Jul 29, 2012

The FireTower Caper

A molovinsky on allentown exclusive. The residents of Allentown are being told that if we do not sell the fire training tower to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Laboratory for expansion, we're in danger of losing a large employer. It appears much more likely that it's the back end of a long standing plan, and that the hospital is accommodating us. There have been plans for at least two years for a new fire training facility, and the city has been soliciting grants for such. The multi-story, multi-million dollar training facility is to be built adjoining the police academy in Lehigh Parkway. The location is the road and hill currently used as the temporary exit road for the park,  and also used as the exit during the Lights In Parkway. In the past this area served the public as park land, used for many years by model plane enthusiasts. The new training center would bring all the heavy fire equipment from nearby counties, necessitating a wider road, moved further east of the current single lane exit road. This would be in line with the new park tradition of spreading more macadam. molovinsky on allentown has also learned that with new adjoining police and fire training facilities, there is discussion of a new position, Public Safety Director. The Director would oversee Police, Fire and EMS. The new position would require appropriate assistants and secretaries, in The City Without Limits.

35 comments:

  1. Once again the mayor comes up short in forthrightness with the people of Allentown.

    A leading TAX FREE insituation has been a surreptitious enabling partner on more than one occasion.

    No one left to trust. No public servant or publicly accommodated institution in Allentown can be expected to reveal their true motives in deals involving the public trust.

    Yes it truly is a city without limits. Without limits as to how low they will sink to use the people of Allentown and their property.

    Thank you Ed Palowski and much revered TAX Free insitituion in Allentown for once again showing your true colors.

    Ed may you loose the next election and may all TAX FREE insittuions in Allentown have their tax free status revoked.

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  2. A public safety director is a ploy intended to circumvent residency requirements for future police and fire chiefs. The charter requires department heads be city residents. If the chiefs are no longer department heads they do not not need to be residents. It increases the pool of applicants.

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  3. How does one become an owner of lands that have been allocated in history as public property for the enjoyment of generations to come?


    REDD

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  4. Mike,Why does this Mayor keep taking away public parks.I thought the new training academy is to go up near Snecksville where there is room to expand

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  5. Golly,I wooda thought such plans wooda been talked over at the up coming VISION MEETINGS,to ya know, get the citizens input?
    But then maybe I'm confused. I'm easily confused.
    I also want to thank that hardworking city blacktop crew.
    Good to see that even with Greg Weitzels departure their fine work and contribution to Allentown's parks continue.

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  6. It seems we have a fire sale here in Allentown. Everything in the public trust is up for sale, lease, development or privatization.

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  7. Can't City Hall think of a new excuse? This one was used 25 years ago by another city hall leader to sell park land by the 15th St bridge to an accounting firm. How's that working out?
    No way is that lab going to move from an easy access on and off I/78 to the hospital's main headquarters. The lab network invested millions in that building and enjoys the convenience and attractiveness of that location.

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  8. Haven't studies proven municipalities benefit from employees living where they work because employees tend to care a little more if their neighbors are watching.

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  9. This city would be more prepared to deal with day to day public safety and certainly more prepared for major disaster events with a good professional Public Saftely Director.
    This is a city of over 100,000. Why run it like its the 1950ties?
    This blog advocates for addressing safety and quality of life concerns. Am integrated public safety structure( fire,EMT,police, health dept.) goes a long way toward acheaving that goal.
    Now, the mayor or city manager make public decisions and policy that are WAY over over their head.

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  10. It will just effect a small portion of the parks.
    No big deal. The parks just lose a small section here,and a small section there. Nibble. Nibble.
    That entire section of Lehigh Parkway has been declineing anyway.
    Who cares?

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  11. And, Like the "Minority Report" we will now have advertising bill boards plastered all over the city.
    Our lovely farms and mountain scenery is being obscured by greedy careless advertising companies.
    The beautiful Lehigh valley is being trashed by monster video signs plastered every 100 yards down the highways. Center city is next. Shameful.

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  12. Good point about tax free.

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  13. Anonymous said...

    And, Like the "Minority Report" we will now have advertising bill boards plastered all over the city.
    Our lovely farms and mountain scenery is being obscured by greedy careless advertising companies.
    The beautiful Lehigh valley is being trashed by monster video signs plastered every 100 yards down the highways. Center city is next. Shameful.

    July 30, 2012 6:33 AM

    A recently installed Lehigh Street area digital billboard is so powerful, its image can be seen all the way from Queen City Airport. Another billboard allowed to be installed in a small triangle of land just before the Lehigh Street light at
    Home Depot destroyed the city's grandest sky scape for visitors to the city.

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  14. The Police Chief, Fire Chief,EMT Co-ordinator are all still department heads under a public safety structure headed by a Public Safty Director.
    If you haven't a clue what your talking about, why comment ?

