A Vermont town has temporarily dissolved its fire department, citing years of mismanagement.
Albany's select board recently voted to let go of dozens of volunteer firefighters in an effort to restructure the department, WCAX-TV reports. The move came as a surprise to now-former Chief Jeanne Peters.
"I feel very blindsided," she told WCAX. "I feel left in the dark on that."
Peters admitted that the department had faced challenges over the years, but when she was named chief, she was told that those previous issues would be left in the past. Officials, however, failed to outline expectations for her and the department.
"As far as firefighting, they were doing OK," select board member Phillip Beaudry told WCAX. "Administratively, it was a disaster."
Peters said town officials had wanted more regular training for firefighters, something she said had been happening. Overall, the department had been primarily responding to vehicle accidents, as well as providing mutual aid for other nearby departments, she added.
Past mismanagement had led to firefighters quitting over the years, according to Beaudry. Those firefighters, along with the firefighters who were let go when the department was disbanded, will be allowed to reapply for those positions, he added.
"We have been trying to solve a lot of the problems," Beaudry told WCAX. "The divide kept getting wider and wider, and we felt it was time to shut them down and restaff it."
No details were given concerning what a reimagined Albany Fire Department would look like. Although no timeline has been set up, officials hope to have the new department fully staffed and operational by next week, according to WCAX.
