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Boardman hires firefighter
BOARDMAN
A new firefighter is expected to start work today in Boardman Township after his hiring was approved Tuesday by trustees.
Brock Bailey Sr., 32, of Sebring, has eight years of firefighting experience, is a certified paramedic, a HazMat technician and has worked as an emergency vehicle technician, said Fire Chief George Brown.
“We’re very excited about bringing him on,” Brown said.
Bailey was hired off the township’s most recent civil-service list and will draw the starting firefighter annual salary of $24,000. It takes firefighters 22 years to reach their full pay under contract, which is about $57,300 annually.
The hiring is to fill a vacancy from Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Rosky’s retirement in July after 25 years of service.
Administrator Jason Loree said the township still is bound under terms of a $334,646 federal grant awarded through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program that requires staffing levels to remain the same as when the grant was accepted.
Boardman accepted the grant in August 2011 and must keep staffing at a minimum of 38 full-time firefighters until 2014 when the grant expires, according to Vindicator records.
With Bailey’s hiring, the department has 38 firefighters including the chief.
The township promoted Capt. Don Kloes to assistant chief after an exam was given for that rank. A captain’s test to promote a firefighter and fill Kloes’ old post will take place in coming weeks, Brown said.
The fire department also is expecting a new piece of equipment to arrive the week after Thanksgiving. In September, trustees approved spending $917,750 for a new ladder truck and expect to use some of the $1.9 million collected in estate taxes to finance the purchase.
Loree said township hirings are expected to be on the agenda at the Nov. 26 trustee meeting. He said several police-officer candidates are interviewing, and conditional offers of employment could be approved at that meeting.