Darien fire department handling problems itself
DARIEN — Village President Bob Metzner and Town Chairman Cecil Logterman can’t seem to agree if the Darien Fire Department has enough firefighters to keep the community safe since at least five firefighters resigned.
Metzner said the safety of the village and the town is in danger and something needs to be done to resolve the department’s concerns with First Assistant Chief Dan Boss. Metzner said the firefighters who resigned told him they are concerned Boss has repeatedly overstepped his authority.
“I’m not going to let this drop,” he said.
The Janesville Gazette was not able to reach Boss for a comment.
Logterman said it’s not up to the village or the town to resolve a fire department matter.
“They need to resolve it within themselves,” he said.
Metzner, Logterman, Fire Chief Dan Nickels, Emergency Medical Services Chief Nellie Fox and attorneys for the municipalities met Tuesday night to discuss the problem.
The chiefs assured the municipalities that despite the five resignations, the fire department has enough staff, Logterman said.
“The protection is at a level that both the fire chief and the EMS chief are comfortable with,” he said.
Still on staff are 21 paid, on-call volunteer firefighters.
But Metzner said more firefighters could resign if the concerns with Boss aren’t resolved.
“You can’t just slough that off,” he said.
According to a letter written by former First Assistant Chief Don Iverson and obtained by The Janesville Gazette:
The Darien Fire Department on July 29 responded to a gas main that had been cut on Madison Street. Boss radioed for all units to stop what they were doing until he could get to the scene. He said was eight minutes away.
“I myself do not feel he has the proper training or knowledge of how to handle this type of situation,” Iverson wrote.
Iverson, who said he listened to the call on his police scanner, wrote that the fire department has had “many issues” with Boss.
Iverson wrote that the camaraderie within the department “used to be great before Mr. Boss started, and I strongly feel that the dedication and brotherhood would come back without him.”
Logterman said the fire department is looking into the matter.
Metzner said Nickels and Fox are working on a solution, and the group will meet in about a month to discuss how things are going, he said.
Aug 17, 2008 at 11:26 a.m.
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Not bitter--Just trying to figure out what's going on.
Everyone just tap dances around but no one is willing to come out & say what's going on.
Aug 16, 2008 at 4:12 p.m.
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one943 seems to me that you need to talk to Dan one on one, maybe that way, you can move on, seems to me that you are just a little bitter
Aug 16, 2008 at 4:06 p.m.
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hey, at least when Dan is there, and telling everyone what to do, and where to be, things are getting done, Everyone listens to him,
it is better than watching 5 guys standing around looking at the one hole to be dug.
Aug 14, 2008 at 9:03 a.m.
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JaneDoe
There are really three sides to every story. Yours mine and the truth.
,
,
A lot of posters here are saying there are problems with Boss but no one says what they are. Lets hear what they are. Maybe it's time to put up or shut up
Aug 14, 2008 at 8:40 a.m.
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Please101,
Exactly, what IS he doing wrong? How do YOU know what the rules and regulations are on the fire department? There are always two sides to every story.
Aug 14, 2008 at 8:19 a.m.
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In this case I agree with Metzner not to let this drop. In the past when the issue has been brought to Logterman, nothing was done. Over the past year or more alot of breath has been wasted trying to get the member at hand to understand that the things he has done are wrong. I think that bringing it out into the open may be the only way to get the issue resolved.
Aug 14, 2008 at 8:09 a.m.
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As I read the two articles and comments about the recent events within the Darien Fire Department I am somewhat concerned and confused. It seems to me that the governing bodies (the people that were elected to represent the citizens of both the Village and Township of Darien) are washing their hands of the problems of the fIre department. I ask myself, "How can this be"? "Are the elected officials not concerned with the safety of the citizens"? Another issue that seems unclear to me is who in the Village or Township oversees the fIre department. I would think that they both would have a vested interest in that organization, because of monetary reasons and public safety. It almost seems as if the involved parties view the fire department as a nice club to belong to, rather than an organization that provides a valuable service to the community. It has also been written that the First Assistant Chief has over stepped his authority. My questions regarding this are, "Who grants his authority, and is there not a Chief ahead of the First Assistant Chief that could resolve these problems and issues prior to having them exposed to the media"? Secondly, "In what ways does the membership perceive he has over stepped his authority"? Has he tried to make changes to provide better service, has he tried to maintain facilities and equipment better, has he tried to implement changes that make responders safer, if so these are things that sound like a Chief Officer of a fIre department should be concerned with and try to use his authority to change.
Aug 14, 2008 at 7:18 a.m.
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Nellie Fox?
Sounds like somebody is from Chicago.
Aug 13, 2008 at 10:08 p.m.
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I think Dan Boss is doing the right things. The Department needs someone to take control. Everyone else is to afraid to say anything to ANYONE. As for having the proper training, he may have a little more than you know.
Aug 13, 2008 at 7:18 p.m.
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"How does someone that everyone hates, who has ruined the FD and doesn't know what they are doing
become First Assistant Chief?"
.
Perhaps the same way someone becomes Bush's VP.
Aug 13, 2008 at 3:47 p.m.
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So tell me.
How does someone that everyone hates, who has ruined the FD and doesn't know what they are doing
become First Assistant Chief? That sounds
like a better job than Fourth Assistant Broom Pusher
Aug 13, 2008 at 2:10 p.m.
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A little bit like being your own attorney...
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