SALEM LAKES, Wis. — The internal situation inside the Salem Lakes Fire Department has escalated, with a second high-ranking official now placed on leave as an ongoing investigation continues behind closed doors.
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WADSWORTH, Ill. — An off-duty Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with quick thinking that may have prevented a devastating house fire from turning deadly early Saturday morning in Wadsworth, Illinois. According to a report published by Lake and McHenry County Scanner, the fire broke out around 1:40 a.m. in the 39000 block of Mauser Drive. Authorities said the off-duty deputy spotted
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants opened its doors to guests at its new Pleasant Prairie location this weekend, bringing the Downers Grove, Ill.-based lifestyle brand to its fourth Wisconsin outpost and giving southeastern Wisconsin a dining destination unlike anything else in the area. Founded in 2005 by CEO Tim McEnery, Cooper’s Hawk has grown into one of the largest wineries in the United
KENOSHA, Wis. — Thick black smoke billowed into the sky Friday afternoon as the Kenosha Fire Department intentionally set fire to a vacant city-owned home on 57th Street during a large-scale live burn training exercise designed to prepare firefighters for real-world emergencies.
SILVER LAKE, Wis. — Between sets Saturday night at Bender’s Bar and Grill, the crowd paused the music to honor a local man whose split-second actions likely saved a young woman’s life during a fiery head-on crash that occurred May 2 in Wheatland. State Rep. Amanda Nedweski presented 57-year-old Bristol
Paul A. Grasty, 39, of Kenosha(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office) MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Kenosha man who pleaded guilty the morning his jury trial was scheduled to begin in a felony child solicitation case was sentenced Friday to three years in prison by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michelle A. Havas.
Michele T. Garreau, 45, of Lake Geneva(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A 45-year-old Lake Geneva woman is accused of stealing more than $132,000 from a Salem Lakes-based ATM and gaming business over a period of several years, allegedly using much of the money to fuel what she
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha Unified School District wrapped up its weeklong Recognition Week on Friday by celebrating employees and community members who district leaders say go above and beyond for students every day. The district honored its 2026 Spark Award winners — staff members recognized for exceptional dedication, leadership and
Tegan S. Cox, 19, of Burlington (facebook.com)Scene Photo by Gale Nevala WHEATLAND, Wis. — A 19-year-old Genoa City woman accused of causing a fiery head-on crash while intoxicated that critically injured two sisters was ordered held Friday on $50,000 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II
WADSWORTH, Ill. — An off-duty Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with quick thinking that may have prevented a devastating house fire from turning deadly early Saturday morning in Wadsworth, Illinois. According to a report published by Lake and McHenry County Scanner, the fire broke out around 1:40 a.m. in the 39000 block of Mauser Drive. Authorities said the off-duty deputy spotted
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants opened its doors to guests at its new Pleasant Prairie location this weekend, bringing the Downers Grove, Ill.-based lifestyle brand to its fourth Wisconsin outpost and giving southeastern Wisconsin a dining destination unlike anything else in the area. Founded in 2005 by CEO Tim McEnery, Cooper’s Hawk has grown into one of the largest wineries in the United
KENOSHA, Wis. — Thick black smoke billowed into the sky Friday afternoon as the Kenosha Fire Department intentionally set fire to a vacant city-owned home on 57th Street during a large-scale live burn training exercise designed to prepare firefighters for real-world emergencies.
