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.
You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.
Already have an account? Sign in
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kevin R. Siler, 42, of Kenosha, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in connection with the 2019 shooting death of his friend, Joseph Christol, 35, inside Christol’s Pleasant Prairie home. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Jason Rossell sentenced Siler to five years of initial confinement followed by five years of
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is asking residents to roll up their sleeves and help the University of Wisconsin-Madison defend its championship in the Abbott and Big Ten Conference’s annual “We Give Blood Drive” competition, with a $1 million prize on the line for the winning university. The nationwide competition, now in its third year, combines Big Ten rivalry with an
KENOSHA, Wis. — Three suspects are behind bars after authorities say a confrontation near the Somers Walmart erupted into two simultaneous high-speed pursuits, with one suspect allegedly ramming a marked Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office squad and another crashing into an uninvolved vehicle. Ace Leo Frank, 34, of Elkhart, Indiana; Cody
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Menominee Tribe is hoping for a quick approval of its proposed Kenosha casino, but recent decisions by the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs are raising new questions about how the federal government will approach off-reservation casino projects. The Department of the
KENOSHA, Wis. — Matthew J. Mortensen, 49, of Burlington, an internet troll who Kenosha County Eye has seen trolling people across the internet and a repeat criminal offender with multiple prior convictions, was given probation Wednesday by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David Hughes for a felony fourth-offense OWI. Mortensen
KENOSHA, Wis. — Congressman Bryan Steil has picked up endorsements from two major southeastern Wisconsin law enforcement organizations as he campaigns for reelection to Congress. The Kenosha Professional Police Association Board and Milwaukee Police Association announced their support for Steil, citing his record on law enforcement and public safety. “The
Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with felony stalking and four additional criminal counts after prosecutors say he engaged in a months-long campaign of unwanted contact against a woman, allegedly culminating in threats to kill
Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha, is facing five criminal charges after prosecutors say he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face five times, took away her phone when she tried to call 911 and then barricaded himself inside
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kevin R. Siler, 42, of Kenosha, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in connection with the 2019 shooting death of his friend, Joseph Christol, 35, inside Christol’s Pleasant Prairie home. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Jason Rossell sentenced Siler to five years of initial confinement followed by five years of
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is asking residents to roll up their sleeves and help the University of Wisconsin-Madison defend its championship in the Abbott and Big Ten Conference’s annual “We Give Blood Drive” competition, with a $1 million prize on the line for the winning university. The nationwide competition, now in its third year, combines Big Ten rivalry with an
KENOSHA, Wis. — Three suspects are behind bars after authorities say a confrontation near the Somers Walmart erupted into two simultaneous high-speed pursuits, with one suspect allegedly ramming a marked Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office squad and another crashing into an uninvolved vehicle. Ace Leo Frank, 34, of Elkhart, Indiana; Cody Luigi Frank, 22, of Hudson, Wisconsin; and Sable Russell, 34 were all taken
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Menominee Tribe is hoping for a quick approval of its proposed Kenosha casino, but recent decisions by the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs are raising new questions about how the federal government will approach off-reservation casino projects. The Department of the Interior recently withdrew approval for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ California
KENOSHA, Wis. — Matthew J. Mortensen, 49, of Burlington, an internet troll who Kenosha County Eye has seen trolling people across the internet and a repeat criminal offender with multiple prior convictions, was given probation Wednesday by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David Hughes for a felony fourth-offense OWI. Mortensen faced up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine on the
KENOSHA, Wis. — Congressman Bryan Steil has picked up endorsements from two major southeastern Wisconsin law enforcement organizations as he campaigns for reelection to Congress. The Kenosha Professional Police Association Board and Milwaukee Police Association announced their support for Steil, citing his record on law enforcement and public safety. “The men and women of law enforcement put their lives on the line every
Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with felony stalking and four additional criminal counts after prosecutors say he engaged in a months-long campaign of unwanted contact against a woman, allegedly culminating in threats to kill her, her sisters and her children. Woodward, who was already out on bail
Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha, is facing five criminal charges after prosecutors say he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face five times, took away her phone when she tried to call 911 and then barricaded himself inside a Kenosha home before a tense confrontation with police. Brown, who prosecutors allege
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Lucas Sandrik, 19, of Salem, a recent Westosha Central High School graduate and wrestler, is facing three felony charges after prosecutors say he crashed an SUV into a parked vehicle and retaining wall in Salem Lakes, then became violently combative with deputies and rescue personnel, biting a Kenosha County
