CITY OF HARTFORD

LUKE A. BRONIN
MAYOR

HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT

253 High Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103
Telephone: (860) 757-4500
Fax: (860) 722-8205
www.hartford.gov

To: Members of Hartford Fire Department

From: Reginald D. Freeman, Fire Chief/EMD
Subject: Clarification on retirement

REGINALD D. FREEMAN
Fire Chief/Emergency
Management Director
May 16, 2016

Greetings fellow members of HFD,

As you know, the City of Hartford is facing financial challenges that require swift and decisive action. Due to
our financial uncertainty, a large number of our firefighters, including many of our most experienced, are
considering retiring earlier than expected.
For those of you who are considering retiring, I cannot thank you enough for your hard work and commitment
to the city, our beloved department and our residents. But I want to make sure that you are getting accurate
information about how our financial uncertainty could affect you.
To ease some of the concerns many of you have expressed, please find attached a frequently asked questions
document from Acting Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Debra Carabillo. If you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to contact her directly.
The bottom line is this: nothing happens on June 11th or June 30th that puts your benefits at risk. If you are
eligible for retirement, you cannot get stuck unwillingly in a contract that changes your retirement
benefits. Even if a contract has retroactive terms, you will have the opportunity to review the contract before
it goes into effect. If you want to leave at that point, you will be able to leave under the old contract, not the
new one.
Please know that Im keenly aware of how difficult it is facing these uncertain times. As your Chief, the welfare
of you and your families is of the utmost importance to me. I take that responsibility seriously. That said, I
want to reiterate that you can be rest assured we have a plan in place, and this department will remain strong
as we move forward.
I have the utmost confidence in everyone in this department and know that well continue to deliver exceptional
service to our city, aimed at keeping the city safe and secure.
Respectfully,

Reginald D. Freeman
Fire Chief