SILVER LAKE, Wis. — Between sets Saturday night at Bender’s Bar and Grill, the crowd paused the music to honor a local man whose split-second actions likely saved a young woman’s life during a fiery head-on crash that occurred May 2 in Wheatland. State Rep. Amanda Nedweski presented 57-year-old Bristol resident Tom Nevala with a Wisconsin state citation and an American flag that
Paul A. Grasty, 39, of Kenosha(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office) MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Kenosha man who pleaded guilty the morning his jury trial was scheduled to begin in a felony child solicitation case was sentenced Friday to three years in prison by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michelle A. Havas. Paul A. Grasty, 39, of Kenosha(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office) (File Photo by Kevin
Michele T. Garreau, 45, of Lake Geneva(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A 45-year-old Lake Geneva woman is accused of stealing more than $132,000 from a Salem Lakes-based ATM and gaming business over a period of several years, allegedly using much of the money to fuel what she described to investigators as a near-daily gambling addiction. Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha Unified School District wrapped up its weeklong Recognition Week on Friday by celebrating employees and community members who district leaders say go above and beyond for students every day. The district honored its 2026 Spark Award winners — staff members recognized for exceptional dedication, leadership and service — along with this year’s “Friends in Education,” individuals and organizations praised
Tegan S. Cox, 19, of Burlington (facebook.com)Scene Photo by Gale Nevala WHEATLAND, Wis. — A 19-year-old Genoa City woman accused of causing a fiery head-on crash while intoxicated that critically injured two sisters was ordered held Friday on $50,000 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors initially sought $250,000 cash bail earlier in the case. The violent
Joseph D. Plewka, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 29-year-old Kenosha man is accused of pulling a large knife on a neighbor during an argument over belongings left on a shared porch, leading to a physical fight that spilled into an apartment, according to newly filed felony charges. Joseph D. Plewka, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must
Nicholas S. Ocana, 38, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 38-year-old Kenosha man accused of choking his brother during a violent drunken disturbance inside a family home was ordered held Friday on a $3,500 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II. Nicholas S. Ocana, 38, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to
WILMOT, Wis. — The Riverport Chorus of Sweet Adelines International has once again earned top audience recognition at a regional a cappella competition, taking home the 2026 Audience Choice Bravo Award during the Region 3 Midwest Harmony Competition & Convention held earlier this month in Milwaukee. The Wilmot-based chorus received the award for the second consecutive year following its Open Division performance at
Ascencion D. Obregon, 44, of Salem(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) BRISTOL, Wis. — Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II set a $2,000 cash bond Friday for Ascencion D. Obregon, a 44-year-old Salem man accused of terrorizing his longtime girlfriend during what prosecutors describe as a two-day domestic violence incident involving threats to kill her, false imprisonment, and a knife. Prosecutors had asked
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Kenosha County officials and leaders from the United Way of Kenosha County recently celebrated the opening of a new early childhood education feature at Fox River Park aimed at helping young children learn through play. The new “Born Learning Trail” was unveiled during a May 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Area 1 on the south end of the park, alongside
Amir Lasean Bell, 28, of Milwaukee(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Milwaukee man accused of stealing nearly $5,000 from a Kenosha financial services business was ordered held Friday on a $1,000 cash bond by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors alleged he loaded company money onto his own card while working as an employee. Amir Lasean Bell,
Kelsey E. Nottingham, 33, of Pleasant Prairie(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 33-year-old Pleasant Prairie woman accused of driving drunk in a vehicle reported stolen by her ex-boyfriend was ordered held Friday on $5,000 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors charged her with OWI 4th offense and other crimes stemming from a late-night disturbance
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Judge Jason A. Rossell on Wednesday sentenced 44-year-old Kenosha man Jeremy D. Kipp to just 180 days of work release for felony OWI 4th offense, a sentence critics would say underscores how lightly the Kenosha County judiciary continues to treat repeat drunk-driving offenders — even those facing felony-level charges that many states punish far more severely. Kenosha County Circuit
Teniesha L. Patton, of Zion, Illinois(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 34-year-old Illinois woman accused in a long-running Kenosha County OWI 3rd case was finally brought back before the court Friday after authorities arrested her on an outstanding warrant that had been hanging over her head for nearly two years. Teniesha L. Patton, of Zion, Illinois(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must
KENOSHA, Wis. — Criminal charges against a Kenosha therapist accused of repeatedly violating a harassment injunction were dismissed Friday by a Racine County judge on a technicality — but the Kenosha County District Attorney says he intends to refile the case. Niccolai’s OWI case, 5-count Misdemeanor case involving criminal Defamation, Computer Message-Threaten/Obscenity, Disorderly Conduct, two counts of Bail Jumping, and civil defamation suit
Tegan S. Cox, 19, of Burlington (facebook.com)Scene Photo by Gale Nevala WHEATLAND, Wis. — A 19-year-old Burlington woman is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after authorities say she crossed the center line on Highway 83 Saturday morning, causing a devastating head-on crash that critically injured two sisters and led to a dramatic rescue from a burning vehicle. The suspect, Tegan S. Cox, 19,
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Residents in Salem Lakes will have an opportunity later this month to learn more about Tax Incremental Districts, commonly known as TIDs, during a public presentation hosted by village officials. The Village of Salem Lakes announced that it will hold a TID presentation on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Village Hall, located at 9814 Antioch Road.