Rolexsea N. Curtis, 25, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 25-year-old Kenosha woman accused of biting one police officer, scratching another until he bled and then spitting directly into the officer’s face was released on no-cash bail Thursday by Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum, further underscoring Kellum’s soft-on-crime approach to bail — even for defendants accused of physically harming law
Kelvin Andrew Smith, 34, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha man is facing criminal charges after police say a confrontation with his sisters over a photo he posted of his butthole on the internet escalated into him throwing things inside their home and then taking off in a “dead sprint” when a Kenosha Police officer arrived. Kelvin Andrew Smith,
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — What was supposed to be a wedding reception at The Vault in Downtown Kenosha erupted into a massive brawl involving an estimated 20 to 30 people after an allegedly uninvited woman showed up and attacked the bride, according to newly filed criminal complaints. Angela Wright, 38, and Rita N. Wright,
Jonathan L. Cox, 40, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 40-year-old Kenosha man with a lengthy criminal history allegedly told a police officer “I’m fucked already” during an OWI investigation this week, and then failed to show up for his first court appearance Thursday. Jonathan L. Cox, 40, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with operating while intoxicated-third offense as a
Laura Marie Coleman, 40, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 40-year-old Kenosha woman accused of driving drunk for the third time and charged as a repeat offender was released Thursday on no-cash bail by newly appointed Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum. Laura Marie Coleman, 40, of Kenosha, is charged with OWI-3rd Offense as a repeater, which carries a
KENOSHA, Wis. — A John Doe petition filed more than five months ago by Kenosha County Eye Editor Kevin Mathewson has now resulted in criminal charges against former Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank D. McGrath. Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis formally charged McGrath Wednesday with two felony counts of misconduct in public office for allegedly using powerful law-enforcement surveillance systems, including FLOCK
Lauren J. Madsen, 38, of Somers(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Lauren J. Madsen, 38, of Somers, is accused of keeping dogs and cats inside a sweltering home filled with animal feces, urine, mold, flies and maggots — while allegedly caring for horses and an alpaca in manure-filled enclosures. Madsen was charged Tuesday with 18 misdemeanors and one ordinance-level animal mistreatment offense
Sean P. Schuman, 46, Bassett(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 46-year-old Bassett man accused of driving drunk and crashing into a vehicle driven by a 15-year-old girl, injuring her and another occupant, was released Wednesday on no-cash bail by newly appointed Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum. Sean P. Schuman faces two misdemeanor counts of operating while intoxicated causing injury,
Eliyas R. Dunlap, 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 17-year-old Kenosha man accused of striking his girlfriend with a glass bottle, punching her and twice grabbing the steering wheel while she was driving — allegedly sending her car into oncoming lanes and later within about six inches of a parked vehicle — was released Tuesday on no-cash bail by
Jayden J. Frye, 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 17-year-old Kenosha man accused of wearing a full-face mask in a neighborhood plagued by overnight vehicle break-ins, giving police a fake name and then running from officers was released Tuesday on no-cash bail by newly appointed Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum. Jayden J. Frye, 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County
Dimitri C. McDowell, 34, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A third Kenosha man was charged Wednesday in a months-long Kenosha County Drug Operations Group investigation involving THC sales and illegal firearm transactions, including a “ghost gun” that investigators say was ballistically linked to two separate shootings. Dimitri C. McDowell, 34, of Kenosha, joins Tae’Angelo R. Adams, 23, and Aidan J.
Sherese M. Lott, 42, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 42-year-old Kenosha woman is facing four criminal charges after police say she walked into the middle of a tense police operation where officers had their guns drawn, ignored repeated commands to move away, and screamed profanities loudly enough to echo off nearby houses. Police say Sherese M. Lott then resisted
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers denied a harassment temporary restraining order Tuesday morning against drug-using therapist Jacqueline Niccolai (out on two criminal bails) despite a petition alleging Niccolai repeatedly contacted a 40-year-old woman after being told to stop, showed up at her home after being told not to come there, called her approximately 32 times in about 30
KENOSHA, Wis. — Several weeks ago, Kenosha County’s circuit court judges selected attorney Daniel E. Kellum as the county’s new Judicial Court Commissioner. Kenosha County Eye has now had the opportunity to observe Kellum on the bench for several weeks, and what we’ve seen so far is concerning. Kellum appears to be developing a pattern of extremely low cash bails and no-cash bail
Sabastian C. Ransom, 46, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 46-year-old Kenosha man who prosecutors say was already wanted on multiple felony warrants and out on two separate cash bonds is facing three new felonies after allegedly leading Kenosha Police on a high-speed chase that reached about 93 mph. Sabastian C. Ransom was charged Tuesday with felony fleeing or eluding
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kevin R. Siler, 42, of Kenosha, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in connection with the 2019 shooting death of his friend, Joseph Christol, 35, inside Christol’s Pleasant Prairie home. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Jason Rossell sentenced Siler to five years of initial confinement followed by five years of
