Latest news with #Esterly
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emails show dueling plans for Harlingen airport firefighting services
May 27—HARLINGEN — For months, city and airport officials have been debating two proposals known as Plan A and Plan B. In the last few weeks, Valley International Airport officials' Plan A has come to the forefront, a proposal to hire Pro-Tec Fire Services, an Appleton, Wisconsin, company that's become North America's biggest provider of aircraft rescue and firefighting services. At City Hall, airport officials' plan to terminate the city's $1.2 million agreement providing the Harlingen Fire Department's airport firefighting services is drawing opposition. In response to the plan, the Harlingen Professional Firefighters' Association is warning it would file a lawsuit against the city if the airport's board of directors hires Pro-Tec, arguing the move could lead to a violation of Civil Service law protecting firefighters' jobs. Meanwhile, Marv Esterly, the airport's aviation director, is standing behind the proposal to hire Pro-Tec. While Pro-Tec is offering its services for $973,000 as part of a proposed five-year contract, the city's planning to boost the fire department's fees by 7% next year and then by 8% in 2027. For the airport operating on a break-even budget, Pro-Tec, which serves more than 20 U.S. airports, would help save about $1.9 million during the next five years. Esterly has also expressed concern over the fire department's federal training violations. From 2017 to 2024, the FAA cited the department for three training violations while last year Esterly self-reported "misleading" entries raising concerns of the possibility of records falsifications in training logs stemming from two classes last June and July. THE PLANS An email thread helps outline officials' discussions over the proposal they call Plan A. In response to the Valley Morning Star's request filed under the Texas Public Information Act, Esterly released emails sent from April 29, 2024 to April 16. In a Feb. 26 email to Mayor Norma Sepulveda, Esterly addressed concerns leading him to propose hiring Pro-Tec. "The rising cost of ARFF services is placing significant strain on the airport's budget," he wrote. "The current ARFF arrangement is unsustainable, placing significant financial stain on the airport." Then Esterly pointed to what he described as "safety and regulatory compliance." "FAA-mandated training standards must be met to maintain (the airport's) Part 139 certification," he wrote to Sepulveda, referring to the FAA's airport operations certification. "Given budgetary constraints and critical safety and compliance concerns, Plan A remains the most prudent and responsible path forward to ensure regulatory compliance and public safety." Meanwhile, Plan B would consist of an overhaul of the fire department's ARFF program. Under Plan B, the department would "implement FAA-recommended best management practices to enhance compliance and transparency," Esterly wrote to Sepulveda, adding the proposal would "address systemic failures in training oversight and establish strict compliance measures to prevent future violations." Esterly then referred to a memorandum of understanding specifying firefighters' qualifications and requirements. While Plan B would call for a "cost-sharing strategy" to "develop a financially sustainable ARFF plan that aligns with federal regulations while balancing fiscal responsibility," the proposal would also "evaluate the current MOU to determine necessary modifications, replacement or possible termination," he wrote. In an April 29, 2024, email to City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez, Esterly expressed concern over what he described as rising costs stemming from fire department ARFF staffing leading to overtime pay. "It has come to our attention that there is a recurring practice of calling in ARFF alternatives from different shifts, rather than utilizing those assigned to the current shift," he wrote. "This has resulted in increased overtime costs that area subsequently billed to the airport." Esterly argued overtime billing violates the parties' agreement. "According to our current memorandum of understanding, the airport board should not have to bear the financial responsibility for overtime expenses that arise due to the city's failure to maintain adequate staffing levels, including the provision of designated alternatives for each shift," he wrote to Gonzalez. "Maintaining compliance with our MOU is crucial to ensure the cost-effectiveness and regulatory adherence of the ARFF services provided." In a Feb. 25 email, Sepulveda pointed to "legal challenges surrounding privatization," adding Gonzalez was working to address overtime costs. Meanwhile, City Attorney Mark Sossi argued the Texas Government Code's Civil Service stance prohibited the city from hiring a contractor such a Pro-Tec. "After review of the legal issues at hand, we believe that Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code will be a legal bar to privatization of the firefighters positions," he wrote in a Dec. 2, 2024, email to Gene McCullough, the airport board's attorney. "This will also confirm that the city, as the airport sponsor, has not given its consent to the privatization of AARF functions at the Valley International Airport." Earlier this month, Evan Mann, president of the Harlingen Professional Firefighters Association, warned city commissioners the union would file a lawsuit against the city if they didn't stop the airport board from hiring a contractor. In an interview, Mann said the board's hiring of a contractor would violate Civil Service law protecting firefighters who could lose their jobs. Mann also claimed airport officials were overstating FAA reports citing "isolated" firefighter training violations as part of a plan to "discredit" the fire department in order to lead the airport board to terminate the city's $1.2 million agreement providing aircraft rescue and firefighting services. Esterly denied the claims. In February, the FAA closed a 2024 investigation stemming from Esterly's move to report "discrepancies" in two firefighter training classes held last June and July. "The FAA determined training and misleading entries to be directly isolated to the identified sessions and not systemic to the entire ARFF training program," Denson E. Stasher, the agency's safety and standards manager, wrote to Esterly in a Feb. 19 report closing the investigation. "In closing this case, we have considered all available facts and have concluded the matter does not warrant legal enforcement." In its investigation report, the FAA found the fire department's ARFF program in "full compliance," Erik Ramirez, the union's vice president, said in an interview. Meanwhile, Mann said airport officials were overlooking the fire department's five years of "perfect scores" on its annual FAA inspections. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
