Sylvan Lebrun, Contributing Photographer

At a meeting of the Aldermanic Affairs Committee on Monday night, 23 firefighters and city leaders testified regarding Mayor Justin Elicker’s requested reappointment of Fire Chief John Alston. The split of support and opposition was 11 to 11, with one “conflicted.”

John Alston took on his current position in December 2016. Elicker has now asked to give him another four-year term, which would last until Jan. 31, 2026. During his tenure, Alston worked to diversify the New Haven Fire Department and refine recruitment and training processes. In his opening remarks, he acknowledged that certain changes he has made have been “unpopular,” nodding to the opposition of Local 825 — the firefighters’ union — to his appointment. According to the New Haven Independent, in a union poll, 128 firefighters voted against Alston’s reinstatement, while only 31 voted in favor. 

The committee did not debate or take a vote on the reappointment, transferring it to the full Board of Alders for a streamlined review. 

“There are two things that firefighters don’t like: the way things are and change,” Alston said in his opening statement. “You hired me to change the culture of the department; to increase opportunities. That does not happen overnight … change occurs when folks that are coming in are given opportunities, when the playing field is made level, and the actions of my team and myself have done that.”

Alston’s remarks 

In an almost 45-minute speech to the committee, Alston outlined his accomplishments since taking over as Fire Chief — including a revamp of the recruitment process, a new paramedic unit, an intervention program for youths who start fires and the implementation of technology to identify broken fire hydrants on electronic tablets and apps.

He emphasized his efforts to increase diversity in the department, such as changing hiring practices and providing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workplace training. 

“As I studied the department prior to taking the helm, there appeared to be evidence of years of nepotism, favoritism and cronyism,” Alston said. He added that he had implemented an “aggressive and effective recruitment program to ensure diversity, opportunity and a succession plan.” 

The current class of incoming firefighters is the most diverse under his tenure, Alston said, both in terms of gender and race. The department has also made efforts to recruit speakers of different languages, particularly Spanish, in order to more effectively respond to calls in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. Statistics on diversity within the department are not publicly available.

Alston also emphasized his role in the fire department’s COVID-19 response. In February 2020, before many Americans were fully aware of the impact of the pandemic, Alston “sat the staff down … and played ‘what-if’” to develop contingency plans for how to continue providing services in a safe manner. Amid the many waves of the pandemic, he said, the department never missed a single call. 

Alston concluded his statement by acknowledging the “difficult and unpopular decisions” he has made “in the best interest of the city.” The role of fire chief, he said, is “not a popular kind of job.”

Questions from the committee

The alders present at the committee meeting were given the opportunity to ask questions of Alston, pressing him about expiring equipment, firehouse safety, community engagement measures and his plans for dealing with the recent increase in high-rise apartments. 

Members who were present for his 2016 appointment hearing or his 2018 contract renewal meeting also asked if he felt he had fulfilled his goals to improve department cohesion and morale. In response to Ward 12 Alder Gerald Antunes, Alston described his “open door policy” for firefighters hoping to speak to him about training or promotions. 

Ward 4 Alder Evelyn Rodriguez asked Alston about whether the apparatuses and appliances for firefighters were “up to standard,” to which he replied that they were, but the problem was “not having enough of them.” He mentioned an incident with a faulty truck that he was unable to get replaced for a period of time, leading to having to borrow a truck from the Hartford fire department. 

Although he referred to this borrowing as “standard practice,” it was one of the points of contention in later speeches from local firefighters opposing his reappointment. 

“Our fleet has and continues to be decimated comparatively to Hartford, who have around 10 shop mechanics,” said Lieutenant Ian Cordero from the Hill. “We have three currently, and this is what’s led us to borrowing apparatuses from different cities … This has never happened in this department — we typically were the city that provided apparatuses to others. However due to poor planning, we find ourselves in a very bad situation.”

The number of out-of-service fire hydrants in the city was another point raised by both the alders and those giving testimony. Ward 1 Alder Alex Guzhnay ’24 asked how many faulty fire hydrants were acceptable in New Haven, to which Alston answered, “none,” attributing the current high numbers to the department’s smaller budget and difficulties coordinating with repair companies. 

Lieutenant Kenneth Huls from Engine 15 in Westville, who is also a member of the executive board of Local 825, said that there were over 100 hydrants out of service in the city, including 21 in his own district. “Residents of this city should not have to worry about whether the hydrant closest to their house is in working condition,” he said, before mentioning the ways in which this obstructs Alston’s stated goal to get water onto fires earlier. 

‘Morale has never been this bad’: firefighters testify

The deaths of two New Haven firefighters in 2021 — Ricardo Torres and William McMillian, with Torres passing in the line of duty — was another topic at the hearing, as concerns were raised that Alston had not done enough in the way of providing support. 

“I understand you have put something in place for grief due to COVID, but what has taken place since the tragic moment to address our brothers and sisters who are grieving?” asked Ward 3 Alder Ron Hurt. 

Alston responded by listing counseling sessions after the deaths and an anonymous comment system, noting that there was still “anger” in the department.

When Hurt then pressed him on whether anything was being done at the present moment to help the firefighters heal, he said that “no, no one has reached out to say that that is an issue.” 

“Ricardo Torres was a huge, huge individual in my life since I was a child, he is my family,” firefighter Neftali Ortiz said. “Seeing the chief not reach out to an individual who means so much to Ricardo and to the current family personally hurts … I see his absence in the firehouses. I see his lack of leadership.” 

Ortiz went on to mention that after a recent promotion, he took a four-day class and was only taught by one chief — he had been told that Alston would attend the sessions, but he “never showed.” He expressed his desire for Alston to be more proactive in training young leaders in the department and preventing future tragedies after the recent deaths. 

Firefighter Scotte Pullen, who opposed the reappointment, stated that “morale has never been this bad,” complaining about “bullying tactics” in the department and the disrepair of the firehouses and apparatuses.

Supporters of Alston discussed his engagement in the city, his commitment to increasing the diversity in the department and his receptivity to feedback. 

“I’ve seen Alston at more city functions than I’ve seen in my 20 years. I’ve seen more promotions of folks that look like me at chief-level positions than I’ve seen in my 20 years,” said Douglas Wardlaw, supervisor of fire investigation with the Fire Marshal’s Office. “Folks have the opportunity to speak to him, to learn from him, to take advantage of his very open door policy, when we’ve had past chiefs not even allow us to call the third floor.” 

Wardlaw urged the alders to give Alston a chance to “finish what he has committed to do in the city.” 

Boise Kimber, who was the fire department’s commissioner for five years, mentioned that many of the issues raised on Monday night — such as the malfunctioning equipment and fire hydrants — could be addressed by the Board of Alders and the mayor with increased funding. 

Kimber also said that Local 825 “has never attacked a white chief under my leadership or anyone else’s leadership,” alluding to possible racial motives behind the union’s staunch opposition. 

Guzhnay told the News that the alders knew prior to the hearing that there would be a significant amount of opposition to the appointment. However, he noted that many of the issues raised regarding Alston’s tenure are linked not just to his leadership, but to larger problems with the city’s budget.

“I took notes during that testimony, to follow up on the other stuff that I thought maybe wasn’t as directly tied to the chief, but rather something that you know, the Board of Alders could be doing better,” Guzhnay said. “My colleagues are also kind of taking that into account as well … those more infrastructure ones, and other areas that need work, specifically around apparatuses.”

The New Haven Fire Department was established in 1862. 

Correction, March 7: A previous version of this article misdefined “tactical worksheets,” which are for tracking training processes. The fire department’s technology for tracking fire hydrants is a completely different program without a name.