Retired African American city firefighters Donald Day and Ron Mackey, both of whom took on City Hall to increase the hiring of minorities and females in the department in the 1980s and 1990s, assert in this joint commentary the city’s testing policy has set back the demographic makeup of uniform services. Civil Service Personnel Director David Dunn with whom they’ve had a running battle for decades responds the city’s more representative of its demographic makeup than ever. What follows are two exclusive commentaries, the first from Day and Mackey, then a rejoinder from Dunn, which provide arguably the first public debate involving their respective passionate positions after decades of behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
It’s been six years since Lennie Grimaldi wrote the headline, ‘Hatchet job … gutless, spineless’: The Firing of Ralph Jacobs’. This article alluded to the firing of Civil Service Director Ralph Jacobs and the power grab by former Mayor Bill Finch for jobs for political supporters. In this article Lennie stated “The reason for Jacobs’ firing is a bunch of hooey.” He was dumped because he would not play ball with Finch in filling civil service positions with political supporters and he persuaded the commissioners that Jacobs was a pain in the ass who had to go. See here.
Finch, who filled Jacobs’ slot with his own person in an acting capacity to help fill some civil service vacancies with political supporters, appointed David Dunn, former director of labor relations. In his article Lennie states, “This is a nice time to take care of his political peeps.” Jacobs hired former Mayor Tom Bucci to represent him and Tom called Civil Service President Eleanor Guedes’ decision to oust Jacobs gutless. This is relevant today because Mayor Joe Ganim has continued the current same gutless appointment of Finch by leaving David Dunn as Director of Civil Service. We give Finch a free ride on his appointment because he was a fool, but not Mayor Ganim who knows better because this isn’t his first rodeo.
We would suspect Mayor Ganim’s reasoning is the same as former Mayor Finch, leaving David Dunn in the position he filled under Finch so he could do for Ganim what he did for Finch, hire his political supporters. There are other reasons for Mayor Ganim leaving David Dunn in a position for which he has no experience, MONEY. David Dunn as director of Civil Service has changed the hiring and promotional systems that were put into place that insured blacks and women were hired and given a fair exam when it came to promotions. Under Dunn the policies that insured these systems were adhered to were changed because he found a way to do it for cheap while denying blacks and women the inherent right to be Bridgeport firefighters.
Mayor Ganim, you know leaving David Dunn in the position of Director of Civil Service is wrong, immoral and unjust. You know he is ill-equipped and inexperienced to do the job of Director of Civil Service yet you leave him in this position. Mayor Ganim, you know the policies of David Dunn lead to no blacks being hired for the Bridgeport Fire Dept. For the first time in 40 years they led to no women being hired for the Bridgeport Fire Dept. and yet he stays. Mayor Ganim, you know the policies of David Dunn led to the Bridgeport Police Dept. not hiring blacks for the first time in almost 50 years and yet he stays. Where in hell is the outrage of the black council men and women to this travesty of justice? Where is the outrage of our elected officials in Hartford to the policies that have shut the door of opportunity for blacks and women in both the police and fire departments? More importantly, where in hell is Joe Ganim in all of this and why is he now kicking the black community in the ass when we all know it was the black community that first embraced him and his run for redemption that put him back into office and finally, Brothers and Sisters, why aren’t you holding his ass accountable?
David Dunn response:
Detailed below and attached are responses from the Civil Service Department for the City of Bridgeport regarding the allegations made by Ronald Mackey and Donald Day, two retired Bridgeport Firefighters, regarding the changes they allege have been made in the testing processes for entry level and promotional exams for Police Officers and Firefighters in the City of Bridgeport since 2009.
First and foremost, the City of Bridgeport is absolutely committed to hiring diverse and highly qualified candidates to be Police Officers and Firefighters. The City continues to pursue its goals of hiring residents and has enhanced the residency preference process so that qualified residents benefit with an additional 15% of their final score. As detailed below, in the most recent Police department hiring class, 27 out of 29 new hires are Bridgeport residents. In addition, the diversity makeup is representative of the citizens of the City of Bridgeport.