DA: No comment on 'pending investigation' on HFD allegations
May 1—HARLINGEN — The Cameron County District Attorney's Office is not commenting on a "pending investigation" into whether the Harlingen Fire Department falsified Valley International Airport firefighter training records. On Thursday, District Attorney Luis V. Saenz declined to comment. "The DA's office does not comment on pending investigations," he said. On April 24, the district attorney's office requested city officials provide Federal Aviation Administration documents including information regarding the fire department's "misleading entries" into training records, City Attorney Mark Sossi said. In response, he provided the district attorney's office with two FAA investigation reports dated Feb. 19, he said in an interview. Sossi said he had no other FAA documents stemming from the agency's investigation. "We gave the DA everything we had from the FFA," City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said, referring to the two Feb. 19 FAA documents. Meanwhile, Marv Esterly, Valley International Airport's aviation director, said the district attorney's office had not contacted his office. On April 22, the district attorney's office said it was requesting the FAA provide "their report regarding the Harlingen Fire Department's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting training compliance documents and related records for Valley International Airport." Late last year, Esterly contacted the FAA after three airport firefighters signed affidavits claiming deficiencies appearing to contradict records stemming from two training sessions conducted in June and July 2024, a Dec. 5, 2024 report shows. "The discrepancies between the actual training conducted and the official training records raise the possibility of falsification," Esterly wrote the report to the FAA. In one affidavit, a driver "indicates that the training session lasted less than 20 minutes and did not include hands-on training, despite the official training record inaccurately stating the session lasted one hour with no indication of skill performance being conducted," he wrote. "Sworn affidavits from two ARFF personnel indicate that this class was significantly abbreviated, lasting only 14 minutes and, like the June session, lacked hands-on training," Esterly wrote in the report. "These discrepancies conflict with the official training record, which inaccurately claims compliance with the FAA-approved curriculum." In response, he reported concerns of falsified training records to Fire Chief Rafael Balderas, Esterly said. "Chief Balderas has informed me that he is investigating the allegations," Esterly wrote in the report. "Additionally, I, along with the airport board chairman and the airport board attorney have met with the mayor, city manager and the city attorney to discuss these findings. During our meeting, they advised that they are committed to investigating these findings thoroughly ...." As part of their investigation, city officials requested an internal audit into the allegations, the report states. During the audit, Sanjuana Garcia, the city's internal auditor, reviewed the records, Esterly said. "She reviewed all training records for the ARFF and found no discrepancies," Gonzalez said. Meanwhile, FAA officials interviewed a group of airport firefighters regarding allegations of abbreviated classes and failure to conduct hands-on training. "HFD entered misleading entries into the June 13, 2024 and July 11, 2024 training record relative to the sufficiency and quality of the training," the FAA wrote in a Feb. 19 report. "The entries raised questions relative to potential falsification, reproduction or alteration of applications, certificates, reports or records in accordance" with the Code of Federal Regulations. In its investigation, the FAA found "inadequate training and misleading entries to be directly isolated to the identified sessions and not systemic to the entire ARFF training program," the agency's report stated. In closing the case, FAA officials "concluded the matter does not warrant legal enforcement." "We will expect your future compliance with the regulations," Denson E. Stasher, the FAA's manager of safety and standards branch, wrote in the report. Last month, the airport's board of directors tabled action on a proposed resolution calling for the termination of the airport's $1.2 million agreement with the city providing the fire department's aircraft rescue and firefighting services. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local veteran wins big with roofing company
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – A local roofing company made a local veteran very happy after he won a contest for some pretty substantial home renovation. Read next: Rainbow trout to be stocked in this local lake Liberty Roofing Pros, based out of Fredonia, Pennsylvania, services Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northwestern Virginia. The team decided they wanted to give back to veterans, so they started a contest to award a veteran a free roof. The big winner this year was retired veteran Tim Esterly of Boardman. Esterly saw the contest on WKBN, and his daughter decided to enter him. The team from Liberty Roofing Pros showed up to surprise Tim on Veteran's Day, which also happens to be a very special day for him for another reason. 'I went to Fitch, I graduated 1984, went into the Air Force for 10 years, active duty. We've been here since 1999,' said Esterly. 'They came to our door on Veterans Day with balloons. Veterans Day is also my birthday.' Liberty Roofing Pros decided to start working on Esterly's roof on Friday morning. 'A couple of years ago, we decided we wanted to start doing an annual roof giveaway for Veterans Day. This is our second one we're doing,' said Liberty Roofing Pros owner Abner Miller. 'We appreciate his service and it was also his birthday. So it was pretty awesome coming here and being able to tell him, you know, you're getting a free roof along with happy birthday.' Miller said they couldn't think of a better way to give back to the community. 'I've always been personally appreciative of the veterans that fought and gave us the freedom we have today,' he said. 'That's kind of why we have the company name we do, along with the brand, the colors and stuff.' Esterly said winning the contest couldn't have come at a better time. 'I am really appreciative. The roof really needed to be done,' he said. 'It's excellent. I can't believe it.' If you know a veteran you think is deserving for next year's contest, you can nominate them at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
