Brighton Town Board votes to terminate agreement with West Brighton Fire Department

An agreement between the town of Brighton and the West Brighton Fire Department for fire protection services in the West Brighton Fire Protection District will be terminated Aug. 1. But the department’s attorney, Bradley Pinksky, says the department will continue as usual and will be ready to respond after the beginning of the month.

Last night, the Brighton Town Board unanimously approved authorizing Supervisor Bill Moehle to execute an agreement with the city of Rochester for coverage of the district. The board also unanimously authorized approval to terminate the current agreement between the town of Brighton and the West Brighton Fire Department.

The vote came after a several hours-long open forum, in which numerous people spoke both for and against the agreement, and discussion by the town board.

After a nearly four-hour public hearing earlier this month, the board voted against a plan to contract with the city of Rochester for coverage in the West Brighton district to give more time to work with the West Brighton and Rochester fire departments to develop a new plan of fire and EMS protection in the district.

But, said Moehle, after a meeting between the town and the West Brighton Fire Department, “in the end, the West Brighton Fire Department has not, to this date, indicated their willingness to work with the Rochester Fire Department,” in a capacity in which the Rochester department provides primary service.

But, Pinksky said, the West Brighton department provided the town with a proposal for four full-time firefighters at the West Brighton firehouse that would cost less than the agreement with the city of Rochester — but that the town did not respond.

The decision by the town to pursue an agreement with the city of Rochester follows a study, funded by a state grant, of fire protection services in the district, said Moehle. The study recommended a “radical” change to fire protection services in the district and recommended that the district contract with either the Brighton, Henrietta or Rochester fire departments. Each of the departments, as well as the West Brighton Fire Department, provided proposals for fire protection coverage for the district.

The Rochester Fire Department provided the best option in terms of cost and the number of firefighters — four at all times — providing service for the district, said Moehle.

He added that there is a significant cost savings with the Rochester agreement. He estimated that the Rochester agreement would cost about $100,000 less than the current agreement with the West Brighton department.

West Brighton Fire Department’s president, Chris Smith, said that his department was never invited to any negotiations between the town of Brighton and the city of Rochester, and although the West Brighton department did not initiate any meetings with Rochester, that was the responsibility of the town.

“I’m not shocked in any way about what the town did,” he said. “I feel they had their minds made up a long time ago.”

The agreement approved last night is for four Rochester firefighters 24/7 to be located at the West Brighton firehouse, located at 2695 W. Henrietta Road. According to Moehle, the agreement with the West Brighton Fire Department states that the department be required to transfer its firehouse to the direction of the town upon termination of the agreement. But, he said, an offer that he made in April — to enter a lease agreement with the West Brighton department that would allow the Rochester department to use the firehouse — is still on the table.

Pinsky, however, said that in April, he provided a letter with conditions for a lease to the town, but that the town never responded. He said that the town needs to respond to the department’s proposal, and that the department is willing to work with the town.

“No, we are not giving them the firehouse,” he said. “They never responded to our proposal to lease it. Their lack of planning shouldn’t be our emergency. They created their own rush.”

He added that the agreement between the town and the West Brighton Fire Department does not require the department to give up its property, but that the department is required to hold a vote to determine whether or not to transfer the property. He said the vote would likely take place in September.

Despite last night’s vote, the town board said that the decision does not prevent future negotiations with the West Brighton Fire Department to provide supplemental services to the district.

“We’ve left the door open for that,” said Moehle. “ ... There’s no question that the West Brighton Fire Department is a great part of the community. That’s why we want to preserve it.”

Added town board member Christopher Werner, “I do not want to lose this volunteer component. ... This is only a question of who takes the lead. If this volunteer company fails, it will not be because of something I’ve done here.”

Smith declined to comment on if the West Brighton department is still open to negotiations with the town.

A referendum on Aug. 28 regarding dissolution of the district will continue as planned.

Smith said he is confident that the residents will vote in favor of dissolution.

“We know what we do for the community is a great service for the community,” he said.

Kenneth Gordon, town attorney, said that if residents vote to dissolve the West Brighton Fire Protection District, this would not terminate the agreement with the city of Rochester. It would instead initiate a process in which the town board would be charged with coming up with an alternative fire protection plan.