Scioto Valley Fire Chief Paul Kerr resigns
After being placed on a 30-day paid suspension by the Scioto Valley Fire Board, fire chief Paul Kerr has resigned from his position.
The resignation agreement was sent to the Scioto Valley Fire District Board on Tuesday morning where the board, Kerr and his attorney Porter Welch agreed to the contact, according to the document obtained by the Marion Star.
Kerr's official resignation day was Sept. 17 and he was given an extra day to retrieve his personal belongings at the fire house. Through his resignation, Kerr was also paid a lump sum of $10,000 for accumulated vacation leave on the day of his resignation. Phil Winslow, president of the Scioto Valley Fire Board, said this check should be sent to Kerr sometime on Tuesday.
Now, Winslow said the department is beginning the process of finding a new chief. Winslow noted this process could take months as the Fire Board plans to review its hiring policies and update the required qualifications for the position. In the meantime, Scioto Valley Lt. Josh Harper will assume the role as interim chief of the department.
The Marion Star reached out to Welch for comment on Tuesday morning, but he was not available before publishing this article.
Doris Corbin, who's brother John Bailey II, 55, died in the fire, said she felt relief when she heard the news of the resignation.
While she acknowledge her brother couldn't have been saved even with Scioto Valley's assistance, she also believes firefighters should put their differences aside when it comes to emergencies. She's hopeful that the pain she experienced throughout the months leading up to the resignation caused changes in local departments so this doesn't happen again.
A timeline of events
This resignation comes many months after a rift between Kerr and New Vision Fire and Rescue came to light after a house fire early in the morning on Easter on Seiter Road.
According to 911 audio obtained by the Star, Kerr twice refused dispatcher's request for assistance on the fire. During these calls from dispatchers, Kerr appears to laugh at one of the requests and added Scioto Valley has no mutual aid with “No Vision.”
Previously, Kerr told the Star this decision was made because he questioned the certifications and overall safety of New Vision's equipment and personnel
which led to an unwritten policy being created where Scioto Valley would not go on calls with New Vision. Additionally, he said if Scioto Valley would've responded, it could've left a gap for coverage in the county as numerous fire departments were already on scene.
Because of the rift, the Scioto Valley Fire Board hired Marion attorney David Stomalis to conduct an investigation into the incident. After three months of interviews with involved parties, Stomalis
reported the Scioto Valley Fire Board was not aware that firefighters were instructed to not respond to fires in New Vision's territory.
Further in Stomalis's report, he stated Marion Township Fire Department was the first on-scene for the fire and assumed command of the emergency. Per the report, Ben Bowdre of MTFD was the firefighter who put in the requests for a tanker and EMS from Scioto Valley which meant mutual aid was with MTFD, not New Vision Fire and Rescue.
“While I understand his concerns with New Vision regarding their funding, training of firefighters and the certifications of their equipment this fire was not under the command of New Vision, but Marion Township,” Stamolis wrote in his report. “Scioto Valley does have mutual aid with Marion Township.”
This led to Kerr being placed on a 30day paid suspension from the department so Porter Welch, Kerr's attorney, could continue collecting records. Stomalis also noted in his report that the Scioto Valley Fire Board did have the authority to fire Kerr from his position. On Tuesday morning, Winslow said the board had not yet reached a final decision before Kerr submitted his resignation.
Story by Mitch Hooper | (740)-2449935 | bhooper@gannett.com | @_MH16 on Twitter