Jose Eduardo Contento-Macas, 23, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 23-year-old Kenosha man is being held on $75,000 cash bail after prosecutors accused him of possessing child pornography following an investigation by the Kenosha Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. Jose Eduardo Contento-Macas, 23, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of
Skyler T. Whittaker, 23, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 23-year-old Kenosha man on active parole is facing multiple felony charges after Kenosha police say they watched him repeatedly attempt to avoid officers before allegedly throwing a backpack containing a loaded handgun and marijuana onto a porch in a high-crime neighborhood on the city’s north side. Court Commissioner William “Bargain
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha Unified School District continued its Recognition Week celebration Thursday by recognizing employees who have dedicated decades of service to students, families and the Kenosha community. The district’s annual recognition effort honors staff members who have reached milestone anniversaries with KUSD, celebrating careers that in some cases have spanned an entire generation of students. Thursday’s honorees include employees reaching 35
Alison Lorraine Creedon, 31, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 31-year-old Kenosha woman is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after police say she became intoxicated, struck her husband, grabbed a handgun, and pointed it at her own head while the couple’s 5-month-old child was nearby. Alison Lorraine Creedon, 31, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view
WADSWORTH, Ill. — An off-duty Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with quick thinking that may have prevented a devastating house fire from turning deadly early Saturday morning in Wadsworth, Illinois. According to a report published by Lake and McHenry County Scanner, the fire broke out around 1:40 a.m. in the 39000 block of Mauser Drive. Authorities said the off-duty deputy spotted
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants opened its doors to guests at its new Pleasant Prairie location this weekend, bringing the Downers Grove, Ill.-based lifestyle brand to its fourth Wisconsin outpost and giving southeastern Wisconsin a dining destination unlike anything else in the area. Founded in 2005 by CEO Tim McEnery, Cooper’s Hawk has grown into one of the largest wineries in the United
KENOSHA, Wis. — Thick black smoke billowed into the sky Friday afternoon as the Kenosha Fire Department intentionally set fire to a vacant city-owned home on 57th Street during a large-scale live burn training exercise designed to prepare firefighters for real-world emergencies.
