have always believed that it take a special person with the right mentality to unselfishly risk their own life to save others, whether it be from fire, ice, health, anything and everything, EMS and firefighters. My point was some of these people see it more important to fight the leaders than to save lives. That is what I have a problem with. In high school, we called these people posers. People who did something only because it was cool. When I see a firefighter or EMS quit their job because of dissatisfaction with their leadership, my assumption is that they weren't really there to save people. My assumption is that they were there more for themselves than the people they helped. My assumption is that to them, politics is more important than helping people.
You are right, I have no clue what they are being put through. On a political level, I would guess pretty much the same as state employees and other city employees. The point you miss is that with this level of responsibility, the focus MUST be on saving lives... not town hall BS.
To the EMS/firefighters etc who stick with it regardless of what's going on above your heads... GREAT EFFING JOB!!! You are there for the right reasons. Ignore what is happening behind closed door and keep doing what you do, do it well, and BE PROUD of the results you have and will show. Don't give up because of the BS!!! Don't be discouraged by the small time wannabe big city politics of Smallsbury. Feel free to bitch and complain about the politics, but NEVER NEVER let it change what you do and impact your job. When I call for help YOU are the ones I want to come.
To those of you who have resigned due to politics... good for you for standing up for what you believe, but your job needs you. Your job is about saving lives. Where are you?
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