by Nathan Boddy
The Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department will undergo a change of leadership following the resignation of long serving Fire Chief, Brad Mohn, on October 11. Mohn had been on administrative leave since last summer following a vote of ‘no confidence’ submitted by members of the Hamilton Volunteer Firefighters Association (HVFA). The Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department is comprised of both the Hamilton City Fire Department, and the Hamilton Rural Fire District, which contracts for firefighting services with the City of Hamilton. The Hamilton City Council employs the fire chief, and management of the rural fire district is done through an elected board of directors.
The HVFA submitted a letter to the Hamilton City Council, Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf, and the Board of Directors of the rural fire district on July 12. That letter was written in order to summarize prior conversations and communications between the HVFA and Mayor Farrenkopf in regards to Mohn. Contained within the eight-page July 12th letter were a detailed set of grievances and allegations against the fire chief, including operational inefficiencies, a decline in morale and welfare, lapses in safety and a lack of communication. The letter closed by asserting that Mohn, “lacked the ability to earn the firefighters’ trust and respect,” and that the elements contained within the letter “support an immediate removal of Chief Mohn from HVFD to alleviate the hostile and retaliatory environment that currently exists at HVFD.”
In response to the letter, the chief was placed on administrative leave, and Mayor Farrenkopf engaged in what he described during the September 3rd City Council meeting as an “exhaustive investigation” into all the allegations contained within the letter. Still, certain members of the HVFA became frustrated with what they perceived as a lack of action.
In an interview with the Bitterroot Star on September 4th, Jeff Burrows, in his role as the President of the HVFA, spoke about the association’s frustration with Chief Mohn and the pace of the investigation. “To be honest,” said Burrows, “I don’t think any of the firefighters thought it would go this long with some of the severity of some of the claims. I guess the firefighters thought that it would be dealt with a little more expediently, and it’s now been, I believe, about six or seven weeks.”
Upon completion of his investigation, Mayor Farrenkopf released a statement saying that, although the results of the investigation did not require Chief Mohn to step down, “for the health and continued success of the Fire Department, Chief Mohn has made the difficult decision to step down as Chief of the Department.” Farrenkopf also noted Mohn’s cooperation during the investigation, as well as his willingness to add to a successful transition to a new chief. The Hamilton City Council, in a closed discussion on October 8, also considered a separation pay and benefits for the outgoing chief, which resulted in 30 weeks of pay and seven months of coverage under COBRA health insurance.
Mayor Farrenkopf told the Bitterroot Star that the city “will be making some strides to continue to keep the fire department operational. The fire fighters have done a wonderful job continuing to provide fire protection to the City and Rural District.”
Assistant Chief, Tyson Woods, has been acting chief during Mohn’s absence, but the mayor says that further meetings will be required to determine what actions are needed to replace Chief Mohn.
According to the Hamilton Rural Fire District Board Chair, Bruce Suenram, starting anew with a different chief is “good for the organization.”
“It’s going to allow it to heal.”
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