VOTES OF NO CONFIDENCE
JEFFERSON FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION OCTOBER 3, 2008
NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON CAA DEANO BONANO
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano has the responsibility to oversee fire protection for the citizens of East Jefferson; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano has been unresponsive to fire personnel’s concerns of diminished fire protection provided under the direction of Interim Fire Director Saunders, which jeopardizes the safety of the public and fire personnel and our Class 1 Fire Protection Rating; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano has harbored increased resentment toward fire personnel in the last 36 months, apparently due to his stated displeasure of his exclusion in the pay study ordered by Parish President, Aaron Broussard, which was instituted to investigate fire personnel salary adjustments on base pays for the first time in 16 years with Parish President, Aaron Broussard and the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association agreeing to accept the result of the study that was based on a southern average that included salary comparisons of over twenty similar sized metropolitan fire departments ; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano refuses to discuss a long standing dispute on state mandated supplemental pay for overtime calculations which was not included in the pay study at the request of then, CAO Nancy Cassagne, insisting it be handled as a separate issue from the fire pay study; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano ignores the pay disparity forcing the Fire Fighters Association to file litigation to correct these inequities and has further worked to place the Jefferson Firefighters Association and its members in disrepute with the parish administration, Council and the citizens of Jefferson Parish; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano has not responded to fire personnel’s repeated requests to replace Interim Director Saunders with more capable management; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano is responsible for overseeing the failed preparations in neglecting to provide basic needs, such as food, water and ice and sleeping cots for Hurricane Gustav, with no obvious improvements in the failed plan for fire personnel since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano failed to negotiate fair and impartial policies for fire personnel in meetings with the Jefferson Firefighters Association; and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano apparently provided Parish President, Aaron Broussard with inaccurate, misleading and untrue information in his response to the Fire Fighters Association about our concerns in the letter he sent out, dated June 16, 2008, and
WHEREAS, CAA Deano Bonano has accepted responsibility for Jefferson Parish Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Jefferson Parish while apparently not possessing any emergency management certifications and is not currently a member of the Louisiana Emergency Managers Association and further lacks the required experience to manage a large metropolitan fire department; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the members of the Jefferson Firefighters Association take a vote of “no confidence” in CAA Deano Bonano; and be it further
RESOLVED, The International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs be notified of this action against CAA Deano Bonano; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a request by the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association to the International Association of Firefighters formally censure CAA Deano Bonano.
JEFFERSON FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION OCTOBER 3, 2008
NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON INTERIM FIRE DIRECTOR DAVID SAUNDERS
WHEREAS, Interim Fire Director Saunders is charged with the responsibility for fire protection of the citizens of East Jefferson; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson Fire Fighters Association has been forced to engage in constant disagreements with Interim Director Saunders over safety, staffing, equipment, department management and unreasonably severe disciplinary actions against fire department personnel; and
WHEREAS, These unprecedented departures of cooperation between Fire Department management and the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association have caused the membership to authorize the use of attorneys to attend all personnel hearings and to litigate issues that should be resolved through an open process of discussion, but instead have cost the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association and the taxpayers of East Jefferson thousands of dollars; and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders authorized the attendance on special assignment of (five) non- union personnel to the Louisiana Firemen’s Association Convention after refusing to allow (two) Jefferson Parish Fire Fighters Association’s trustees to utilize their Association Business Leave provisions and causing them to use vacation leave to attend the Louisiana Professional Fire Fighters Association Convention; and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders has stated in a staff meeting his total lack of concern for the well-being of disciplined personnel and the financial impact on their families; and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders is responsible for failed preparations to provide basic needs, such as food, water and ice and sleeping cots for Hurricane Gustav,
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders neglected to address the struggles of fire personnel and further failed to make adequate preparations for future emergency situations, and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders has added to the stress of fire personnel by ignoring the fact that a substantial (reportedly 68% of fire personnel) sought mental health counseling after their mistreatment during Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath; and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders has refused to allow leaders of the Jefferson Parish Fire Fighters Association to attend staff meetings, which is the first opportunity to discuss ill-conceived plans before they are instituted causing time consuming, unnecessary disputes; and
WHEREAS, Interim Director Saunders continues to ignore the PIAL requirements to maintain the East Bank Consolidated Fire Department’s Class 1 Rating and has allowed serious deficiencies to exist, including the daily lack of manpower, shutting down fire equipment and disposing of a PIAL required spare ladder truck; and
WHEREAS, these actions dramatically reduce the safety of our fire personnel and the public we serve; and
WHEREAS, The Jefferson Fire Fighters Association has sought to have Interim Director Saunders removed from his position as Interim Director; and therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the membership of the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association take a vote of “no confidence” against Interim Director Saunders; and be it further
RESOLVED, The International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs be notified of this action against Interim Director Saunders; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a request by the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association to the International Association of Firefighters formally censure Interim Director Saunders.
With more than 25,000 written signatures collected in our door to door campaign, we also received support from citizens through our on-line petition. Please visit our on-line petition by clicking the link below.
On-line Petition
