Selectmen Direct Chief to Draft Formal Proposal as Labor Substitution Expenses Threaten to Exhaust Annual Appropriation Within Six Months
Norwood’s fire chief has called for the addition of eight new firefighters and two new deputies as the most effective solution to reducing soaring labor substitution costs.
Appearing before the Board of Selectmen last night, Fire Chief Leo Coughlin told the board that the department’s primary operational hurdle is manpower shortages. Expanding the force to a total of 60 firefighters and four deputies would require an estimated initial investment of approximately $138,000 for the first year.
While selectmen expressed sharp criticism over current manpower administration—which drove July substitution costs to nearly $23,000—they directed Chief Coughlin to draft a formal proposal outlining the staffing expansion. Officials calculated that at July’s expenditure rate for substitutes (off-duty personnel called in at time-and-a-half pay to cover colleagues out sick, injured, or on vacation), the town’s entire annual appropriation ceiling of $123,000 would be completely exhausted within six months.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More Norwood Fire Stories
-
Three Hurt After Falling Off Ladder at Norwood Apartment Complex-July 16, 2021
A construction accident at the Windsor Gardens apartment complex in Norwood, Massachusetts, left three people seriously injured on July 16, 2021. The incident highlights the importance of workplace safety and the need for proper training and equipment in construction sites.
-
Army Reservist Dennis Mawn Returns to Norwood Fire Department After a Year in Iraq-February 13, 2012
Norwood firefighter Dennis Mawn, returned in December after serving on a second tour of duty in Iraq. Dennis Mawn returned to work at the Norwood Fire Department with two tours of duty under his belt and a new honor: the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Army Master Sgt. Mawn, 43, served with Joint Forces Special Operations…
-
Selectmen Approve Three New Firefighters and Overtime Increase-August 11, 1993
Following sweeping early retirements across town departments, Fire Chief William Sullivan received unanimous approval from selectmen to hire three new firefighters and increase the department’s overtime account.
-
Live Shotgun Shells Scattered Across Norwood Play Areas-August 12, 1986
Fire Captain Robert Malloy issued a safety warning after 150 live 1942 military surplus shotgun shells were scattered by teenagers across Norwood playgrounds and cemeteries.
-
Fire closes Norwood Star Market-May 28, 1985
The Star Market on Nahatan Street was closed this morning because of possible food contamination caused by smoke from an early morning fire in a storeroom. Town Health Inspector Phyllis Boucher ordered the store closed and called in a state health inspector to survey the damage to food supplies. “I can’t say how long the…
-
Norwood Selectmen Uphold Fire Department Staffing Levels Amid Labor Disputes-July 12, 1978
Fire Department Manning Shifts and Physical Exam Standoff On July 12, 1978, the Norwood Board of Selectmen stepped directly into a complex municipal and labor dispute, voting 3–1 to reaffirm a long-established minimum manning policy of 13-man shifts within the Norwood Fire Department. The decision effectively determined that any budgetary economies or cost-cutting measures targeted…
-
Fire Department Labor Dispute and Election Litigation-July 5, 1978
The summer of 1978 brought unrest to Norwood, characterized by a firefighter strike against mandatory health programs and a tense court challenge over local election results.
-
Fire Contract Talks Stall; Mediator to Step In-May 27, 1978
History repeats itself at the negotiating table. Contract talks between town officials and the Norwood Firefighters Association officially ground to a halt in May 1978, reviving a familiar public-safety deadlock. Take a look back at the quiet high-stakes standoff that sent both sides back to a state mediator.
-
Norwood Fire Chief Leo Coughlin Requests Eight New Firefighters and Two Deputies-August 10, 1977
Fire Chief Leo Coughlin asked Norwood selectmen for eight new firefighters and two deputies to reduce high overtime and substitution expenses.
-
General-Alarm Fire Destroys Junior High School in Norwood-January 23, 1971
A general-alarm fire swept through Norwood Junior High School last night, threatening to destroy the four-story brick building. There were no injuries. The blaze was punctuated by an explosion of chemical supplies in a science laboratory. Firemen from Norwood and nine surrounding communities responded. Smoke was so thick that the first firemen to respond were…
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.