OGDENSBURG – City Manager Stephen Jellie was recently featured in a Time Magazine article that questioned if city fire departments were oversized across the nation.

Among the main points raised by the author that fire calls have gone down and that departments have become more involved in EMS calls.

The article can be read at https://time.com/6097414/wildfires-firefighters-spending/

The article drew ire however from Sam Fresina who serves as president of the New York State Professional Fire Fighters who found the article disrespectful.

He issued the following statement in counter to the report.

“Growing up in Upstate New York, Time Magazine was routinely spotted on the coffee table in our living room – and a source for straight forward information about politics, business and cultural trends.

“However, the publication of a recent piece: As Wildfires Burn, Are U.S. Cities Spending Too Much on Their Fire Departments was both disturbing and disrespectful.

“Disturbing because, it provides a one-sided account of the illegal actions of a politically motivated small-town city manager, and the shortcomings in reporting underscored by the lack of basic awareness of the structure of New York’s court system and its appeals process. As a result the circumstances contained in the article are misleading and incorrect.

“Last Friday, I stood in solemn respect and tribute to the 343 career firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001 – and the hundreds of others who were lost due to disease and injury in days and years that have followed. Their selfless response to an unprecedented emergency was among the greatest in in our nation’s history.

“The fire service is prepared for every eventuality – and when minutes matter – it’s ability to combat the challenge of the moment be it an act of terrorism, environmental or climactic disaster, accident or peril is valued.

“Finally, the commitment of the President and the Congress to provide COVID relief funding is an economic boost – surpluses being realized in communities such as Ogdensburg, are a direct result of this investment – and not actions to cut emergency response staff.”