Attached are exhibits with bullet points and data regarding the two Police department entry level exams conducted in 2010 and 2015 and the 2011 Fire department entry level exam.
In addition to those exams, there are also bullet points and information attached regarding 13 Fire department promotional exams conducted between 2010 and 2015 and 5 Police department promotional exams conducted during the same time period.
Further, attached are cost breakdowns paid by the City of Bridgeport for Police Officer and Firefighter entry level exams. The 2011 Firefighter exam cost the City $79,135.00. The 2011 Police Officer exam cost $79,284.00 and the expenditures to date for the 2015 Police Officer exam total $53,765.00. Mackey and Day allege that the City has “nickel and dimed” the process and spent only $10,000.00 since 2009. Just the opposite is true; in fact the City has spent over $212,000.00 plus administrative costs such as proctor costs and site rentals, etc. to conduct entry level examinations in compliance with the “Uniform Employee Selection Guidelines” required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice of the United States Federal Government. Many, if not all, of Bridgeport’s past problems with entry level examinations have been because the City did not follow the Federal guidelines for hiring, particularly as it relates to exam content and candidate passing scores.
Contrary to Mackey and Day’s allegations, there have been no findings or challenges to the validity, content, or the integrity of the City of Bridgeport Police and Fire entry level test processes that have been conducted since 2009 under the reorganized Civil Service department.
Apparently Mackey and Day are stuck back in the 1970s and 1980s and are having a great deal of difficulty with the 21st century hiring realities. Unbeknownst to them, the Civil Service department is not the same place it was over 20 years ago when they were active duty firefighters; it is a different organization–directed and managed to modern, updated hiring standards required by the 21st century local government.
Promotional Exams since 2010 Police department and Fire department
Since 2010, 13 promotional examinations have been conducted in the Bridgeport Fire Department. For the first time in many years if not decades, the City of Bridgeport is up to date with its obligations to conduct timely promotional examinations when it is required to. The 13 promotional examinations since 2010 are:
o Fire Equipment Mechanic (2010)
o Fire Inspector (2011)
o Fire Marshall (2010)
o Fire Assistant Chief (2011)
o Senior Fire Inspector (2011)
o Deputy Fire Marshall (2011)
o Fire Captain (2012)
o Fire Lieutenant (2012)
o Fire Pumper Engineer (2012)
o Fire Deputy Chief (2012)
o Fire Assistant Chief (2014)
o Fire Inspector (2014)
o Fire Captain (2015)In addition, in planning for 2016, which will be announced as soon as the department requests the examinations are:
o Fire Lieutenant 2016
o Fire Pumper Engineer 2016The data and evidence present a contrary view to Day and Mackey’s allegations. All of the City’s Police and Fire testing processes have been fair to all ethnic, racial and gender groups who have taken the exams. The Police department entry level examination process has been conducted with the input and review of the Bridgeport Police Department Guardians Association, including its attorneys and testing consultants.
In the Police department since 2011, there have been five promotional exams:
0 Deputy Police Chief 2011
0 Police Lieutenant 2013
0 Police Sergeant 2013
0 Police Detective 2014
0 Police Captain 2015The testing and exam lists are also up to date in the Police department for the first time in many years, and except for an issue concerning one candidate’s seniority eligibility to take the 2015 Captain examination, and a candidate’s protocol process claim during the 2014 Detective examination, there have been no findings or challenges to the validity, content, or integrity of the promotional testing process for the Police department exams that have been conducted since 2011.
Currently there is an on-going Firefighter recruitment and application process. All candidates must have a CPAT certificate/credential before they may apply to take the Bridgeport Firefighter test. CPAT is an acronym for Candidate Physical Ability Test and it is a complete physical ability test designed by the Fire Service and administered in Connecticut by the State of Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks, CT. Candidates are allowed 5 tries to pass the CPAT test. The CPAT test consists of 8 physical exercises that simulate physical requirements of a working professional Firefighter. This test was created through a joint labor management cooperative developed by the International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the 2 most prominent professional firefighting organizations in the United States. This test has also met the validity criteria of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Justice, and the United States Department of Labor.