SILVER LAKE, Wis. — Between sets Saturday night at Bender’s Bar and Grill, the crowd paused the music to honor a local man whose split-second actions likely saved a young woman’s life during a fiery head-on crash that occurred May 2 in Wheatland. State Rep. Amanda Nedweski presented 57-year-old Bristol resident Tom Nevala with a Wisconsin state citation and an American flag that
Paul A. Grasty, 39, of Kenosha(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office) MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Kenosha man who pleaded guilty the morning his jury trial was scheduled to begin in a felony child solicitation case was sentenced Friday to three years in prison by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michelle A. Havas. Paul A. Grasty, 39, of Kenosha(Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office) (File Photo by Kevin
Michele T. Garreau, 45, of Lake Geneva(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A 45-year-old Lake Geneva woman is accused of stealing more than $132,000 from a Salem Lakes-based ATM and gaming business over a period of several years, allegedly using much of the money to fuel what she described to investigators as a near-daily gambling addiction. Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha Unified School District wrapped up its weeklong Recognition Week on Friday by celebrating employees and community members who district leaders say go above and beyond for students every day. The district honored its 2026 Spark Award winners — staff members recognized for exceptional dedication, leadership and service — along with this year’s “Friends in Education,” individuals and organizations praised
Tegan S. Cox, 19, of Burlington (facebook.com)Scene Photo by Gale Nevala WHEATLAND, Wis. — A 19-year-old Genoa City woman accused of causing a fiery head-on crash while intoxicated that critically injured two sisters was ordered held Friday on $50,000 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors initially sought $250,000 cash bail earlier in the case. The violent
Joseph D. Plewka, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 29-year-old Kenosha man is accused of pulling a large knife on a neighbor during an argument over belongings left on a shared porch, leading to a physical fight that spilled into an apartment, according to newly filed felony charges. Joseph D. Plewka, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must
Nicholas S. Ocana, 38, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 38-year-old Kenosha man accused of choking his brother during a violent drunken disturbance inside a family home was ordered held Friday on a $3,500 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II. Nicholas S. Ocana, 38, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to
WILMOT, Wis. — The Riverport Chorus of Sweet Adelines International has once again earned top audience recognition at a regional a cappella competition, taking home the 2026 Audience Choice Bravo Award during the Region 3 Midwest Harmony Competition & Convention held earlier this month in Milwaukee. The Wilmot-based chorus received the award for the second consecutive year following its Open Division performance at
Ascencion D. Obregon, 44, of Salem(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) BRISTOL, Wis. — Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II set a $2,000 cash bond Friday for Ascencion D. Obregon, a 44-year-old Salem man accused of terrorizing his longtime girlfriend during what prosecutors describe as a two-day domestic violence incident involving threats to kill her, false imprisonment, and a knife. Prosecutors had asked
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Kenosha County officials and leaders from the United Way of Kenosha County recently celebrated the opening of a new early childhood education feature at Fox River Park aimed at helping young children learn through play. The new “Born Learning Trail” was unveiled during a May 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Area 1 on the south end of the park, alongside
Amir Lasean Bell, 28, of Milwaukee(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Milwaukee man accused of stealing nearly $5,000 from a Kenosha financial services business was ordered held Friday on a $1,000 cash bond by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors alleged he loaded company money onto his own card while working as an employee. Amir Lasean Bell,
Kelsey E. Nottingham, 33, of Pleasant Prairie(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 33-year-old Pleasant Prairie woman accused of driving drunk in a vehicle reported stolen by her ex-boyfriend was ordered held Friday on $5,000 cash bail by Court Commissioner William “Bargain Bail Billy” Michel II after prosecutors charged her with OWI 4th offense and other crimes stemming from a late-night disturbance
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Judge Jason A. Rossell on Wednesday sentenced 44-year-old Kenosha man Jeremy D. Kipp to just 180 days of work release for felony OWI 4th offense, a sentence critics would say underscores how lightly the Kenosha County judiciary continues to treat repeat drunk-driving offenders — even those facing felony-level charges that many states punish far more severely. Kenosha County Circuit
50 Responses
It’s almost like if you pay attention, there’s not 1 honest one anymore.
Follow the money.
Wipe the slate
To wipe the slate clean you would have to keep wiping until humanity is erased. Time to start over…
This is the worst kept story in SLFD. They were (pick your term) dating, a couple, bed buddies, friends with benefits. They showed up at night in a department vehicle together. They talked bad about the chief whenever he wasn’t around. They pushed out anyone who had experience, anyone who stood up for what was right, anyone who questioned them in any way, shape, or form. It was their way or the highway. More Torres than Keske but both covered for each other and looked out for each other so they could keep their jobs secure. They deserve everything they get out of this investigation, which I hope includes their jobs…for all the people who went through that department only to leave because of their bullshit.
If all you say is true, why people can’t keep it out of their jobs is beyond me !
Such a waste of for a few minutes of ….
Oh it wasn’t minutes. Their secret not so secret relationship has been going on for over a decade.
Minutes each time
At least they didn’t add to the population.
