Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
In my line of work, I see a lot of fire chiefs who are under attack. The attacks come in a variety of forms (grievances, law suits, ethics complaints, no-confidence votes) and for a variety of reasons (including some self-inflicted wounds by the chief). Usually part of the problem is disgruntled firefighters. The rest of the time, disgruntled firefighters are the entire problem. So when I hear about a case where a fire chief is under attack – and the firefighters actually have the fire chief’s back – it is truly noteworthy.
In South Carolina, the Holly Springs Fire-Rescue District has been a tense place to serve since June 16, 2010 when the Fire Commissioners, citing budgetary constraints, gave Fire Chief Lee Jeffcoat an ultimatum: accept a 50% salary cut or resign.
Chief Jeffcoat refused the offer and was terminated by the fire board. Jeffcoat received his termination letter on June 17, 2010.
The firefighters immediately stood united behind the chief and decided to resign en masse but later abandoned the idea out of a concern for the citizens. At a public hearing on June 18, hundreds of citizens also expressed their concerns about the termination of the fire chief. Some feel the board has a vendetta against the chief. Read more about it here.
Following the termination, Chief Jeffcoat filed suit claiming the fire board violated the state’s open meeting requirements at the meeting in which he was terminated. A Spartanburg judge agreed and since that time the board offered the chief a severance package contingent on him dropping his lawsuit. Read more.
Chief Jeffcoat rejected that offer and is now pursuing a whistle-blower action against the board alleging that he was terminated as retaliation for speaking out against holding meetings without adequate public notice.
The supporters of Chief Jeffcoat have also taken their concerns to the Spartanburg County Legislative Delegation. Unlike fire districts in most jurisdictions where board members are elected by the public, the county legislative delegation appoints members to boards of special purpose districts like Holly Springs Fire-Rescue District. The group is seeking to ensure in the future that board members are elected not appointed.