The CPAT is gender and race neutral. It is a rigorous physical test and candidates must be physically fit in order to pass it. The City of Bridgeport also accepts CPAT certifications/credentials/licenses issued by other states or testing agencies throughout the United States. During the 2011 Firefighter entrance examination over 1,000 candidates had current CPAT certifications from as far away as California and Florida and from many other states.
The City of Bridgeport adopted the CPAT testing requirements-on the recommendation of the OSHA investigation conducted by the Department of Labor following the tragic workplace deaths of Lt. Steven Valasquez and Firefighter Mitchell Baik that occurred in July, 2010. The adoption of CPAT physical fitness testing was recommended and approved by the Bridgeport Fire Department Safety and Productivity Committee (a joint labor management committee), the Fire Chief, the Fire department Board of Commissioners and the Civil Service Commission. CPAT testing in the City of Bridgeport has been in place since 2011, an on-line video of the CPAT testing is available at www.ct.gov/cfpd or it can be “Googled” or reviewed on “YouTube” under CPAT test.
Candidates who possess a CPAT certification issued since January 2015 are eligible to apply to take the Bridgeport Firefighter examination scheduled later in the Spring of 2016.
Since the CPAT examination costs candidates $150.00 the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Fire Department issued 200 CPAT vouchers to pay the $150.00 CPAT fee for Bridgeport residents who have evidence of a financial or economic hardship.
Mackey and Day also allege that the City of Bridgeport has not hired “any blacks” for the first time in 40 years in the Fire department and 50 years in the Police department. They further allege that “less Bridgeport residents” have been hired and more white suburban males have been hired in both departments. Again, the contrary is true, the racial, ethnic and gender breakdown for the Police department hiring 2010 class is:
7 African Americans
16 Hispanics
34 Caucasian
1 Native American
5 Female
21 Bridgeport residentsFor the current 2016 hiring class in the Police Department, the breakdown is:
29 new hires; 27 Bridgeport residents
7 Females
7 African American males
9 Hispanic males
2 two or more races
4 Caucasian malesThe breakdown for the 2011 Firefighter exam is:
41 new hires; 28 are residents
6 African Americans
9 Hispanic
25 Caucasian
1 AsianTo summarize, a review of the attached exhibits and evidence will show that Ronald Mackey and Donald Day are incorrect and are not adjusting to the testing realities of the 21st century. They are stuck back in the 1970s and 1980s. The City of Bridgeport has updated and improved testing in the Police and Fire departments. It is now compliant with the federal testing guidelines in both entry level and promotional examinations. Both departments have up to date promotional lists for most ranks, and for future ranks that become vacant a test will be developed promptly and candidates will be tested. As for entry level examinations, again, the City is compliant with federal guidelines. These testing practices have been modernized and updated. All candidates tested for either the Police department or Fire department must pass physical fitness requirements before they can take the examination.
David Dunn said:
The City of Bridgeport adopted the CPAT testing requirements-on the recommendation of the OSHA investigation conducted by the Department of Labor following the tragic workplace deaths of Lt. Steven Valasquez and Firefighter Mitchell Baik that occurred in July, 2010. The adoption of CPAT physical fitness testing was recommended and approved by the Bridgeport Fire Department Safety and Productivity Committee (a joint labor management committee), the Fire Chief, the Fire department Board of Commissioners and the Civil Service Commission. CPAT testing in the City of Bridgeport has been in place since 2011, an on-line video of the CPAT testing is available at www .ct.gov/cfpd or it can be “Googled” or reviewed on “YouTube” under CPAT test.
Well what David Dunn didn’t say was some very important items National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report that was in the Connecticut Post, I’ve included their recommendations.
