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On Election Day 2012, Stamford voters approved a Charter Revision question to combine Stamford Fire and Rescue Department with the volunteer fire departments to become Stamford Fire Department. Since Election Day, the city's administration has not done anything toward combining the departments and the union sees Mirkin’s potential appointment as another delay, the Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association said in a statement.
Mirkin was a strong proponent of Mayor Michael Pavia’s plan to create a second professional fire department in the city to cover North Stamford, a union release said. But the plan never made it past the city’s elected boards.
“I don’t see how in good conscious the mayor can appoint someone as a fire commissioner who has shown nothing but animus toward firefighters and gives that person a voice and authority in approving fire department policy and in making important personnel decisions,” Brendan Keatley, president of the Stamford Professional Fire Fighters Association, said in the release.
“This appointment appears to be nothing more than the mayor rewarding a political crony with a patronage position as he is preparing to leave office.”
The Fire Commission has control and authority over policy decisions, hiring and promotions of all employees in the Stamford Fire Department.
The Board of Representatives is scheduled to decide on Mirkin’s appointment Monday night during its regularly scheduled full board meeting.
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