The Haines Volunteer Fire Department this month will elect a new chief from among two veteran finalists. The victor will inherit ongoing state budget cuts that could impact services and internal fractures over recent controversial personnel moves.
On Dec. 12, the two volunteers – Brian Clay and Darwin Feakes – will face a vote of the department’s approximately 50 members after a mid-November tally did not bring a two-thirds majority for either candidate.
But three new officers were elected: Albert Giddings was elected assistant fire chief, Vince Hansen is the new treasurer and Patty Brown is the new secretary.
All fire department election results must be approved by the Haines Borough manager. The new fire chief, who will earn a $500 monthly stipend, takes office on Jan. 1.
The fire department is still reeling from the sudden firing in February of Jenn Walsh as the department’s firefighter/training officer – a paid position. The dismissal brought anger from many members of the fire and ambulance crews who spoke out in public over the abrupt firing.
Many complained that Walsh was “clear, efficient and thorough” in her job and chastised the borough for not consulting the volunteers before making such a “risky and rash” decision.
Walsh was eventually rehired three months later as an EMT/firefighter, a lower paid-position she held previously. She continued to volunteer for the department in the months between her firing and rehire.
For months after Walsh’s reinstatement, volunteer firefighters continued to voice protest against her treatment by skipping shifts and meetings, firefighters said.
“A lot of people spoke out at assembly meetings and wrote letters,” said volunteer firefighter Al Badgley, who retired as training officer, opening the position for Walsh. “Some sent emails to officers in the fire department.”
Some anger still fumes.
“There’s still some hurt feelings, still some rumbling around with different people,” Badgley said. “People still want to know ‘Why did this happen?’ These are still challenging issues. But one thing I see right now is that a lot of people who supported Jenn are starting to integrate more in training activities and caller responses.”
“So, I believe we’re starting to make some headway. It’s starting to feel like we can work together again,” he said.
Neither Walsh nor Brad Ryan, who served as borough manager at the time, would comment on the situation. Ryan called it a personnel matter.
Clay said the fire department has moved beyond the internal strife. “Maybe some people still have heartburn over it, but I think we’ve moved on from it. We can deal with it.”
He said looming state budget cuts were more of a concern for the entire department: “It’s a little tighter than normal around here.”
Feakes said one of his priorities as chief would be to return order to the volunteers, some of whom he said are still skipping training meetings and service calls.
“If you’re a member of this department, you still have the responsibility to keep up your training and going on calls, even if you’re not happy with the politics,” he said. “If you’re not doing that, you’re not an asset to this department.”
Volunteer firefighter Tracy Wirak agreed fallout from Walsh’s firing lingers. “It hurt a lot of people,” she said. “There was never any explanation provided.”
Wirak said Walsh’s old position as firefighter/training officer remains open. “That’s my biggest thing,” she said. “There’s still no training officer. It’s a huge loss. Now the volunteers have stepped in to train ourselves. But how are we supposed to learn without having an expert staffer train us?”
Several volunteer firefighters interviewed said both Clay and Feakes were qualified for the department’s top job.
Feakes, 55, the current department assistant chief who moved here from Montana in 2011, is a vocational education instructor at the high school. “Kids enjoy his classes,” Badgley said. “Alaskan students aren’t typical. They like to get their hands dirty, do things with cars. He’s directed many to vocation schools who might have otherwise dropped out.”
Clay, 52, is a school board member and current fire captain. “Brian’s been with the department longer but Darwin has the same amount of firefighting experience,” Badgley said. “There’s good points about both and things that are going to be a challenge for both.”
Outgoing chief Greg Palmieri said his job for the short-staffed Haines State Forest left him less time for his firefighting duties. “It’s been a challenge for me this year – more than I’d anticipated when I accepted the [fire department] election results last year,” he said. “I had to be honest with the membership.”
He’s had little time to consider his legacy. “I don’t think I’ve had time to develop one,” he said. “I did the best I could with the situation I was given.”
In recent months, the fire department has attracted some younger volunteers – men and women in their thirties – to join a staff that includes active responders in their sixties. “Inherently, people believe that youth are in better condition than the older guys, but that’s not always true,” said Palmieri.
Former fire department volunteer Mike Borcik said the department has attracted some new volunteers. “The average age is really getting up there,” he said.
Borcik, who left the department about a year ago, said, young or old, being in shape is of critical importance in fighting fires. “Just the idea of throwing on an air pack and crawling into a burning building. If you’re not in shape and don’t train on a regular basis, you’ve got to wonder how valuable you’re going to be.”