Amen. Torres more than Keske. But they have torn apart morale piece by piece and bullied out the few experienced people left. The village paramedic service collapsed because of this.
Drive them out then beg for them to come back once they realized they were screwed and Carr was staying put and their bff administrator was being sent packing.
You are so correct girlfriend she is has been ever since she was on the SLFD the first time and she was forced to resign. You are correct in your statement without a doubt.
Oh wow it’s almost as if the only reason she got that job is because she is living with the assistant chief. Im glad to see the Village is finally taking all the complaints seriously.
Dumpster fire that has some of the top paid firefighter paramedics in area. Makes no sense
How is that possible ?
This department has said for a long time that they only get newbie’s to only loose them after they’re trained to other departments that pay lots more.
Which is it ?
Newest union contract finally put them on pace with the rest of the state/neighboring departments that are full-time for pay. That should hopefully help with retention. It was never that way before. They were the lowest paid full-time department in the entire state.
Shouldn’t be the highest, if you’re such a small municipality. How the hell can the tax payers afford for them to be at the top of the pay scale
Not small, cach up
Just ask Dennis Faber. One of the largest municipalities is the state
Just lost paddock lake contract. And by the way 15k people is pretty damn small.
The are small LMAO they can survive with a handful of fisties and don’t need the expensive UNION bullshit
Karma is a wonderful thing. Might have fooled some people but she proved to be the same spiteful hateful person she’s always been. There’s a reason she was fired from Salem before. The writing is on the walls. Everyone’s just waiting for the official ‘bye bye’ and there’s no coming back this time around.
Taking her shirt off and throwing it at the chief during a meeting should of been reason enough not to hire her back.
If only they would have listened to those who were trying to tell them it was a bad idea or that this behavior had happened.
If I’m losing my job, it’s not going to be an affair with a woman who looks like a miniature Chris Farley.
Lmao
Jill wasn’t always this way.
But I have seen the spiteful hateful ooze out of her.
Jill, loose the weight.
You know the rest
What was the old bumper sticker….FIREMEN ARE ALWAYS IN HEAT
Find em Hot Leave em Wet
I wouldn’t call these firemen.
She can’t even go into fires due to a medical condition. Not sure how she was even promoted (oh wait…..I do)
Chasing her around with a firehose, and this wasn’t “training “
Well that’s to no surprise…. its a well known fact that the two suspended chiefs were romantically seeing each other…. I have a inside source that says they would call on the way to a after hours emergency at separate timeframes, but show up in the same car. I have another inside source that says they would publicly defamate the character of their frontline People in front of other staff members and scream at people so hard they would change the color of their fire trucks. There have been numerous good members that have resigned from that department due to the treatment from both of the chiefs. Salem is better off without them.
They shouldn’t lose their jobs because of the sex. In the pictures neither wear a wedding ring. I don’t know.
But if their lack of leadership styles or bad leadership style makes them bad bosses then why is this ten years in the making ?
Or is this just Chief Carr finally dealing with it ?
Change is slow in government jobs.
They only got to those positions because they were able to convince someone that didn’t know anything about Salem or it’s history (Carr) that they were saviors and could fix the mess that was left by Steve and Lejcar. All they did was make things 100 times worse. Positions created for people that never existed before (Division chief) or shouldn’t have even gone to them to being with (assistant chief). Their relationship = not new. Their positions new to Chief Carr coming on board so only about 3 years.
It’s sad the amount of damage that has been done to this department at the hands of a few people who only cared about themselves and elevating their position/status.
Its not the first time an officer recently lost their job for sleeping with a subordinate!!
Salem Lakes is a continuous shit show.
Correct me if I’m wrong but Torres is married. I also believe that the relationship issue stems from the hierarchy of leadership: Assistant Chief and Lieutenant having a decades long affair. The chain of command has been impacted because if a firefighter or paramedic has an issue with the lieutenant, they can’t exactly go up a rung and complain to her boyfriend, right? And Carr turns a blind eye so issues don’t get dealt with and good employees leave. In fact he created two full time command positions specifically for Keske and Torres and bypassed the normal interviewing/hiring process or at least it was for show because they were already promised the positions. Where does the Fire Commission come in on this?
