United States (Massachusetts) - City Councilor David Hall said morale among the city's firefighters was already poor, but the installation of GPS devices in firetrucks has made the situation worse. He is calling on Mayor James Fiorentini to step in and resolve the department's morale problem. After being elected to a fourth two-year term last week, the mayor said dealing with tension between him and firefighters is a priority.

Hall is chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee. He said yesterday that the mayor should have been more involved in working with fire Chief Richard Borden in deciding whether to install GPS and how it would impact morale.

Last week, Borden said the GPS will help the department operate more efficiently, as well as make its workings "transparent" to the public. He said the department has received several complaints about firetrucks being parked in locations for long periods of time where there were no fires. The GPS allows the public to go on a Web site and check the locations of trucks.

Firefighters have filed a grievance over the issue that will force a review of it by city officials.

Hall said the mayor must decide whether GPS devices should stay in firetrucks or be removed.

"If after he meets with firefighters and fire officials he feels they should be removed, and that it will improve morale, then that's wonderful," Hall said.

Fiorentini has said he will not comment until he meets with officials of the firefighters union. Borden couldn't be reached for comment for this story.

Yesterday, Hall said a series of issues has caused morale problems with firefighters.

Hall referred to the mayor hiring a private investigator to film firefighters who called in sick and then did things like move furniture and run errands. He also referenced Borden halting firefighters from receiving flu vaccinations from the city because he had not given permission to his deputies, who sent the firefighters for the shots. Now the GPS devices have become an issue, he said.

"It went from a sick leave issue to equipment safety issues to a GPS issue to a flu vaccine issue and things seem to be snowballing," Hall said. "It's nothing but constant turmoil in Haverhill's Fire Department and it has to stop. The mayor has to address these issues and they have to be resolved once and for all through proper leadership. You don't see these kinds of problems in the Police Department."

Last week, Borden said the city will save money in the long-term through the use of a GPS. He said fire dispatchers can call up their location online and better assign them to calls, thereby saving money on gas.

Paul Weinburgh, president of the firefighters union, protested saying the tracking system amounted to Big Brother. He complained that Borden did not install the devices in all Fire Department vehicles, such as his own and those of deputies and inspectors.

He said his union filed a grievance against the city for what he called "the arbitrary use of the GPS" in some Fire Department vehicles but not all of them.

Hall said that in the meantime he sees no need to install GPS devices on the other Fire Department vehicles Weinburgh pointed out.

"The inspectors are out there all the time generating money for the city and are sent out by the chief's office to do inspections," Hall said. "The chief knows where they are at all times."

Hall said the chief is accountable to the mayor and does not need to be tracked.

"It's like saying put a GPS in the police chief's car," Hall said. "That's unacceptable."

Haverhill first used GPS devices in Highway Department vehicles when longtime Highway Superintendent James Flaherty and his son Kevin, an official with the department, were criminally charged with using their jobs for personal gain.

They have been found guilty of cheating the city. During the investigation, the state received several reports of Highway Department vehicles on jobs being done by private companies owned by the Flahertys.

Written by The Eagle-Tribune