Pleasantview lieutenant is new Orland fire chief

After a nationwide search all they could come up with is a Liz Gorman friend.

So what? They went nationwide and Maher came up with Krizik. Oh yea, Maher went nationwide and came up with Bettenhausen.

they did not go nationwide with krizik, he was given the job and that was it.

He is a token and did not earn anything here. That being said give him a chance, who knows maybe he will be a good chief, if not they will chew him up and he will as the hawk says "he gone".

Yeah, he gone with 150k x 3 years. Bet this kinda salary will do wonders for his pension.

I'm confused by the foreclosure story in today's paper. Firemen, to my knowledge, continue to get paid while recuperating from on the job injuries. The explanation from the new chief doesn't seem to make sense.

They still get paid but what he wouldn't be getting paid would be any extra pay he would have made. For example if he worked overtime or did any teaching for the department he would miss out on that pay.
However, if he had a non-fire dept. side job, let's say working at Home Depot he would be entitled to a portion of that lost pay.

So his story checks out. It's possible with him being out 2 years like the story said, that could be 2 years worth of pay that could cover a mortgage.

I'm not a fireman but my uncle and a friend of mine are for different departments. They've both been injured, had surgery, rehabbed and went back to work. But it seemed to me that the stress it put on them physically, mentally, financialy and on the family was very intense. Sure, they joined the fire dept., a potentially dangerous job but, nobody wants to be injured or killed.

Sorry but the answer does not add up. Getting your full salary plus worker compensation settlement money does not equal a 2/3 drop in family income.

Nobody can say what his financial status is. How do we know he's not paying for a grandmothers stay at a nursing home or theres other non job related medical bills in the household.

Plus do we know if he has settled on his cases yet?

I'm not trying to defend the guy but gee whiz maybe he should be given a chance to prove himself before everyone takes a swing at him.

For whatever reason, or maybe past reasons, the Southtown doesn't seem to like Orland Fire very much.

So he was injuried while he was promoted? So when did he lead or manage anybody? His story on updating all the testing for firefighters, well they were already done, all he did was review to current standards on some issues and he probably was not the only one who did this, or this firefighter programs are really screwed up to have just one person doing that job. He is playing that and other things off to make his seem qualified for the job. The bottom line he is not ready, he may be a great guy but you need experience in all aspects of fire administration, budgets, personnel, finace, unions, politicians, contracts, all the meeting to name just a few of the things a chief must know. It should not be a learn as you go position.
The bottom line is the Goremans wanted him in, he was told in January to put in his application, than the district lowered the qualifications for the position. He was at there kids graduation party, he is there not because he is qualified, but because he is in bed with the gormans. That place is going down hill fast. What a shame. One last thing, supposedly his wife makes all kinds of money,and you are correct he is paid his salary while injuried, so he was living way out of his league if he could not pay his mortgage. I don't care what other bills he has, the first bill paid should be your mortgage, he had one for 313,000 and he owed 310,000, on the house he lives in is not worth that and what did he not put any money done? You are right his excuse does not add up, so much for an honest chief, starting out already with B.S., great pick Gerry.

Thanks for your opinion.

Well here is someone else that has the same opinion from the southtown. Every response is the same, it is funny how Gerry accuses people, when the little whop does not have a clue. what a fat little dego, that thinks he is the shit. This is going to be another bust, just prove his wife is not good enough to be the next mayor of orland. not going to happen.

mike ss

12:14 PM on June 8, 2012

Isn't this just amazing, barely one week into his tenure and already Hickey's choice is coming unglued. When are we going to restore the OFPD to its former glory. Hardly a week goes by without bad press and controversy.

SS fireman is 100% correct that if Chief Brucki was injured on the job he would continue to receive 100% of his compensation and benefits. How does that translate is a 2/3 loss of family income.

With all due respect Chief Brucki, how is he the best choice for the position out a supposedly nationwide search? Now it sounds like he spent most of the time he was a LT at Pleasantview on disability. The position of a fire chief is not an on the job training position. Lives are at stake and the OFPD needs a chief with experience commanding a similar size dept. in order to be qualified to lead one of the largest fire protection dists.