Only thing you can do is show up at a fire commission meeting and ask
Torres is married you are correct
Get rid of Carr, Jesse and Torres. This has been a toxic environment since Lejcar was put in charge. It went from bad to worse. No different than the Salem board. The village is at wa with eachother and it is crumbling. Pretty soon it will be where Silver Lake was. Who will come to Sakems Rescue? No one wants to deal with them now.
Keske, not Jesse. Damn auto correct.
So glad we paid all that money to find a new chief yet we kept the old one. Keeping the trash to rot.
Every single administrator involved with kenosha/kenosha county is pure shit. Line all of them up against a wall.
The real sad thing is the town wanted this the town push this idea of a town fire department and now can’t manage their way out of a shit house. The town keeps making the same bad decisions and never learns from it. That is the definition of insanity. These two employees of the town are just the aftermath of horrible decisions from leadership and leadership not willing to make the necessary adjustments. People don’t leave companies they leave leaders.
When the consolidation happened, there was a Chief who orchestrated that division into one. It became one of the best departments in the State of Wisconsin. It worked because the departments were willing to work together to make it successful. Yes, there were those who bucked the change and didnt want to conform. Those slowly went away. It became a departments that those that served, respected the leadership and were proud to wear the uniform. It was a family, a brotherhood. There is no longer any of that. Hardly any even live in the area. Its time for the Administrator and the board realize that they failed the citizens of our town. Time to discuss with the past retired Chief… Chief Slover, to see what will it take to fix this major failure, before anymore members get hurt or patients end up with delayed response or lower level of care than is needed. We in Salem need to speak up and demand a change. Where is our tax dollars going.
Best in the state? Doubtful, better than it is currently, very possible.
It’s easy to criticize a system that was badly broken under Lecar and Inspector Steve. Chief Carr is doing his best with what he has, and I think if he’s given the time and support, he hopefully can turn things around.
The support is the key factor!! Chief Carr will succeed if the board gives him the support!
First hand experience Torres didn’t care about her crews, safety of them, or the community. I was scheduled for a 48 hours shift (my choice and I was fine with that) the weekend of the fair. She sends out a shame email about people not signing up to staff the fair and includes me. I lived 1.5 hrs away so doing a 4 hour shift at the fair would not be logical and if I tied it to my weekend shift I would be putting in 52 hours in 3 days. I questioned why she felt it was professional so put me on list of not signing up for the fair when I was covering the staffed rigs for 48 hours. Instead of recognizing my contributions, she goes off on a I don’t respect her and she will be going to the Chief.
That is proof you can’t question her in any way, shape, or form. She was a total micromanaging, control freak. (And luckily this is all in email so a public records request can show it happened). Example two: calling crews to clean her office window. Then standing their inspecting and saying “make sure you get all the way to the top”.
I get called into the Chief’s office with Keske present. I get the whole why do you not respect Chief Torres speech. I against explain why I questioned her actions. Keske walked out and immediately went to Torres (I saw first hand).
The next month I was not scheduled for any hours…do you care to guess who does the schedule? Yup, Torres.
Seeing her clear game I resigned to Chief Carr in an email. No response from him or any leadership.
In October Torres emails me about picking up hours, signing a contract and such. Um…clearly no communication amongst leadership at all as she wasn’t even told I resigned. But when staffing was an issue not Torres was reaching out for me to take hours again.
I will say I am the utmost respect for Chief Carr. He really is doing the best with what he has to work with. It is unfortunate he believed in his Assistance, because when he wasn’t around they didnt’ have his back. They would trash him to crews just about every shift I worked. In my decades for fire service this was the most dysfunctional leadership team I have worked for. The crews are also great for the most part. But they are micromanaged to death. Not allowed to make decisions and never know when 2 assistant chiefs would just show up on a regular EMS call to critique your actions. That is not leadership. That is micromanaging and insecurity.