Sounding the alarm

Firefighters union says mayor's plan to eliminate the training and safety officer position 'places firefighters at unnecessary risk'

With all of the cuts to the city budget coming up, it can be hard to keep track. But Beverly firefighters want to make sure everyone is aware of one of those cuts and the impact they say it will have on them.

In a letter to Mayor Mike Cahill and city councilors last week, Beverly Firefighters Union Local 1669 said it strongly objects to Cahill’s decision to eliminate the department’s training and safety officer position. The letter said cutting that position is “short-sighted, places firefighters at unnecessary risk, and will have long-lasting negative consequences for the safety of our members and the residents we serve.”

“The importance of the Training and Safety Officer position cannot be overstated,” the union wrote. “This role is not a luxury or an administrative convenience — it is an essential function that directly impacts firefighter safety, preparedness, and effectiveness on emergency scenes. The responsibilities of this position are extensive and critical, serving as a cornerstone of both firefighter safety and professional development.”

The letter from the firefighters comes as the City Council is about to vote on the budget tonight (6 p.m. meeting at City Hall). The union is asking city officials to revisit the decision to eliminate the safety and training officer position and work with the union to identify alternative solutions. Councilors can propose cuts and suggest that the money be spent somewhere else. But ultimately it’s up to Cahill to determine where the money goes.

Nevertheless, Lt. Eric Fowler, the president of Beverly Firefighters Local 1669, said it was important to the union to publicly express their disappointment in the decision to eliminate the position.

“We had to come out and take a stand that this is not OK,” Fowler told me.

The training and safety officer is what it sounds like. The officer coordinates and sometimes conducts training for firefighters, and also serves the role of safety officer at working fires. In their letter, the union said the safety officer “serves as an independent set of eyes on the fireground, ensuring that hazards are identified, evaluated and mitigated before they result in injury or tragedy.”

The role is currently filled by Capt. Donald Philpot. Fire Chief Pete O’Connor told me that Philpot will be reassigned to “the line,” meaning responding to fires and other emergencies. He will take the spot of a fire officer who is retiring. But O’Connor said Philpot will also retain some of his training and safety officer duties, including responding to fires as the safety officer when he’s off-duty.

O’Connor acknowledged that losing the training and safety officer position is “not ideal.” But he said somebody at a fire scene — including the chief himself — will be serving the role of safety officer at all times.

“There is always a safety officer position on scene,” O’Connor said. “It’s just who is performing the function. Initially it’s the first arriving company officer. Then the deputy assumes the role of safety officer, or he can assign it to somebody who shows up.”

O’Connor put it this way: “It’s a shared responsibility amongst all of us. But it is very nice to have that fixed assigned person to the role.”

“We have plans in place for all of the concerns that are in that letter,” he added. “Their safety is always going to be at the forefront.”

In their letter, the union said eliminating the safety officer position “forces already burdened officers and firefighters to absorb additional responsibilities during critical incidents.”

“In an environment where seconds matter and conditions can change rapidly, reducing dedicated safety oversight is a risk that should not be taken,” the letter says.

“We already run thin, so every fire officer that’s coming to that scene has already got a dedicated position to fill,” Fowler told me.

The union says the training officer part of the job is just as important. The training officer, it says, “is responsible for developing training programs, coordinating drills, tracking certifications, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing ongoing education that allows personnel to perform safely and effectively.”

“Without a dedicated Training Officer, there will inevitably be a decline in the consistency and quality of training delivered throughout the department,” the letter says. “The responsibilities associated with training will be dispersed among personnel who already carry significant operational obligations. As a result, training opportunities may become less frequent, less comprehensive, and less standardized. This outcome ultimately places both firefighters and the public at greater risk.”

I reached out to Cahill about this and he said the fire department “will continue to deliver these core services.”

“We made this decision so we didn’t have to cut anyone from the four firefighter teams because we need at least 13 on every shift (3 firefighters per truck and one Deputy in charge of the shift) so that we can staff the ladder truck and three pumper trucks,” Cahill said in a text.

Cahill said the move will save $135,532 in the upcoming budget.