ONEONTA _ The soon-to-be chief of the Oneonta Fire Department said the agency is well-positioned to meet the emergency needs of the city.
Capt. Patrick Pidgeon said he doesn't plan on making any major changes when he takes over Jan. 1.
Pidgeon was promoted Tuesday by the Common Council. The 45-year-old firefighter will succeed Chief Robert Barnes, who is retiring Friday.
"I'm definitely going to feel my way around at first," Pidgeon said. "There will be some changes. I don't know of anything specific."
Pidgeon said he has been reviewing the layout of the chief's office, as well as files, and is expecting to meet with Barnes during the next week.
"I'm trying to get my feet wet," he said.
One change he said he knows is coming is hiring a captain to replace him. And if that captain comes from within the ranks of firefighters in the department, a replacement for that firefighter would need to be hired, he said.
Pidgeon said there is a civil-service eligibility list for captain drawn from an examination taken earlier this year. That list would have to be canvassed, he said.
Barnes, who is retiring after a 36-year career in public safety, including 18 years as fire chief, said he expects a smooth transition.
"They had really good folks to choose from," Barnes said of the selection process, which involved interviews of four candidates last week, including Capt. Len Carson.
Barnes said that developing leadership skills among the firefighters was something he worked on during his time as chief.
"Pat will do a fine job. He is very enthusiastic and very intelligent," Barnes said. "Whoever is going to be in that seat now has the ability to shape that department."
Barnes said the department has an authorized strength of 26 full-time firefighters and 17 part-time and on-call firefighters.
One of the biggest challenges for Pidgeon will be staffing levels, which have remained stable at a time when call volume has been increasing, Barnes said.
"That's something the new chief is going to have to wrestle with," he said.
The city, as it has done for the last several years, is not authorizing the hiring of four new firefighters for next year. Barnes has lobbied in favor of the hirings.
During the summer, the Common Council discussed an increase in overtime costs within the fire department.
Increases in overtime were mitigated later in the year at the expense of training, Pidgeon said.
"Obviously, nothing is going to happen in this coming year, 2010," Pidgeon said.
But Pidgeon said he will be looking ahead to 2011 and seeking grant funding to offset the cost of new firefighters, as Barnes had also done.
"We would continue to ask for (new firefighters) in the budget," Pidgeon said.
Pidgeon said he would like to continue Barnes' equipment-replacement schedule to ensure the department has the vehicles it needs to do its job.
"Our equipment is definitely top-notch," Pidgeon said. "It's well maintained by central garage."
No major acquisitions will be needed right away, Pidgeon said.
An Oneonta native, Pidgeon became a call firefighter in 1984. Four years later, he became a full-time firefighter. In 2003, he was promoted to captain.
Pidgeon will have an annual salary of $65,000 and a stipend of $2,500 for emergency- wmanagement duties.
Barnes said Pidgeon has a strong knowledge of the community, which will help him in the planning and risk-analysis aspects of his job.