Report: Bridgeport Fire Department faulted in firefighter deaths
Daniel Tepfer, Staff Writer | on June 29, 2011
BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport fire officials’ failure on nearly every level led to the deaths of two firefighters battling a West Side blaze last July, a federal report has concluded.
Among the findings of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report released Wednesday: The deputy fire chief and his assistant at the scene of the Elmwood Street fire had a discussion about whether they heard a mayday call from the two fallen firefighters instead of taking immediate action to rescue them.
Lt. Steven Velasquez and firefighter Michel Baik died while checking out hot spots in the third floor of the wood-frame home at 41 Elmwood Ave.
Recommendations:
Baik’s autopsy concluded he suffered from coronary artery disease, which the NIOSH report said was a “possible underlying condition” to his death. Among its recommendations, the institute urged the department to consider adopting “a comprehensive wellness and fitness program, provide annual medical evaluations and perform annual physical performance evaluations for all firefighters.”
In February, Rooney said the department plans to adopt the more widely used state Candidate Physical Ability Test, instead of its own test, to evaluate incoming candidates. Rooney said the department is working with the firefighters union to set up annual stress tests for new hires. He said he would like to see a physical ability test required for new hires and monetary incentives for those who meet fitness goals.
In its other recommendations, NIOSH called on the department to:
Ensure that radio transmissions are effectively monitored and quickly acted upon, particularly when a mayday is called;
Ensure mayday training programs and procedures are adequate;
Train firefighters in air management techniques;
Ensure firefighters use their breathing apparatus during all stages of a fire and are properly trained;
Ensure a separate incident safety officer, independent from the incident commander, is appointed at each structure fire;
Ensure a rapid intervention team is available.
Earlier, state OSHA officials had cited the department for several shortcomings in connection with the Elmwood Avenue fire, including not following mayday procedures, failing to adequately inspect safety equipment and breathing apparatus systems and failing to ensure firefighters were properly using that equipment. City officials have said they have addressed those shortcomings.
Dunn doesn’t said what the International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs concept of CPAT and its one of the key recommendations. Among its recommendations, the institute urged the department to consider adopting “a comprehensive wellness and fitness program, provide annual medical evaluations and perform annual physical performance evaluations for all firefighters.” CPAT is just one portion of their testing process, the other portion the Bridgeport Fire Department has never put into place and that is a comprehensive wellness and fitness program. The tragic death of these two hero firefighters was not because they were new recruits, both men were in their 40s but where was the comprehensive wellness and fitness program? It would seem if there is a problem with current firefighters not performing their duties because they are not fit then the department needs to address that problem. A rookie firefighter comes on the job looking like President Obama after passing CPAT but a year later he looks like Gov. Chris Christie because there is no followup, CPAT is a test they take only one time.
David Dunn, where are the female firefighters who pass CPAT, how many has the Bridgeport Fire Department hired since using CPAT and of course you then didn’t say none of the current firefighters have even taken CPAT.
Wow. Those numbers Dunn produced seem to suggest others may have their facts wrong. Really “50 years?” I doubt Dunn would publicly produce those numbers and they’re inaccurate.
Opinions are based on facts. Doubters and “seemers” sound unsure and sometimes pose as The Phantom.
David Dunn remains committed to a diverse and qualified workforce in Bridgeport.
His detractors act like over-promised pension-huggers who’ve been liberated by the kind of generosity that results in a $19 trillion debt.
www .CW4BB.com
Local Eyes, it appears you misunderstand what I’ve stated. I agree with you. I am not doubting Dunn. His numbers seem to suggest others have their facts wrong.
The one thing that is being forgotten here is civil service many years ago scrapped the maximum age requirement for police and fire departments. They did this not understanding the stress and physical requirements of both jobs.
I have approached David Dunn on this subject many times and he keeps saying it’s the Federal law on age discrimination. Well I researched the age discrimination factors and police and fire departments are allowed to set a maximum age requirement for entry level candidates. Federal Firefighters have a mandatory requirement age of 57.
