Panel upholds suspension of fire chief over call

SALEM -- The city's civil service commission has unanimously upheld a three-day suspension of Fire Chief Walter Greenamyer.
Scott Cranmer, the city's safety director who imposed the suspension, announced the finding Wednesday. He could not be reached to comment.
Greenamyer was also unavailable to comment.
The chief has served the suspension but appealed it to the commission to recover his lost pay for the three days.
The suspension came after firefighters did not respond to a June 17 fire at a pole barn at 1648 N. Lincoln Ave. The property had been in Perry Township but was annexed to the city in 2005. Perry Township firefighters eventually responded to the blaze.
Cranmer told the commission last week that city zoning officer Patrick Morrissey said he had notified various city departments of the annexation. Cranmer said he could not confirm that. Morrissey didn't testify.
City police and firemen testified that on the night of the fire, the maps in both of their departments did not reflect the annexation.
Ruling
The commission ruled that Greenamyer "had in his possession sufficient documentation regarding the Bricker Farm annexation, and should have propagated that information to his department accordingly."
James Hughes, a firefighter who was in charge on the night of the blaze, is appealing his one-day suspension for not responding.