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  15. @7:57 and 8:48, it's common knowledge that there will be a mass exodus from the fire department, as there was from the police department, as the retirement window on the current lucrative contract ends. will we need more administration at the top, when the rank and file is depleted? i believe that is the issue.

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  16. Soon there will be another mass retirement from the Allentown Police Department. As many as 30 officers will retire. They will take their knowledge with them. It will take years to yet once again, bring the total number of officers back up to a safe minimum standard.

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  17. Anomymous 8:48 - Allentown has no "EMT Co-ordinator". Allentown EMS is run by Brian Fritz who has done a great job since his recent appointment. Maybe you should not comment if you do not know what you are talking about.

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  18. Public Safety?

    Now, we are finally talking in Progressive terms I can understand!

    I'd like to see some heads start rolling immediately, thank you.

    MAXIMILIEN ROBESPIERRE

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  19. For your information: to the comments on firefighters going to retire. They already retired. About 45 have gone. It's been reported by the MC weeks ago.

    They got extremely big pensions thanks to Roy and his helpers.

    The MC reports their pension plan is is about 50MM dollars short.

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  20. I want a trained experienced loyal person running both A.F.D. and A.P.D.. Not a Pawowski political hack who knows nothing about either. 'Another Old Man'

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  21. If Mr Fritz " runs " Allentown EMT services, but is not co-ordinator, pray tell what is he.......and hats off to Mr Fritz and his fine team. They do an outstanding job.

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  22. Annon 2:25 - the APD and AFD are run by experienced,trained professionals. Both good men by any measure. Both were appointed by the current mayor. Anyone serving in the capacity of police or fire chief services at the pleasure of the mayor.
    A political hack can be appointed chief as easily as Public Saftey Director. Allentown has seen that happen in living memory.
    If this administration should adopt this model,and a reasonable argument can be made either way, this observer can think of no more highly qualified candidate than Allentown's current fire chief.

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  23. By all accounts a bright spot in Allentown is the professionalism at the leadership of the Police,Fire,& EMS services.
    Damn good men!
    All of them hired by the current mayor.
    Yet some people just can not say a kind word,even when credit is due. This ill will and rancor in Allentown's political and civic culture is one good example of why the town continues its downward slide under Democrats and Republicans alike.
    ( ie--at least two of the current excellent chiefs are registered republicans aappointed by the current Democratic mayor. A small ray of hope. )

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  24. @9:33, i don't see any comments here critical of either the current police or fire chief. i took an editorial position against a new director position in public safety. this administration operates virtually in a vacuum. there is no opposition in city council, or critical editorials from the press. i would think some scrutiny from a blog should be tolerated, if not welcomed by the public, just as a token of democracy.

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  25. Mm 2:25 comment seems to suggest the mayor always appoints hacks. Clearly this is not the case.

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  26. "All of them hired by the current mayor."

    All of them hired by this mayor? All?

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  27. It's all about the lack of transparency running all through this current administration.
    How can anyone know what kind of job performance we are getting for our money?

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  28. @6:07, i know the police chief, and know of the fire chief by reputation. both, although appointed by the mayor, which is the proper procedure by city charter, are top notch. both were career long members of their departments. i try to allow most comments, even those less informed than others.

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  29. Yes, Police Chief, Fire Chief, EMS,all appointed by this mayor.

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  30. Every Public Safety Director I've ever heard of anywhere has had a combination of Fire,Police and/or military background at the command level.
    It's simply expected by their professional peers on a national level.
    It's part and parcel of the job.
    I agree Allentown Fire Dept. Chief would be exactly the right kind of man for the job.

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  31. With the city reducing the number of on duty firefighters from 30 to less than 25 and placing one of their two ladder trucks out of service, I would hope the city would not be considering adding another administrative position.

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  32. @12:12, from the comments i received on these posts, there does indeed seem to be a push for, or from, chief scheirer for the position.

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  33. MM. 12:24 This could be read as an insult to a consumate professional.
    You sir, are the person who brought this whole discussion to the fore.

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  34. @1:31, although I brought up the discussion, i never advocated that allentown establish the position, on the contrary. i have expressed my faith in both maclean and scheirer as chiefs, on more than one comment. comments 6:23am, 8:15pm and 9:20pm all advocate scheirer for safety director, even though this post advocates against the position. in spite of my position on the subject, i was glad to host the comments advocating for him. i would hope that he is not offended by a frank discussion, or my position on the subject.

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  35. It's the frank discussion, Comrade Molovinsky.

    THAT'S the problem we have here with this blog in the City With No Spending Limits.

    Just get on board, already. Blind obedience to central authority is so much better than this anti-progressive / obstructionist road you constantly travel. Why can't you just give it an honest try for two seconds?

    Shaibu!

    VIKTOR TIKHONOV

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