By Scott Williams
The Journal Times
WATERFORD, Wis. 鈥� Tension between village leaders and members of the Waterford Fire and Emergency Medical Services departments boiled over during a board meeting Monday night.
Firefighter Patrick Dillon expressed dissatisfaction with the village鈥檚 management of the department and announced he was quitting.
鈥淭his is it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 done. I鈥檓 resigning from this place.鈥�
One of the reasons Dillon cited for his decision was a belief that Village Administrator Zeke Jackson 鈥渉as destroyed this department.鈥�
Jackson oversaw a restructuring that split the department in two, creating one department for fire protection and another for ambulance services.
In May, after the restructuring, Fire Chief Kevin Hafemann resigned amid budget cuts and staffing shortages that he and others said were leaving the department ill-equipped to handle emergencies.
Firefighter Justin Lemke said the day the restructuring was announced, he collected his gear from the firehouse and walked away heartbroken.
Lemke said that years of progress toward creating a professional department seemed to have gone away and he urged board members to 鈥渄ig a little deeper鈥� and find out who in the department has the community鈥檚 best interests at heart.
鈥淯ntil that happens,鈥� Lemke said, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 in good conscience say that you guys are providing a professional service to your citizens.鈥�
Jackson鈥檚 selection of Thomas Nehring as Emergency Medical Services director also received criticism.
Nehring stepped down last month after the state revoked his paramedic license because he pleaded no contest last year to using duct tape to restrain a child. He had previously served as a captain and assistant chief at the fire department.
Roger Pattie , a longtime EMT, said Nehring鈥檚 legal troubles were known long before he was named director.
鈥淪omebody hid that from somebody,鈥� Pattie said.
Neither the board nor Jackson responded to the complaints during the meeting, but the board did approve Kurt Spotz ' appointment as interim ambulance services director.
Village President Don Houston issued a statement afterward that said: 鈥淭he Village of Waterford has excellent, well-qualified men and women who work for our EMS and fire departments. These are people who care deeply about our community and those who live here.鈥�
Jackson and other Village Board members could not be reached for comment.
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