Two top former City of Stamford Fire Chiefs, Robert McGrath and Ron Graner, who together have a combined 80 plus years of professional firefighting experience, have come out to endorse Charter Revision Question #2 which would create a single fire chief and single fire marshal for the city. Currently the city has six separate fire departments (1 career, 1 combination, and 4 volunteer).
“Anyone who has served in the military or worked in a successful business organization knows that it is unmanageable to report to six different bosses, each with their own set of rules and protocols,” said Chief Robert McGrath who was a member of Stamford Fire & Rescue for 41 years, including 11 as Chief of the Department until 2011.
“Fire Departments need to be organized with a clear, unquestionable set of guidelines, training requirements and procedures. Charter Item #2 accomplishes that by putting one single leader in charge of the fire service for all of Stamford. When innocent lives are on the line or when the home or business your family has worked a lifetime to build is being threatened in an emergency, every Stamford resident should expect nothing but the highest level of protection.”
Ron Graner, who served as Chief of the Stamford Fire and Rescue Department from 1993 to 1998 and prior to that spent 26 years as a career fire fighter in Rochester, New York rising to the rank of Battalion Chief, said, “Voters have the opportunity to finally correct these well documented dangerous fire rescue safety issues in Stamford. The new fire rescue management system as detailed in the Charter change will strengthen and improve management for all fire rescue services citywide.”
“This change will also provide volunteer fire service leadership with the opportunity to build upon the current dedicated base of volunteer members with improved recruitment and retention efforts,” said retired Chief Ron Graner.
Ron Graner has over 40 years of professional firefighting experience and has served as an instructor at every level of fire service training including teaching incident command at the college level.
