Tempers cooled in March after flaring in February over the reinstatement of Jack Rauer as the Peyton Fire Protection District’s first full-time paid fire chief.The reinstatement sparked the resignation of at least 12 volunteer firefighters who alleged some of Rauer’s actions had jeopardized their safety – allegations Rauer called “fabricated, misleading or exaggerated.”In March, the board solved the dispute by voting to split the fire chief’s duties into two positions:
- a paid administrative position that Rauer will hold through May 31; on June 1, the administrative position will be volunteer
- an unpaid volunteer operations position that Capt. Sharon Brown, the district’s ranking officer and a 26-year volunteer, will hold until another operations chief is selected
The board’s president, Leon Gomes, said he did not know if Rauer, who volunteered for the district for six years before he became a paid fire chief, will resign early.Nor did Gomes know how much administrative work – mostly financial in nature – Rauer will be doing. “We kind of pulled that away when we realized we handed him too much,” he said.Gomes said the board’s treasurer will do more of the district’s financial work. The district could also rely more on the services of its bookkeeper and help from community members.The board also plans to change the way the operations chief, who is now in charge of the district’s volunteer firefighters, is chosen.In 2005, board members decided they would choose the fire chief; until then, the firefighters chose the chief from among their ranks, Gomes said.During the 25 years when firefighters made the choice, there were two fire chiefs – one for 15 years and one for 10 years. Since 2005, there have been six fire chiefs in six years, he said.”I would like the board to return the decision of selecting the (operations) chief to the firefighters,” Gomes said. “It worked before, and I believe it will work again.”He said the idea is not a step backward.”We’re looking back and making different decisions based on what has worked and what is not working. Let’s do what works,” Gomes said.Board members Jim Fraas and Pat Palacio will work with two or three firefighters to write a new policy that would give firefighters the ability to choose their chief.Rauer presented the applications of two new volunteer firefighters he and Brown had already interviewed, and the board approved them.Gomes said the firefighters who resigned can return to the district by submitting a letter of interest to the board.At least one firefighter submitted his letter on the spot. “I want in,” he said.The board’s decisions satisfied Peyton resident Lynn Van Sickler, who had begun to organize a campaign to recall board members.”We are going to try to work with the board and firefighters and make positive improvements for the community,” Van Sickler said.She thanked the firefighters for standing up for what they believe in.”I am so glad to have you guys back. I’m so thankful for the ones that stayed,” she said.Ann Barrett offered to help the district in any way possible.”I’m part of this community and if you need anything, I want to know,” Barrett said. “I am a resource you have, and I’m very proud of everyone in resolving this issue.”Fraas said, despite the turmoil, the experience has been positive. He noted the community involvement as a positive outcome of the situation.
It was dËj· vu all over againFormer board member Alice Levering said when she attended her first board meeting in 2005, the situation was similar to today – the community was after the board, Brown (who was chief at the time) and her assistant, Carol Hale.”I couldn’t figure out what these gals had done that the community is out to hang them. If there was a problem in the middle of the night, there were always (three) people you could count on: Sharon, Carol and Jack (Rauer).”I want to see Sharon protected. I don’t want to see her treated like she was then or the way Jack has been treated now,” Levering said.Fraas said the board will protect Brown.”She’s got to be protected from all sides. As a board member, I’m going to be here quite a bit. … If we have to call a special meeting to fire somebody because of (undermining Brown), I won’t hesitate,” he said.”Sharon has been faithful to this community for many, many years, and there have been many times she’s been treated worse than dirt,” Levering said. “I don’t like the idea of that happening to her again.”Gomes agreed.”The board’s commitment is that the complaint procedure will need to be followed,” Gomes said. “It was put in place to protect. Granted, we have digressed from it in some cases.””I think the board is out to protect Sharon,” Fraas said. “She’s dedicated and she’s got an experience level that a lot of people around here cannot duplicate.”
