Journal Inquirer
WALLINGFORD, Conn. — An internal fire department investigation is focusing in part on the relationship between members of the Wallingford and New Britain departments, Mayor Vincent Cervoni said.
Fire Chief James Buck, who began his tenure in August, is conducting an investigation into claims against former Chief Joseph Czentnar, including that he had a firefighter take an EMS class for him while pretending to be the chief. The class was conducted by the New Britain EMS Association, part of that town’s fire department.
“The (New Britain EMS) instructor caught on and knew something was suspicious but allowed me to proceed,” Andrew Badamo, the then-firefighter involved, said in a report on the incident.
At the time, Wallingford fire department records show, the New Britain department was receiving free training from Wallingford’s department — while others had to pay — and had been granted a bid waiver from Wallingford for other services.
Cervoni said Wallingford is examining the relationship between officials in both departments.
“We have questions about the extent to which the issue that’s been brought to light, whether it has more involvement than the two people initially involved, which were former retired chief Czentnar and Badamo, and we are also looking into training practices involving that vendor,” said Cervoni.
For years the Wallingford Fire Department has hosted training for students from paramedic programs from other towns and commercial organizations without charge, so they could get the hours of training needed to be certified.
It was during the pandemic though, on Aug. 4, 2020, when Deputy Chief Sam Wilson III sent an email to Capital Community College, Yale New Haven Hospital, and others, stating that due to financial constraints, a fee would be required to continue the training.
“Due to ever-tightening financial constraints, Wallingford Fire Department would not be able to absorb this additional cost into its budget. However, if your organization would be able to pay $33.79 per shift we could certainly be able to accommodate paramedic students. Please contact me if this is something you would like to discuss moving forward,” Wilson stated in his email.
But the New Britain Fire Department was exempt from the fee, records show. Wilson indicated in internal records that he and former chief Richard Heidgerd would still offer free training due to unspecified prior commitments with New Britain EMS.
Wilson was the Wallingford department’s first EMS lieutenant in 2019 when the department was created and oversaw all the department’s training, later being promoted to Deputy Chief of Administration and Operations in 2020. Before he joined the department in 2007 had worked for New Britain EMS.
New Britain’s Captain of Professional Standards and Training Patrick Ciardullo, in an email, described Wilson as “A close friend, medic school partner, and EMS partner of mine.” He also stated he and Wilson attended medical school together.
New Britain EMS has continued to be on the town’s financial bid waivers list since the 2018-2019 fiscal year around when Wilson become the first head of the Wallingford EMT department. It has been added every year up to the most recent budget, on Wilson’s recommendation during his tenure as interim Fire Chief after Czentnar’s sudden retirement.
A resident inquired to the town council about the bid waivers and Wilson’s relationship to New Britain EMS in March of this year, according to documents obtained from the Record-Journal. Czentnar said in reply to the inquest that the program to charge students for the ride time was disbanded shortly before he became chief and that the department had resumed its normal commitments afterward — stating that the program had been instituted due to Heidgerd’s concerns about the financial strain on the department.
“It appears that the Fire Chief at that time was concerned about the financial impact of what he termed as an unfunded mandate that was negotiated outside of the Collective Bargaining Agreement,” Czentnar said in the statement. “He later rescinded that decision to charge the students.”
Currently the town council is also pursuing an investigation into the department to examine its culture and administration, which it sought to initiate earlier this year. Wilson, who was chief at the time, had argued to the council against the necessity of the probe.
“I do not believe this outcome that a department-wide study review would produce any solutions and only lead to more uncertainty,” Wilson said at the time.
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