He may be a wonderful individual, but he is clearly on qualified based on experience to lead the OFPD. This appt. is going to come back to bite us and will cost the taxpayers more money. My hope is that his lack of experience doesn't surface during a disaster he is responsible for and cost innocent people their lives. Thanks Hickey

They looking to hire 20 paid on call ff

No they're not. Cant do it. Its in their contract with the union no paid on call.

Right wrote:

So he was injuried while he was promoted? So when did he lead or manage anybody? His story on updating all the testing for firefighters, well they were already done, all he did was review to current standards on some issues and he probably was not the only one who did this, or this firefighter programs are really screwed up to have just one person doing that job. He is playing that and other things off to make his seem qualified for the job. The bottom line he is not ready, he may be a great guy but you need experience in all aspects of fire administration, budgets, personnel, finace, unions, politicians, contracts, all the meeting to name just a few of the things a chief must know. It should not be a learn as you go position.
The bottom line is the Goremans wanted him in, he was told in January to put in his application, than the district lowered the qualifications for the position. He was at there kids graduation party, he is there not because he is qualified, but because he is in bed with the gormans. That place is going down hill fast. What a shame. One last thing, supposedly his wife makes all kinds of money,and you are correct he is paid his salary while injuried, so he was living way out of his league if he could not pay his mortgage. I don't care what other bills he has, the first bill paid should be your mortgage, he had one for 313,000 and he owed 310,000, on the house he lives in is not worth that and what did he not put any money done? You are right his excuse does not add up, so much for an honest chief, starting out already with B.S., great pick Gerry.

The guy has no clue. What a shame to hire an unexperienced political hack to run a large suburban fire department. Your post says it all. The few guys I know are upset that the acting chief who is know nationally was not choosen for the job but a guy with les than a year as a lieutenant on a small suburban department is. This is a sham. in two years he will be a bust and it will be another sham search all over again.

What trucks are they selling off, or giving away

nope wrote:

No they're not. Cant do it. Its in their contract with the union no paid on call.

word is they want to close a fire station and contract a ambulance service,

sad wrote:

<quoted text>word is they want to close a fire station and contract a ambulance service,

When you say word is who is it coming from? i think you are full of sheet. The Chief is beholden to the Gormans. That is how he got his job. The Gormans have never stated they want to close down stations or go to a private ambulance service. if they said it then the chief would obliged to do exactly what he was told. That is politics folks. The Gormans or Gerry to be more to the point has not mentioned a word of this so you are talking a lot of smack my friend.

Word Up wrote:

<quoted text>When you say word is who is it coming from? i think you are full of sheet. The Chief is beholden to the Gormans. That is how he got his job. The Gormans have never stated they want to close down stations or go to a private ambulance service. if they said it then the chief would obliged to do exactly what he was told. That is politics folks. The Gormans or Gerry to be more to the point has not mentioned a word of this so you are talking a lot of smack my friend.

time will tell

sad wrote:

<quoted text>time will tell

Why don't you answer the original question. Who is telling you this? Be specific.

Right wrote:

So he was injuried while he was promoted? So when did he lead or manage anybody? His story on updating all the testing for firefighters, well they were already done, all he did was review to current standards on some issues and he probably was not the only one who did this, or this firefighter programs are really screwed up to have just one person doing that job. He is playing that and other things off to make his seem qualified for the job. The bottom line he is not ready, he may be a great guy but you need experience in all aspects of fire administration, budgets, personnel, finace, unions, politicians, contracts, all the meeting to name just a few of the things a chief must know. It should not be a learn as you go position.
The bottom line is the Goremans wanted him in, he was told in January to put in his application, than the district lowered the qualifications for the position. He was at there kids graduation party, he is there not because he is qualified, but because he is in bed with the gormans. That place is going down hill fast. What a shame. One last thing, supposedly his wife makes all kinds of money,and you are correct he is paid his salary while injuried, so he was living way out of his league if he could not pay his mortgage. I don't care what other bills he has, the first bill paid should be your mortgage, he had one for 313,000 and he owed 310,000, on the house he lives in is not worth that and what did he not put any money done? You are right his excuse does not add up, so much for an honest chief, starting out already with B.S., great pick Gerry.

This guy has proven to be a solid pick give lizzy her due she did very well with this pick. No talk of closing houses, no out source in respect to the ambulances, and hired the 11 new guys. Not bad for his first year and if you are right and he takes orders from her then kudo"s to her also.