Firefighters Will Work Longer Hours, Pay More for Health Insurance, in Bankruptcy Plan

The Central Coventry Fire District has a new fire chief and firefighters could be expected to work 56-hour workweeks, pay more for health insurance and give up half of their holidays.

Those were some of the items discussed at a fire district board meeting Monday night during which representatives from the state-appointed bankruptcy team outlined a host of restructuring items that will be presented in federal bankruptcy court.

The district’s new fire chief, Shawn Murray, comes to the CCFD from Hudson, New Hampshire, and replaces Andrew Baynes, who resigned on Monday, said Rosemary Booth Gallogly, the state’s revenue director.

Meanwhile the state-appointed receiver is now Mark Pfieffer, who has replaced Steven Hartford.

Under the plan that will be submitted in federal court, firefighters will only get overtime after working 212 hours within a period of four weeks.

Two firefighters will be laid off.

State overseers can make sweeping changes under the terms of the Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, but David Gorman, the president of the local fire union, said that firefighters will challenge the changes in court.

“We’ll out-fight them,” Gorman said.

Firefighters are worried about safety with longer hours. There’s also little doubt that morale has been suffering since the district, under state control, filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 23.

But state overseers said ongoing talks with the union in an effort to stave off bankruptcy failed to find a compromise that would save enough money.

The state took control of the district in May after voters failed to approve a budget.