Haverhill, MA, Police Chief Begins Implementing Consultant’s Recommendations for the Fire Department

At a recent meeting of the Haverhill City Council's Public Safety Committee, Police Chief Alan DeNaro announced that he has identified $138,000 in unused Fire Department money for which he will ask the City Council’s approval to use to buy new protective clothing for firefighters. That money, combined with $50,000 the mayor has set already aside for turnout gear, is enough to outfit about 90 percent of the department's approximately 90 firefighters, Chief DeNaro said. Firefighters and city officials have said previously said that most of the current turnout gear is old and potentially unsafe.

At the meeting, Chief DeNaro announced that he has been appointed to an administration position above Fire Chief Richard Borden, one of the decisions the mayor made as a follow up of the recent submitted Matrix Report. The Matrix Report was an evaluation of the fire department by the Matrix Consulting Group, and it was submitted to the city in April.

To access an Eagle-Tribune article about Chief DeNaro’s initiatives, please visit:

Eagle-Tribune: Haverhill police chief pitches plan for new fire equipment (21 JUL11)

Background information:

Eagle-Tribune: Report urges Haverhill Fire Department changes (29 APR 11)

Haverhill Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 1011: Fire Department Management Audit – City of Haverhill, Massachusetts (April 2011)

Haverhill Gazette: Chief says he'll try to keep village firehouses open (16 JUN 11)

City of Haverhill, MA

Wikipedia: Haverhill, Massachusetts