You can’t put entry-level candidates on these jobs who are in their 40s and 50s and expect them to do the jobs at 55-60.
I believe both departments should have mandatory yearly physicals and weight guidelines. I know the fat-asses we had on the job when I was there basically were astronauts and just took up space at a fire scene; useless, just fucking useless. It’s the same with the PD, some of those fat-asses could not catch a cold.
Oh my David Dunn, numbers don’t lie but you do. The fact is the last Fire Department exam for hiring that ran from April 2006 to April 2008 which was prior to David Dunn being Director of Civil Service; they hired 21 Blacks, 20 Hispanics, 8 females and 15 Caucasian males. According to David Dunn since he has been Director they have hired 6 African Americans, 9 Hispanic, 25 Caucasians Males, 1 Asian and no Women. Numbers don’t lie David Dunn, but you do.
David Dunn talks about promotional exams and that he has given 13 since he has been Director, but he doesn’t tell how many of those were black nor does he tell you prior to him being Director and implementing his policy changes on promotions, blacks passed promotional exams and were promoted at a rate of 35% to 50% of every tested position and since he has been Director the black success rate for promotional exams has fallen to about 10%. What he doesn’t say in his soliloquy are the numbers of blacks who have passed promotional exams and were promoted since he has been Director. Numbers don’t lie, but you do, David Dunn!
When David Dunn talks the 2011 Firefighter exam cost the City $79,135.00, but what he doesn’t tell you is the cost for administering the hiring exam prior to him being named Director. Prior to David Dunn the city brought in assessors from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and from cities in Connecticut like Hartford to ensure those assessors didn’t know anyone involved who was taking the exam and this in turn almost always ensured the hiring exam wasn’t compromised. David Dunn used assessors from within the Bridgeport Fire Department who had friends, family and other firefighters’ children applying for positions in the Bridgeport Fire Department, thus ensuring that the process would be compromised thus resulting in Bridgeport firefighters assessing their own family members and friends for firefighting positions. David Dunn had Bridgeport firefighters set on oral board, help write the exam questions and help grade the exam. While this saved the City Bridgeport several thousand dollars it also leads to widespread cheating when numerous candidates were provided the questions prior to the exam. This was the reason that past Directors didn’t use Bridgeport Firefighters or firefighters from surrounding communities so everyone involved had a fair chance to be hired. Numbers don’t lie, but you do David Dunn!
David Dunn talks about the police hiring in 2016 of 7 Females, 7 African American males, 9 Hispanic males, 2 two or more races, and 4 Caucasian males. What David Dunn doesn’t tell you is prior to this hiring exam for the Police he hired only 5 blacks out of 25 hired and the second class they put on didn’t have any blacks and it was the first time in 50 years a class for the Bridgeport Police Department didn’t include any blacks. Numbers don’t lie, but you do David Dunn!
David Dunn says Ron Mackey and I are stuck in the 1970s and 1980s, which I wish we were because then we had a Civil Service Director who was more interested in implementing a fair exam that ensured both police and fire department were diverse and everyone was given a fair chance at these transformative jobs. Under David Dunn we have a Civil Service that is more interested in kissing the ass of the Mayor and doing what’s in the Mayor’s best interest, not what’s in the best interest of black and women Bridgeport residents. Numbers don’t lie, but you do David Dunn!
David Dunn said, “apparently Mackey and Day are stuck back in the 1970s and 1980s,” well Dunn was working in Mayor John C. Mandanici’s administration back in the 1970’s, now who’s stuck back in the 1970’s?
