Norwood Firefighters Union Doubles Down On Stance Against Chief

NORWOOD, MA — The Norwood firefighters union and town officials are at odds on their confidence in Norwood Fire Chief George Morrice.

The Norwood firefighters union, Local 1631 of the International Association of Firefighters, voted that it had "no confidence" in Fire Chief George Morrice's leadership. After the results of the internal vote were published on the union's Facebook page, Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco and Board of Selectmen Chair William Plasko authored a statement standing by Chief Morrice, and claimed several statements made by the firefighters union were untrue.

The back and forth exchange between the firefighters union and town officials has been ongoing since last week. The union criticized Morrice's leadership and protocol for the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming firefighters had to share breathing apparatus' and that firefighters were not told about a virus outbreak within the department. The union also claimed that the chief and town did not follow through on recommendations made by an outside agency that studied morale within the Norwood Fire Department.

The town refuted the claims that Morrice was not doing enough to ensure firefighters' health and safety during the pandemic, saying his procedures have limited potential virus spread. The town also claimed that recommendations following the study were followed and that weekly meetings between Morrice and the union were underway until union leaders stopped attending.

The town's full statement is below:

The firefighters union's full statement is below: