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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KENOSHA, Wis. — About nine days after announcing that City Administrator John Morrissey will retire at the end of the year, the City of Kenosha has officially begun recruiting his replacement, posting the position with a salary range of $168,492 to $251,184 annually. The opening was recently posted on the city’s employment website and will remain open for approximately three weeks. The posting
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is inviting residents, business owners and other community stakeholders to help shape the future of development in the city by attending a public open house on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, as officials begin a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Zoning Ordinance and Sign Code. The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors allege he assaulted his girlfriend, violently resisted police, injured an officer, and twice spat on law enforcement officers responding to
Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Sisters Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha, were charged Wednesday after prosecutors alleged two toddlers were left in a home where a loaded rifle and marijuana
Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha, has been charged with 15 felony counts of unauthorized use of an individual’s personal identifying information and one misdemeanor count of theft after prosecutors allege he stole nearly $1,800 from an 88-year-old resident of Crossroads
Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Judge Heather Iverson on Wednesday sentenced Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha, to 60 days in the Kenosha County Jail with no work release after he pleaded guilty to a third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration charge stemming from
Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes, was charged Wednesday with felony strangulation and suffocation, misdemeanor battery, and disorderly conduct after prosecutors allege he attacked his wife during a domestic violence incident earlier this month. Erich M.
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willis K. Baird, 55, of Kenosha, a former Waukegan police officer who was previously convicted in Illinois of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, is facing a felony stalking charge after prosecutors allege he repeatedly
KENOSHA, Wis. — About nine days after announcing that City Administrator John Morrissey will retire at the end of the year, the City of Kenosha has officially begun recruiting his replacement, posting the position with a salary range of $168,492 to $251,184 annually. The opening was recently posted on the city’s employment website and will remain open for approximately three weeks. The posting
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is inviting residents, business owners and other community stakeholders to help shape the future of development in the city by attending a public open house on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, as officials begin a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Zoning Ordinance and Sign Code. The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors allege he assaulted his girlfriend, violently resisted police, injured an officer, and twice spat on law enforcement officers responding to a domestic violence call. Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers set the bail Wednesday, and
Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Sisters Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha, were charged Wednesday after prosecutors alleged two toddlers were left in a home where a loaded rifle and marijuana were easily accessible. Deashanti Wright faces two felony child neglect charges and was
Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha, has been charged with 15 felony counts of unauthorized use of an individual’s personal identifying information and one misdemeanor count of theft after prosecutors allege he stole nearly $1,800 from an 88-year-old resident of Crossroads Care Center, where he worked as a certified nursing assistant. In a separate
Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Judge Heather Iverson on Wednesday sentenced Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha, to 60 days in the Kenosha County Jail with no work release after he pleaded guilty to a third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration charge stemming from a January traffic stop in Pleasant Prairie. Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County
Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes, was charged Wednesday with felony strangulation and suffocation, misdemeanor battery, and disorderly conduct after prosecutors allege he attacked his wife during a domestic violence incident earlier this month. Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willis K. Baird, 55, of Kenosha, a former Waukegan police officer who was previously convicted in Illinois of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, is facing a felony stalking charge after prosecutors allege he repeatedly targeted a former girlfriend by standing outside her workplace with signs identifying her
Lavell T. Craig, 48(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Less than a week after a Kenosha County judge dismissed a felony drug case because prosecutors missed a statutory deadline, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office has refiled the charges against Lavell T. Craig, 48, with one significant condition imposed by the court: prosecutors must immediately disclose the identity of the confidential informant
Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors charged him with felony stalking and two misdemeanor counts of sending threatening computerized messages in a domestic abuse case stemming from allegations that he repeatedly threatened his child’s mother and her new boyfriend. Calvyn Akai
“The dignity of a wise and righteous judge needs not the artificial safeguarding which is a heritage of the old days when if dissent found a tongue the public executioner cut it out. The Bench will be sufficiently respected when it is no longer a place where dullards dream and rogues rob . . .That the corrupt practices in our courts of law
Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha, has been charged with felony second-degree sexual assault in connection with allegations that he sexually assaulted a heavily intoxicated woman in Veteran’s Park in August 2024. Rather than being arrested, Hall was issued a summons ordering him to appear in Kenosha County Intake Court on
KENOSHA, Wis. — One of Kenosha’s largest summertime celebrations is returning next month with an expanded footprint, live entertainment at two waterfront locations, family-friendly activities, food, vendors and a sunset boat parade as LakeFest celebrates its fourth year on Saturday, Aug. 22. Organizers say this year’s festival will be the biggest yet, stretching across Celebration Place at HarborPark and the Kenosha Beach House
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Montrell Clark, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors allege he repeatedly punched his ex-girlfriend, who was six months pregnant with twins, kicked her in the stomach, and damaged her vehicle during a confrontation outside their workplace in May. Clark is charged with battery to an unborn child,
KENOSHA, Wis. — As thousands of Kenosha County residents continue to deal with widespread power outages following Monday’s severe thunderstorms, the City of Kenosha has announced a special storm debris pickup program to help residents clear fallen trees and brush from their properties. The announcement comes as We Energies reports 30,643 customers without power in Kenosha County, the highest total of any county
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Keith K. Wright Jr., a 16-year-old Racine teen who was waived from juvenile court into adult court on felony charges accusing him of stealing two vehicles, was nevertheless granted no-cash bail Tuesday by Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.