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is asking residents to roll up their sleeves and help the University of Wisconsin-Madison defend its championship in the Abbott and Big Ten Conference’s annual “We Give Blood Drive” competition, with a $1 million prize on the line for the winning university. The nationwide competition, now in its third year, combines Big Ten rivalry with an
KENOSHA, Wis. — Three suspects are behind bars after authorities say a confrontation near the Somers Walmart erupted into two simultaneous high-speed pursuits, with one suspect allegedly ramming a marked Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office squad and another crashing into an uninvolved vehicle. Ace Leo Frank, 34, of Elkhart, Indiana; Cody Luigi Frank, 22, of Hudson, Wisconsin; and Sable Russell, 34 were all taken
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Menominee Tribe is hoping for a quick approval of its proposed Kenosha casino, but recent decisions by the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs are raising new questions about how the federal government will approach off-reservation casino projects. The Department of the Interior recently withdrew approval for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ California
KENOSHA, Wis. — Matthew J. Mortensen, 49, of Burlington, an internet troll who Kenosha County Eye has seen trolling people across the internet and a repeat criminal offender with multiple prior convictions, was given probation Wednesday by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David Hughes for a felony fourth-offense OWI. Mortensen faced up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine on the
KENOSHA, Wis. — Congressman Bryan Steil has picked up endorsements from two major southeastern Wisconsin law enforcement organizations as he campaigns for reelection to Congress. The Kenosha Professional Police Association Board and Milwaukee Police Association announced their support for Steil, citing his record on law enforcement and public safety. “The men and women of law enforcement put their lives on the line every
Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Joseph L. Woodward, 33, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with felony stalking and four additional criminal counts after prosecutors say he engaged in a months-long campaign of unwanted contact against a woman, allegedly culminating in threats to kill her, her sisters and her children. Woodward, who was already out on bail
Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willie J. Brown, 45, of Kenosha, is facing five criminal charges after prosecutors say he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face five times, took away her phone when she tried to call 911 and then barricaded himself inside a Kenosha home before a tense confrontation with police. Brown, who prosecutors allege
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Lucas Sandrik, 19, of Salem, a recent Westosha Central High School graduate and wrestler, is facing three felony charges after prosecutors say he crashed an SUV into a parked vehicle and retaining wall in Salem Lakes, then became violently combative with deputies and rescue personnel, biting a Kenosha County
Rolexsea N. Curtis, 25, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 25-year-old Kenosha woman accused of biting one police officer, scratching another until he bled and then spitting directly into the officer’s face was released on no-cash bail Thursday by Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum, further underscoring Kellum’s soft-on-crime approach to bail — even for defendants accused of physically harming law
Kelvin Andrew Smith, 34, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha man is facing criminal charges after police say a confrontation with his sisters over a photo he posted of his butthole on the internet escalated into him throwing things inside their home and then taking off in a “dead sprint” when a Kenosha Police officer arrived. Kelvin Andrew Smith,
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — What was supposed to be a wedding reception at The Vault in Downtown Kenosha erupted into a massive brawl involving an estimated 20 to 30 people after an allegedly uninvited woman showed up and attacked the bride, according to newly filed criminal complaints. Angela Wright, 38, and Rita N. Wright,
Jonathan L. Cox, 40, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 40-year-old Kenosha man with a lengthy criminal history allegedly told a police officer “I’m fucked already” during an OWI investigation this week, and then failed to show up for his first court appearance Thursday. Jonathan L. Cox, 40, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with operating while intoxicated-third offense as a
Laura Marie Coleman, 40, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A 40-year-old Kenosha woman accused of driving drunk for the third time and charged as a repeat offender was released Thursday on no-cash bail by newly appointed Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum. Laura Marie Coleman, 40, of Kenosha, is charged with OWI-3rd Offense as a repeater, which carries a
KENOSHA, Wis. — A John Doe petition filed more than five months ago by Kenosha County Eye Editor Kevin Mathewson has now resulted in criminal charges against former Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank D. McGrath. Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis formally charged McGrath Wednesday with two felony counts of misconduct in public office for allegedly using powerful law-enforcement surveillance systems, including FLOCK
Lauren J. Madsen, 38, of Somers(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Lauren J. Madsen, 38, of Somers, is accused of keeping dogs and cats inside a sweltering home filled with animal feces, urine, mold, flies and maggots — while allegedly caring for horses and an alpaca in manure-filled enclosures. Madsen was charged Tuesday with 18 misdemeanors and one ordinance-level animal mistreatment offense
51 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.
Oh, yes, best in state under Slover.
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.