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By Editor Becky Watts
The Pike County Commission accepted the resignation of Chief of Pike County Emergency Services Randy Snyder at the past commission meeting on August 26, 2014. Chief Snyder submitted his resignation by a letter dated August 25, 2014.
According to his letter, Chief Snyder’s resignation was to be effective on Monday, September 8, 2014, but County Manager John Hanson recommended accepting his resignation immediately in the August night meeting of the Pike County Board of Commissioners. His recommendation was supported by commissioners who voted 5-0 to accept County Manager Hanson’s recommendation. pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BOC8.26.14.html
History of the Fire Department and Current Chief
There has been a swirl of changes that have occurred over the past several years in the Pike County Fire Department. The county stations have combined. Meansville chose not to join the county fire department. Fire fees have been implemented and then rescinded and the money that had been collected for future fire department needs was absorbed into the general fund for other uses. There have been several changes in personnel as well.
Snyder has served as a Chief Officer in Pike County’s volunteer fire department since September of 2009. He served as the Interim Fire Chief between the firing of Chief Danny Henderson by past County Manager Bill Sawyer in December of 2010 www.pikecountytimes.com/boc09.html
and the appointment of Mike Grant as Chief on March 29, 2011 and was honored by commissioners “For [his] unwavering support of Pike County Emergency Services during a time of transition…” in that 2011 meeting. (www.pikecountytimes.com/cntygov.html Scroll down to the March 29th meeting.) After a two week notice was submitted from Chief Grant on May 7, 2013 (and discussed in the May 8, 2013 meeting (www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BOC5.8.13.html), then Deputy Chief Snyder was once again appointed as acting Chief of Pike County Emergency Services on May 28, 2013. (pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BOC5.28.13.html)Snyder’s Resignation
Chief Snyder’s August 25, 2014 resignation was issued as a memorandum to County Manager Hanson that gave notice of the resignation effective September 8, 2014 because set of complaints concerning personnel matters within the fire department had been given to the county by an anonymous source. According to County Manager Hanson, Chief Snyder had set forth the demand that the source of the complaints be revealed.
County Manager Hanson advised that the commissioner who had been handed the complaints advised the person—who asked to remain anonymous—that commissioners do not handle complaints and immediately gave the information to County Manager Hanson. Hanson said that the commissioner followed protocol and that he, as county manager, immediately made Chief Snyder aware that copies of personnel information that had been given to the county.
“I immediately made the Chief aware that I had received those [personnel complaints], and those were complaints that he was already working on, and he was upset because someone had given those to a commissioner and he asked that I reveal who the commissioner was who received them and who gave them to the commissioner.” Hanson went on to say that the commissioner did not want to reveal the source because that commissioner felt that the Fire Chief and the County Manager would make sure that all of the protocols were followed.
Hanson reiterated that these complaints were being handled by Chief Snyder and not by the county. He also said that there are laws to protect the person who came to the commissioner with this information as well as the commissioner. Snyder disagreed and advised that he wanted the name of the person who had turned over the personnel complaints or he would resign.
Snyder advised in his resignation that his position “has simply become intolerable” and that commissioners do not “trust my counsel in the day-to-day and future operations of my Department” based on a recent incident where “leaked personnel information” was given to the county and the source of the leak was not revealed. Snyder said that this action highlighted “the disregard for policy, protocol, and law” that no other department head would tolerate being placed in this position.
He outlined ongoing problems that he has dealt with as the Fire Chief including a “bare bones” budget that the county now has and the inability to plan for the future since the elimination of fire fees. Snyder pointed out that since the merging of the cities into a county department, there is a need to keep up with wear and tear and breakage of equipment as well as replacement of items that have expiration dates and that cuts in the budget prevent this. ISO ratings and insurance rates were also a topic of concern that he would like to see addressed and said that these needs had not been addressed before now with the interest of the citizens in mind.
(An explanation of ISO ratings can be found by clicking here, but keep in mind that it is an article from 2011 so some of the items contained in it may have changed. The general definitions remain the same and it is a good article to start with for information that needs to be updated and addressed specifically for our county.)
The closing of his resignation asked that the fire department be allowed to plan for its future and said that the Department is at a “precipice, a breaking point.” Snyder asked for consideration of local fire department personnel for the position of Fire Chief, officers and line personnel be included when it comes to selection of the next chief, and asked that the county not bend to pressure to hire a chief with a set salary until the budgetary and equipment needs of the fire department are met. And he asked to be assigned as a firefighter/EMT to one of the stations so he could continue to serve in Pike County and ended by saying, “I appreciate the opportunity to lead, manage, and serve. My hope is that you will see fit to allow me to continue to serve in a lesser position. I am at your service.”
The County’s Response and the Future of the Fire Department
Hanson said Snyder’s resignation surprised commissioners and that he and the Commission had supported Snyder in his position as fire chief. Hanson said that Snyder was dedicated, had put in a lot of years in service, and that this service was appreciated. “I have told Randy and I have told the commissioners on many occasions that I have felt that he was the right man for the job and that he did a very good job for the county.” However, John Hanson advised that Snyder’s request to serve as a firefighter/EMT had been denied at this time because his resignation had been worded so strongly. Hanson said that Snyder has been dedicated, that he appreciated the service that Snyder has given to this county, and said that it was unfortunate that he cannot serve anymore but that the county had to move forward.
“I have met with the fire department, the administration, and the station captains. We are working on a panel to help select an interim chief and the direction of the fire department and forward to the chief,” Hanson said. He advised that the panel has not been named yet, that members will not all be members of the fire department, and the volunteers will not be voting for a chief. The panel will assist the county manager in the decision, he advised, but the chief will be selected by the county manager.
“I need someone who is focused on first response and fire safety and ISO,” he said. “I’m not interested in what everybody wants—I am interested in what is needed. We have got to separate the two and make sure that we are getting the citizens and taxpayers the best use out of their dollar and make sure that we are giving them safety and protection that they need in cases of emergency.”