Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
(TNS)
Feb. 1—After several Monroe volunteer firefighters resigned from their posts at the Monroe Rural Fire Protection District, an outside investigation will look into the allegations against the fire chief.
Earlier this week, Mid-Valley Media reported that nearly half of Monroe's volunteer firefighters resigned in solidarity after a firefighter was terminated, allegedly in retaliation for filing a complaint against the chief.
A Jan. 29 tort claim notice sent to the district's board of directors and chief describes battery, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, whistleblowing retaliation and wrongful termination.
After learning of the termination, involving one of only three paid positions at the district, five volunteer firefighters resigned and signed a letter sent to the Board of Directors indicating they had no confidence in fire Chief Chris Barnes' leadership.
The letter urged board members to place Barnes on administrative leave and hire an independent entity to investigate his actions. If those actions were taken, the five volunteers said they would seek immediate reinstatement.
On Monday Jan. 29 the board held an executive session closed to the public. A Mid-Valley Media reporter attended the meeting, however journalists are barred from reporting what was said.
On Thursday, Feb. 1, a public meeting was held to "review, discuss and vote to determine a need for an investigation."
The meeting would be quick, and the board would not be taking questions, board President Tim Eastridge announced.
"I've done some investigating to get people lined up. And so the last person I've talked to is (with) the Special Districts Association of Oregon, and I'll have some continuing meetings with them," Eastridge said.
The board unanimously passed a motion to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations against Barnes, under counsel from the Special Districts Association of Oregon and legal counsel for the fire district.
Immediately after that motion passed, another motion was made to adjourn the meeting, which also passed unanimously.
"It's a small step in the right direction, but it still leaves Barnes in charge of the district, which is the crux of the issue," said Kevin Krallman, one of the volunteer firefighters who resigned and signed the letter of no confidence in Barnes' leadership.
Until Barnes is removed, Krallman said he does not foresee the resigned volunteers returning.
Monroe Rural Fire Protection District has relied upon volunteers since its conception. Before the termination and resignations, there were 14 firefighters, three of whom were paid employees. The rest were volunteers.
The fire district covers the city of Monroe as well as the communities of Bellfountain, Alpine, and Irish Bend and Alsea Falls.
The resigned volunteers are concerned that Monroe and surrounding Benton County residents could suffer for Barnes's actions, because many of the volunteers that resigned were the ones often responding to calls.
However, Barnes made a previous statement that attendance among remaining volunteers since has increased.
Barnes could not be reached before this article was published.
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