No-Support Services

To the Editor:

I was Chief Architect of the Fire Department of the City of New York for 18 years and one day I just walked out of my office and retired. It was basically impossible to do my job doing good firestation planning and make the fire station a pleasant home while working since it is basically a living quarters.

The Fire Department always assigned a person to the support services function who knew nothing about the requirements of the firehouses. Requests by me to improve the buildings fell on deaf ears.

You should know that I am the national expert in Fire Station Planning and you can review my Web site for my credentials.

Normally, I was given an 8-percent raise every year for my work. At some point in time, a disgruntled Assistant Chief of Support Services indicated to me that I was making his job too difficult and my yearly raise dropped to a piddling 2 percent for a professional man.

These people were totally unqualified for their assignment, and 98 percent of the time had no idea what I was talking about and did not move forward to approve the required and necessary alterations to the fire stations. There was a concerted effort to do nothing in order to make their job easier.

Clinton Schmitterer (March 7 letter) is absolutely on the mark. How does a man working for the Administration for Children's Services relate to Technology and Support Services? I know what Support Services is all about.

EMMANUEL MESAGNA, RA NCARB, Fire Service Buildings Design Consultant (Formerly Chief Architect FDNY)