Dunn gave the numbers for the police department but what he doesn’t tell you is the fact the Bridgeport Police Department had a special master (attorney) watching and monitoring everything the department did from testing, hiring, transfers and discipline because of a federal court order because of discrimination in testing and hiring, well that special master watched over the police department for 30 years so the City had no choice but to do what they were told to do. The Bridgeport Fire Department had no court-ordered special master to monitor the testing and hiring. If you notice Dunn doesn’t list how many females out of the 1,000 candidates who paseds CPAT were hired because not one single female, African American, Hispanic, Caucasian or Asian have been hired but David Dunn and Mayor Finch didn’t see anything wrong with not hiring any women. Well, now Mayor Joe Ganim is following the same system as Finch and Dunn.
The breakdown for the 2011 Firefighter exam is:
41 new hires; 28 are residents
6 African Americans
9 Hispanic
25 Caucasian
1 Asian
Where are the women?
Great discussion with all those participating. Thank you. Truthfully, I am somewhat uncomfortable with the role of race as a PRIMARY driving decision. I think it should play a role. I am having difficulty with how much of a role it should play.
Thank you, Don and Ron.
It does seen like Dave Dunn is just throwing out numbers left and right but being very selective when talking about the hard-core numbers.
Talk about how many tests that have been given or scheduled is meaningless. The bottom line is the results and his office fails miserably.
David Dunn tries to make a case for Civil Service reform based on costs of testing but the end result he really wants is an end to civil service completely and the ability to hire anyone he/they want.
And when you look at the Ganim Admin so far and the lack of quality placements over friends and family, you can be sure Bridgeport would be poorly served if that is allowed to happen.
Bob, great point and it was addressed by Ralph Jacobs, Personnel Director in a eight-page report to the Civil Service Commission dated October 24, 2005, Re: Police and Fire Chief Provisional Issues and Other Underlying Concerns. On page 6 of the letter in part it reads, When the Civil Service Commission decides that something needs to be done and doing it requires expenditure, these costs must be paid by the City. If the City fails to plan adequately for this in the annual budget, then the City must adjust the budget. The expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of the Chapter 17 of the City Charter are not to be subordinated to the Mayor’s expenditure preferences as reflected in the budget.
Here is a little more from Ralph Jacobs, Personnel Director in an eight-page report to the Civil Service Commission dated October 24, 2005.
The Civil Service has been inadequately funded and staff resources have been removed from Civil Service again and again though the years. Other City services have been funded instead. In my view the Civil Service is not now, and never has been, obligated to simply accept the removal of budgeted funding as a bar to spending what it needed to spend to carry out its role under the City Charter. Chapter 17 Section 225 of the Bridgeport City Charter states “The financial authorities of the city shall make adequate provision to enable the Civil Service Commission properly to carry out the purposes of this act.” This language does not allow the City’s financial authorities a choice. The “financial authorities” are required to make adequate provision, whatever that may be in order to carry out the provisions of the Charter.
This kind of authority to require the City’s “financial authorities” to pay for what the Commission determines is necessary is entirely consistent with the clear intention of the Charter that the Civil Service Commission exercise its authority under the Charter free from financial coercion. Any other financial arrangement would have made the Commission subject to political pressure. The easiest way to control its budget. The Charter is set up to prevent the political forces in the community from manipulating the Civil Service Commission through a budgetary system of punishments and rewards controlled from the Mayor’s Office or the Council.
Previous Civil Service Commissions and Civil Service Directors have attempted to satisfy the desires of past administrations through compromise and making financial concessions for convenience of the party or person in power. These concessions have undermined the capacity of the Civil Service to meet its obligations under the Charter and are evidently inconsistent with the intent of the Charter.
Great point, Bobby. I bet you didn’t know for the first time since 1976 David Dunn used a psychological exam for the Fire Department that eliminated a cadre of black candidates for the BFD. The court ruled this practice discriminatory on the original lawsuit filed in 1976 yet David Dunn went back to this discriminatory practice to get what he said was a better firefighter, which translates to a whiter firefighter.
Mayor Ganim knows this because Mackey and I bought it to his attention and thus far absolutely nothing has been done to stop this discriminatory practice. Shame on you, Joe Ganim.
CPAT was designed by white males who think, feel and believe jobs in the fire service should be male dominated. As a company officer for over 10 years, five as a Lieutenant and six as a Captain in the second largest fire house in Bridgeport, I’ve had the pleasure to work with numerous women and every one without exception were great firefighters, dedicated, honest, with a strong work ethic and each and every one were an asset to the fire service. I never went to work and wondered if any female firefighters could do the job or hold their own at a fire and did I mention none of the current women firefighters are CPAT certified?
Mayor Joe Ganim should be ashamed of himself for implementing this policy of exclusion for women and their desire to be Bridgeport firefighters and I believe in the rights of women to be fulfill their destiny. There isn’t any data that shows anyone who passes CPAT, women or men would make a better firefighter and this exam when used is unfair to women, who fail the test at a disproportionate rate than men. This test places too much emphasis on strength, rather than firefighting skills, it is administered inconsistently, it requires tasks that are not needed to be a firefighter and there are more equitable tests available the city has declined to adopt. There is a difference between men and women, but if you can still do the same task, even if you do it a little differently, they shouldn’t care. In fact every city in America that uses CPAT has a problem recruiting women and Hartford quit using CPAT because they knew the Hartford Fire Department is a better place to work because of the diversity women bring to the job.
In 2014, for the first time in over 30 years, no women were hired for the Bridgeport fire department because of the policies that are being embraced by Mayor Gamin. Prior to the policies Mayor Ganim now embraces, in 2006-2008 there were three black, two Latino and two white females hired and they all are quality firefighters who have been running into fires for over six years just like their male counterparts, without incident. The Bridgeport Fire Department should be committed to improving diversity and shouldn’t have a problem with reviewing the test and looking at tests other cities use. Joe Ganim as an ex-con who ran for Mayor by asking for a second chance, now it defies credulity to think now he wants to deny women a first chance.
Don, Mayor Ganim will find the City in federal court for hiring practices against females to become firefighters. The City is aware no females have been hired since David Dunn placed CPAT into the testing process especially since the City had no problem with hiring females before and they had successfully passed the agility test. The City knowingly is still using a system that discriminates against female firefighter candidates. Mayor Ganim has no problem with hiring candidates to become firefighters coming from all over the country instead of hiring Bridgeport residents.
And shame on David Dunn, the Civil Service Commission and the Mayor for allowing him to blemish the acts of bravery by two individuals in the line of duty by trying to use their memories to defend a hiring practice that had nothing to do with how and why they died.
For this reason alone Ganim should can him. Disgusting.
Bob, the Civil Service Commission fired Ralph Jacobs as the City’s Personnel Director back in 2009 and David Dunn has been the “Acting” Personnel Director since that time. Dunn has been in that position for seven years, well what is the holdup with the Civil Service Commissioners, why haven’t they called for a nationwide search for a permanent Personnel Director? Why hasn’t Mayor Ganim called for a test for a permanent Personnel Director, does he want to also use Civil Service for his own personal reasons? Former Bridgeport mayor Tom Bucci has it right about the Civil Service Commission when he called “the commission president gutless and the other commissioners, plain and simple, spineless.” That sums it up.
The truth be told, a good portion of the white members of the BFD were and still are angry about the 15% for City residents. As were some “Uncle/Tio Toms.” This is why Rooney started the push for the CPAT. He knew he had his tokens, because he had been taking care of them all along. It had nothing to do with being fit before being hired. Your typical “red herring.”
David Dunn is and has always been a piece of shit, pure and simple. He still runs his consulting firm on the City dime in Stratford. And don’t forget he had his daughter on the Civil Service payroll.
“The City continues to pursue its goals of hiring residents and has enhanced the residency preference process so that qualified residents benefit with an additional 15% of their final score.”–David Dunn
David, because the City pursues a goal, doesn’t translate into you having the same goal or objective. You are, and have always been the problem. You are the scum of the earth!
Ganim, you need to grow a pair and clean house. Dunn is your “Achilles Heel.” It’s pink-slip time.