Chief: Suspended Firefighters Should Not be Attending Fires

The decided that its Monday meeting was not the correct forum to discuss a resident’s request that one if its members step down, deferring the issue to the as a personnel issue.

Sherry Bednarz-Mosier, of Arch Street, had made the request of Councilman Robert Meier during a previous council meeting, . William Meier, a Butler firefighter, had responded to after being suspended from the fire department on Feb. 27 pending an investigation on charges of burglary, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, receiving stolen property and theft for .

However, Mayor Robert Alviene said Monday that it is not the council’s role or responsibility to judge either the councilman or his son or, furthermore, to dole out any sort of judgmental action.

In fact, Alviene said the conversation was only accommodated into Monday’s meeting to allow the council to read to the public a letter received from Butler Fire Chief Jim Neill. Neill’s letter, read by Councilman Stephen Regis, details the actions taken by the department after William Meier was present at a working fire on Ringwood Avenue on April 9, the Morse Avenue fire and a third fire on May 14. In his statement, Neill stated that letters were sent after the second and third instances reminding the firefighter of his suspension.

“It is unclear as to what [William Meier] tried to do [at the first fire on Ringwood Avenue] as the Butler department was not there,” Neill’s statement read. “No letter was issued as the actions he took were unclear.”

Neill’s letter to the council states that the younger Meier – along with John B. Futcher III, who was also suspended for burglary charges – participated in fighting the second fire but only says he was present at the third fire.

“These gentlemen do not show up at every call but seem to wind up in the mix when they do,” the statement continued.

Following the reading of the statement, Bednarz-Mosier said she had concerns. One was that she felt Robert Meier had not worn his “father hat or his councilman hat” by being at the scene of the Morse Avenue fire and not telling his son to leave.

Regis clarified that no other firefighter present at the scene told the younger Meier to leave. Furthermore, Borough Attorney Chris Woods said the board does not have any authority to take any action against the councilman.

“There is a means by which, if you have an issue, you vote,” Woods said. “There’s nothing this board can do. No action can be taken against a council person, which you are trying to have done,” Woods said.

Borough Administrator James Lampmann stressed that this is a personnel issue, stating that a volunteer firefighter is no different from an employee in this regard.

“When I reprimand an employee here, that is not done in an open public session where the public gets to comment,” Lampmann said. “That’s an employee-employer disciplinary action that occurs.”

Any additional actions to be taken, he said, lie first with the fire chief.

Bednarz-Mosier’s other concern was that the younger Meier’s presence at the fire had made him a liability to the borough if he had caused damage or been injured. Lampmann explained that suspended volunteers are still insured. Alviene said they would look into the insurance policy to determine the status of insurance once a termination occurs.