Injured Chelmsford, MA, Firefighter Placed on Leave, Now Eligible for Benefits

CHELMSFORD — The Select Board voted unanimously Monday to place firefighter Nick Spinale on paid administrative leave and endorsed legislation filed by Gov. Maura Healey that would grant benefits to him while he is out of work recovering from severe injuries he suffered in a fall last month.

The legislation, House bill 5429, was filed by Healey last week after Spinale was finally discharged from Spaulding Rehabilitation to continue his recovery at home in Chelmsford. The bill seeks to ensure Spinale still receives his full pay and benefits while he is recovering.

The bill still needs to go through the Legislature, so in the meantime, Select Board Chair Patricia Wojtas said the board also voted during an executive session to place Spinale on administrative leave, the cost of which will be reimbursed by the state if and when the legislation passes.

Spinale suffered life-threatening injuries on April 7 after he fell about 40 feet from the burn building at the Massachusetts Fire Academy in Stow.

During the public comment period of Monday’s Select Board meeting, Spinale himself got up to speak, still wearing a cast on each arm, but walking under his own power. Spinale started with an expression of gratitude to the Chelmsford community for the support he has received since his injury.

“I grew up in Chelmsford my whole life. I went to high school here, played sports here and everything, so I’m a Lion through and through. I love this town, and its people have been absolutely remarkable, and it has been motivating me to get through this injury more and more,” said Spinale.

Spinale credited his own family, especially his mom, the fire union leadership who he said went “above and beyond” to support him, and his fellow firefighters who all spent time by his side while he was hospitalized.

“A lot of people say the fire service is truly like a brotherhood. I didn’t really think much of it. I work with those guys and go out with those guys all the time. I didn’t really put too much thought into it, but it really, truly is,” said Spinale. “Those guys were by my side in the hospital from the day I went in. Some of the guys were spending the nights there with me … I want all of them to know I will always have every single one of their backs through thick and thin, and that is whether we are on the fireground or anything, even off the job, I’ll always have their backs no matter what.”

Wojtas said later in the meeting that it was nice to see Spinale at the meeting after his ordeal.

“He will not miss a paycheck. It was so good to see him here tonight and we look forward to seeing him recovering completely and if he is able to be back on the firefighting force,” said Wojtas.

Spinale’s injury set off some tension between the Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839, the state, town leadership and Chelmsford Fire Department leadership. Spinale is a full-time Chelmsford firefighter, but his injury took place during his duties in his second job at the MFA, where he assists in training other firefighters.

Because of this, the town’s legal counsel advised the Select Board and Town Manager Paul Cohen that the town could not bear the responsibility of paying for injury leave. Spinale did not have such benefits as an MFA employee.

After Spinale spoke, Chelmsford fire union President Robert Albon followed. He expressed appreciation that the board would be endorsing the legislation to assist Spinale, but was also disappointed that the board’s discussion of the issue would take place in executive session. Albon also continued to levy criticism again Cohen and Fire Chief Gary Ryan.

“My concern is that I don’t want the Select Board to be gaslit by certain members of this community, whether it be the town manager or the fire chief,” said Albon. “As we know in the past there have been misrepresentations about the continuous communication that has been brought forward to our local, and I can tell you right now, unequivocally, that is all 100% false. We haven’t been made aware of anything going forward.”

After the executive session and the Select Board’s votes, Cohen, in the final minutes of his final meeting with the Chelmsford Select Board before his departure, responded to the criticisms that have been levied by the union leadership since Spinale’s injury.

“I just want to acknowledge and state for the record the efforts by town officials towards the action tonight as well as the legislation filed by the governor,” said Cohen. “Despite what was reported in the submitted article to the media and the statements that were made in this room, Fire Chief Gary Ryan, myself and our labor counsel, KP Law, worked diligently on this from the onset, discreetly, and did communicate.”

Cohen said the town would “release all the public records that were requested on this matter,” so people could come to their own conclusions.

“But we worked from the onset to address the compensation, because this was all about Nick Spinale, and thank God he survived that fall and thank God he is doing so well in his recovery,” said Cohen. “That has never wavered from our mind, and that is why many times we bit our lip and bit our tongue, because we didn’t want to get derailed by not focusing on that.”

Cohen thanked the legislative delegation representing the town, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the IAFF Local 1839, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts “and all those others who worked for this goal.”

“Given all that has transpired, we are fortunate to have him in this room this evening, and we are fortunate to have the support of the governor, which, again, took some time,” said Cohen.

In a statement to The Sun Tuesday evening, Ryan said it has been “incredibly encouraging to witness the remarkable progress Firefighter Nick Spinale has made in just six weeks.”

“His recovery is truly inspiring and gives us great optimism that he will continue to improve and, in time, return to duty with the Department. It was especially meaningful to see him at the recent Select Board meeting, where he spoke about his Chelmsford roots and expressed gratitude to those who have supported him throughout his recovery,” said Ryan. “The Union and its leadership have been strong advocates for Nick since the day of his injury. As I noted at a prior Select Board meeting, they have remained by his side and have successfully organized several fundraising efforts on his behalf, including a GoFundMe campaign, a blood drive, t-shirt sales, and other initiatives.”

Ryan said despite the union’s advocacy for Spinale, he is disappointed in how Albon has spoken about Cohen and himself.

“From the outset, we have been working diligently to address Nick’s compensation and personnel matters. During our initial discussions with the State, we were asked to maintain confidentiality to allow time to navigate the legal aspects of proposed solutions and language,” said Ryan. “This need for confidentiality was communicated directly to the Union President by both the Town Manager and myself, including in an email dated April 15, in which the Manager explained the sensitivity of the process and requested patience as we worked through it.”

Ryan continued, “While I fully respect the Union’s advocacy for its members, I’m disappointed that these concerns were raised in a disparaging manner by the Union President, particularly when other Union members have been able to advocate strongly on Nick’s behalf without doing so. As this matter continues to move through the legislative process, we remain fully committed to working collaboratively to achieve a positive outcome for Firefighter Spinale.”

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