ELYRIA — After more than two years of impassioned speeches and detailed presentations, the long-awaited fire management study was supposed to finally stop friction between the city administration and Fire Department.

Yet Wednesday night saw more of the same as McGrath Consulting Group returned for a second public meeting, and this time its representatives were the ones on the defensive.

Dean Marks, president of the local firefighter’s union, has said that the 331-page report is full of contradictions, errors and misinformation. He came to the meeting armed with a 60-page rebuttal and peppered consultants Tim and Victoria McGrath with questions.

“I don’t know how much research went into this,” he said. “The overall mood of this audit is firefighters take too much time off and have a lucrative contract.”

The idea of the audit was to unveil the strengths and weaknesses of the department — “a playbook for the future,” Marks said. But instead it turned into a tool for negotiating a contract.

“Even in these trying times, safety cannot be compromised to save a buck.” Marks said.

Both McGraths defended their audit and called on the administration and Fire Department to move forward.
“I say this again,” said Tim McGrath, a firefighter before he because a consultant. “This is a book of opportunities. I understand what everyone is saying, but what I didn’t hear is someone asking, ‘What is the opportunity to move forward?’ I’m not that bright, but even I can see that every time I walk in this city there are fewer and fewer firefighters. What you are doing is not moving forward.”

Nonetheless, Marks not only called on McGrath to revise the report but also asked for a public apology from the consulting group and the city administration for releasing the flawed information that has tainted public perception of the Fire Department.

When the report was first made public, it was learned hours later that a possible error was contained in it. The error was the calculation of the average number of days an average firefighter works. The report first numbered the days at 57.69. It was later changed to 82.75, but by then members of the Fire Department said the damage had been done.

“Mr. McGrath, the last time you were here you said the public loves us and use that,” said now-retired firefighter Mark Horton. “Well, the public doesn’t love us anymore, and that’s because of the misinformation put out there.”

Council members were still ready to hear about what should happen next.

“What I want to see come out of this is the administration and Fire Department to put together an action plan for implementing recommendations from the audit,” said Councilman Mark Craig, I-4th Ward. “Council has to force joint cooperation.”

Likewise, Councilman Mike Lotko, D-at large, said it’s time Council demands the lines of communication between the two remain open.

Unlike his fellow council members, Councilman Kevin Brubaker, D-at large, said he is not ready to accept the audit as unflawed. Before the meeting he said he had 47 questions pertaining to the report.

“I’m just not convinced enough fact finding and research was done in the audit,” he said.

City leaders may not agree on many things in relation to the controversial study, but one thing emerged as common ground Wednesday.

Despite the detailed report calling into question Fire Chief Rich Benton’s capabilities to lead the department, city leaders said they support the new chief and believe he can use the in-depth audit to turn around the department.

Lotko was the first to speak out against the audit, which described Benton as a “nice individual who has little experience in dealing with the administrative, fiscal, political and public relations issues that is required of the position of fire chief.” He asked Victoria McGrath, principal partner in the group and a lead consultant, to quantify how she came to her conclusion.

“I know he lacks experience as a chief, but sometimes people with experience don’t make good chiefs,” he said.

Councilman Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, echoed the sentiment.

“I don’t buy that, and I don’t see where you come off saying he is not ready,” he said. “Who knows that Fire Department and those men better than someone who has been there? What the audit should have said, but didn’t, is he needs to be left to be chief and do the job of chief. If he could be chief and deal with his men, everything — even negotiations — would go smoother.”

Victoria McGrath said she stands behind her assessment that Benton would need a mentor to guide him through rebuilding the department but has since softened her stance.

“The more I come here, the more I can acknowledge he is showing great leadership skills — he still can’t do it alone,” she said.

Others may not be ready to use the audit as a tool for change, but Benton said he is, to a degree.

So far, he has begun the process of transferring fire dispatching duties to the Lorain County 911 system, is working on a plan to bolster emergency medical service in the department by working with LifeCare, is moving the administrative offices from the Broad Street fire station to the Cedar Street fire station and is making training a bigger priority.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.