The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
(TNS)
Two Black Forest Fire Rescue executive staff members currently on leave say they are facing retaliation after bringing claims from firefighters against former chief PJ Langmaid to the protection district's board of directors.
"I'm on leave because I did my job," said training captain Mike Torres, who along with deputy chief Chris Piepenburg remain under investigation by a third-party independent investigator for reasons not publicly released.
The board decided at a meeting on Aug. 21 to cut ties with Langmaid, who was placed on leave at the end of June after a "letter of no confidence" was sent to the board from staff members.
Torres said that he and Piepenburg brought claims of physical assault by Langmaid from employees in the district employing 30 firefighters to the board of directors. The claims, he said, were independent of the letter submitted.
During a set of executive sessions closed to the public in July, the board also decided to place Piepenburg and Torres on leave.
At the August meeting, the board decided to continue the leaves of absences for Torres and Piepenburg during the course of a new investigation by a third-party investigator into their conduct. Supporters of the two men, including their wives, spoke in their favor during the public comment section of the meeting.
In a statement, board president Nate Dowden said the board "cannot comment on any ongoing investigation nor any claims alleged to have been made by Captain Torres and Deputy Chief Piepenburg."
Piepenburg and Torres said their role in bringing allegations of physical assault by Langmaid on employees is the reason they remain on leave.
When asked about any investigation involving Langmaid and Black Forest Fire Rescue, a spokesperson with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed a physical assault investigation existed but was no longer active. No arrests were made.
Neither Piepenburg nor Torres specified the nature of the allegations they received against Langmaid. Piepenburg said that they occurred "over a period of time" involving more than one person.
Both firefighters claim that board members friendly with former chief Langmaid were behind the continuing investigations in retaliation for their reporting.
"We whistle blew, and this is what happened," said Torres.
In a statement, Dowden said that the board of directors has chosen a current CSFD battalion chief, Josh Bartlett, as interim chief. Bartlett was already taking on an operational leadership role with the BFFR along with another CSFD battalion chief.
" Chief Bartlett will continue in this role, consistent with the District Bylaws, until such time as the District identifies and hires a permanent Fire Chief for BFFD," the statement read.
A spokesperson with the CSFD said that the department was assisting under existing mutual aid agreements on an as-needed basis.
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