To The Editor:
As a former member of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department and former chairman of the Middlebury Fire Commission, I felt it necessary to respond to Mr. Lewis S. Clark’s Oct. 11 letter to the editor of the area daily newspaper*.
Contrary to what Mr. Clark implies (Middlebury’s legal setup, using a separate corporation for the fire department …), the town had nothing to do with the formation of the MVFD Inc. This corporate entity was formed by the fire department in June 1978. While it might be “quite different,” it is hardly a unique situation. A search on C.O.N.C.O.R.D. reveals that neighboring towns also have fire departments that have formed corporations. (Southbury, 1935; Prospect, 1945).
The Board of Selectmen, not the First Selectman, have authority to appoint boards and commissions as the need arises and have done so in the past. In 2006, they appointed a five-member Fire Commission. The Fire Commission was appointed to provide oversight to the fire department (including ambulance), fire marshal, health director and emergency operations director. It was not formed to provide financial oversight of just the fire department. While the name may have been “Fire Commission,” the oversight was much broader. At no time was there any intent to get involved in the activities of MVFD Inc. We were to provide oversight of town-owned assets and check/approve invoices for payment. We provided an independent point of view and helped uncover and correct some deficiencies found at the time.
When the revised town charter that included the establishment of a permanent Fire Commission was presented, some members of the MVFD actively campaigned against it and the voters rejected the revised charter. Subsequently, the Gormley administration disbanded the Fire Commission. While we may never know what might have been, I firmly believe that the invoice checking and approval process established by the former fire commission could have minimized the chances of misuse of town funds.
Since that time, the leadership of MVFD Inc. has changed, new policies and procedures have been put in place and the organization is more transparent. It is no longer a one-man show. With regards to its financials, as a 501 (c)(3) organization, MVFD Inc. is required to file tax returns for tax-exempt organizations. Their Form 990s are online; the last was filed in Sept 2014.
As a former member who worked at the carnivals, raffles, etc., I do know these proceeds were used to help buy equipment outside that covered in the town’s budget, provide scholarships and help members in need, to name a few uses. I do not believe that the entire core of volunteers should be punished for the misdeeds of one person. With the new leadership in place, I now trust that my donations will be properly used and I have started giving again.
Kenneth W. Heidkamp, Middlebury
*Editor’s note: Mr. Clark did not submit his letter to this newspaper.
