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Department of Mental Health steams through cash for firemen

Boston Herald (MA) - 6/18/2015

June 18--The state Department of Mental Health has eight steam firemen on the state payroll to monitor boilers powering agency buildings at a cost to taxpayers of more than $400,000 -- even though DMH long ago updated its energy systems and now uses contractors at most of its facilities, a Herald review found.

State law requires steam firemen to monitor and operate all high-pressure boilers. But DMH, which got rid of its last high-pressure boiler six years ago, still spends more than $400,000 annually to employ the steam firemen, records show. Steam firemen take in on average between $50,000 and $60,000 a year, records show.

DMH also spends tens of thousands annually paying contractors to service its low-pressure and hot water boilers.

Five steam firemen work at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital -- even though the former Worcester State Hospital did away with high-pressure boilers in 2009 and the new psychiatric facility opened in 2012 with hot water boilers, according to DMH.

Two more steam firemen collect state paychecks at Taunton State Hospital, which switched to a low-pressure system in 1991, and another fireman works at Solomon Mental Health Center in Lowell, which uses hot water boilers, agency records show.

DMH also pays a contractor more than $16,600 annually to service boilers at Taunton State Hospital, the 49-bed facility already staffed by two steam firemen. Agency officials said the contract work cannot be done in a timely manner by the two staffers before annual state boiler inspections.

A DMH spokeswoman said steam firemen are needed for daily maintenance at the three sites, but boilers at other DMH in-patient centers are maintained by DMH's engineers, maintenance workers and contractors, the Herald found.

Agency engineers monitor boilers at a 70-bed Boston mental health center, while a contractor paid about $75,000 annually services all building equipment, including boilers, DMH officials said. Another contractor is paid $2,500 annually for repairs and bi-annual service of low-pressure boilers at a Northampton building.

Anthony Riccitelli, chief operating officer at the 320-bed Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, defended the firemen, saying, "We would have them here because as a hospital if there were a delay or problem with the boilers it would cause delays with our patients' care. So we have to have people who are confidently able to manage boilers at a hospital."

But steam firemen don't staff WRCH 24 hours a day and a staff maintenance engineer regularly monitors the hospital boilers, which are on an alarm system, from a laptop remotely, Riccitelli said.

The number of WRCH steam firemen has fallen from eight to five in recent years through attrition, and the remaining staff are given more tasks to fill their time, including changing the air filters twice a year and general maintenance work, according to Riccitelli and DMH.

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