Disciplinary hearing set for fire chief

Township trustees have leveled 13 administrative charges against the chief.

By MARY GRZEBIENIAK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW SPRINGFIELD — A hearing on administrative disciplinary charges against Springfield Township Fire Chief Brian Hughes has been set for 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

The hearing will follow the regular monthly meeting of township trustees, which takes place at 8 p.m. at the township offices, 3475 E. South Range Road.

Trustees sent Hughes a letter Sept. 22 stating that charges of “misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, misconduct in office and gross neglect of duty” have been brought against him. These charges resulted from completion of an investigation that township resident John Emrich conducted at the request of township trustees.

Hughes could be fired or suspended from his job, depending on the outcome of the hearing. Hughes declined to comment when contacted Monday.

The letter lists 13 charges, most of them concerning an April 25, 2005, fire at a Garfield Road barn owned by township resident Jeff Schultz. That burn resulted in criminal charges against Hughes, which have been pending since February.

The charges

The 13 charges allege that Hughes did the following:

U“Neglected safety rules and/or disregarded common safety practices” in that he endangered the public and volunteer fire and EMS personnel with the April 25, 2005, barn burn.

U“Failed to timely file reports” in that he did not submit a report on the Schultz burn until 2007.

U“Unauthorized use of Township property or equipment” in that he authorized the Schultz burn without first obtaining the required permits and certifications.

U“Willful neglect of duties” in that he did not inspect the building to be burned and failed to obtain required EPA permits and inspection certification for it.

U“Dishonesty” in that he gave a false statement to the police department regarding the Schultz burn and directed that a nonemergency call be made through the 911 system for the Schultz burn.

U“Incurred unnecessary costs or obligations” in that he failed to obtain EPA burn permits resulting in $7,500 fines for the township, a figure later reduced to $4,000.

U“Violated EPA laws” in that he failed to inspect the building to be burned and failed to obtain the required EPA permits and inspection certification for the barn burn.

U“Failed to supervise subordinates” by failing to ensure his subordinates properly inspected the building to be burned.

U“Unnecessarily endangered the public, volunteer fire and other emergency personnel” by failing to inspect or ensure the property was properly inspected before authorizing the Schultz burn and improperly authorizing the use of the 911 system.

U“Unnecessarily endangered adjoining property or buildings” by failing to obtain required permits and certifications before the burn.

U “Interfered with the official duties of a police officer” by nonemergency use of the 911 system, which interrupted normal police services.

U“Failed to cooperate with other fire officials,” namely Chief Bill Opsitnik of New Middletown, resulting in Opsitnik’s filing a complaint in June 2006.

U“Failed to provide training for subordinates” by failing to schedule training for one firefighter in a timely manner.

Hughes was charged in Mahoning County Court on Feb. 8 with a misdemeanor in connection with using the 911 telephone system for a purpose other than obtaining emergency service. He is accused of engineering a fake 911 call to cover up a prearranged barn fire which Beaver Police Chief Carl N. Frost said was actually a controlled burn. Hughes has been township fire chief since 2003.