Scott Williams
The Journal Times, Racine, Wisc.
(TNS)
Aug. 18—WATERFORD — Tension between village leaders and members of the Waterford Fire and Emergency Medical Services departments boiled over during a board meeting Monday night.
Firefighter Patrick Dillon expressed dissatisfaction with village’s management of the department and announced he was quitting.
“This is it,” he said. “I’m done. I’m resigning from this place.”
One of the reasons Dillon cited for his decision was a belief that Village Administrator Zeke Jackson “has destroyed this department.”
Jackson oversaw a restructuring that split the department in two, creating one department for fire protection and another for ambulance services.
In May, after the restructuring, Fire Chief Kevin Hafemann resigned amid budget cuts and staffing shortages that he and others said were leaving the department ill-equipped to handle emergencies.
Firefighter Justin Lemke said the day the restructuring was announced, he collected his gear from the firehouse and walked away heartbroken.
Lemke said that years of progress toward creating a professional department seemed to have gone away and he urged board members to “dig a little deeper” and find out who in the department has the community’s best interests at heart.
“Until that happens,” Lemke said, “I can’t in good conscience say that you guys are providing a professional service to your citizens.”
Jackson’s selection of Thomas Nehring as Emergency Medical Services director also received criticism.
Nehring stepped down last month after the state revoked his paramedic license because he pleaded no contest last year to using duct tape to restrain a child. He had previously served as a captain and assistant chief at the fire department.
Roger Pattie, a longtime EMT, said Nehring’s legal troubles were known long before he was named director.
“Somebody hid that from somebody,” Pattie said.
Neither the board nor Jackson responded to the complaints during the meeting, but the board did approve Kurt Spotz’ appointment as interim ambulance services director.
Village President Don Houston issued a statement afterward that said: “The Village of Waterford has excellent, well-qualified men and women who work for our EMS and fire departments. These are people who care deeply about our community and those who live here.”
Jackson and other Village Board members could not be reached for comment.
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