Katie L. Rivera, 43, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman accused of scratching her 62-year-old husband until he bled and threatening to kill both him and his 11-year-old stepson was released Tuesday. Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers ordered the no-cash bail and prohibited Katie L. Rivera, 43, of Kenosha, from contacting the alleged victim. Katie L. Rivera, 43, of
Kenosha Police(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Charly Jenkins, 24, of Waukegan, Illinois, is facing two felony counts of fleeing or eluding an officer after prosecutors allege he led both Kenosha police and Pleasant Prairie police on separate high-speed pursuits through Kenosha County, reaching speeds exceeding 110 mph before escaping across the Illinois state line. You must be
Malena M. Benjamin, 46, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman is facing a felony charge after prosecutors allege she sold her boyfriend’s SUV after he was taken to jail, despite being repeatedly told she did not have permission to drive it. Malena M. Benjamin, 46, of Kenosha, is charged with operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent
KENOSHA, Wis. — A powerful line of thunderstorms has left tens of thousands of We Energies customers across southeastern Wisconsin without electricity, and the utility is warning some residents that the damage is so extensive that restoring power could take multiple days. As of about 9:20 p.m. Monday, We Energies was reporting 78,322 customers without power across its service territory, including 30,643 customers
KENOSHA, Wis. — Two southeastern Wisconsin Taco John’s restaurants have quietly closed their doors for good, ending the chain’s brief run in Kenosha and Racine and generating significant discussion on social media among customers. Google now lists both the Kenosha restaurant on 75th Street and the Mount Pleasant location on Washington Avenue as permanently closed. The Racine-area restaurant opened in August 2024 with
William E. Frazier Jr., 58, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — William E. Frazier Jr., 58, of Kenosha, has been charged with first-degree child sexual assault after prosecutors allege he had unlawful sexual contact with a child under the age of 13 in 2024. The Class B felony carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. William E. Frazier Jr.,
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is reminding residents that the 2026 Partisan Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, while also announcing expanded in-person absentee voting hours and important deadlines for voters who plan to cast absentee ballots. In-person absentee voting will take place in Room 104 of City Hall, 625 52nd Street, beginning Tuesday, July 28. The
Justo J. Rodriguez, 52, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Justo J. Rodriguez, 52, of Kenosha, is facing a felony fifth-offense operating while intoxicated charge after prosecutors allege a Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy observed him driving at such a high rate of speed that the deputy could not read his license plate before following him to his residence. Court Commissioner Tracey
KENOSHA, Wis. — About nine days after announcing that City Administrator John Morrissey will retire at the end of the year, the City of Kenosha has officially begun recruiting his replacement, posting the position with a salary range of $168,492 to $251,184 annually. The opening was recently posted on the city’s employment website and will remain open for approximately three weeks. The posting
KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is inviting residents, business owners and other community stakeholders to help shape the future of development in the city by attending a public open house on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, as officials begin a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Zoning Ordinance and Sign Code. The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors allege he assaulted his girlfriend, violently resisted police, injured an officer, and twice spat on law enforcement officers responding to a domestic violence call. Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers set the bail Wednesday, and
Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Sisters Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha, were charged Wednesday after prosecutors alleged two toddlers were left in a home where a loaded rifle and marijuana were easily accessible. Deashanti Wright faces two felony child neglect charges and was
Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha, has been charged with 15 felony counts of unauthorized use of an individual’s personal identifying information and one misdemeanor count of theft after prosecutors allege he stole nearly $1,800 from an 88-year-old resident of Crossroads Care Center, where he worked as a certified nursing assistant. In a separate
Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Judge Heather Iverson on Wednesday sentenced Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha, to 60 days in the Kenosha County Jail with no work release after he pleaded guilty to a third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration charge stemming from a January traffic stop in Pleasant Prairie. Erick Pacheco, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County
Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes, was charged Wednesday with felony strangulation and suffocation, misdemeanor battery, and disorderly conduct after prosecutors allege he attacked his wife during a domestic violence incident earlier this month. Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willis K. Baird, 55, of Kenosha, a former Waukegan police officer who was previously convicted in Illinois of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, is facing a felony stalking charge after prosecutors allege he repeatedly targeted a former girlfriend by standing outside her workplace with signs identifying her
Lavell T. Craig, 48(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Less than a week after a Kenosha County judge dismissed a felony drug case because prosecutors missed a statutory deadline, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office has refiled the charges against Lavell T. Craig, 48, with one significant condition imposed by the court: prosecutors must immediately disclose the identity of the confidential informant
Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors charged him with felony stalking and two misdemeanor counts of sending threatening computerized messages in a domestic abuse case stemming from allegations that he repeatedly threatened his child’s mother and her new boyfriend. Calvyn Akai
“The dignity of a wise and righteous judge needs not the artificial safeguarding which is a heritage of the old days when if dissent found a tongue the public executioner cut it out. The Bench will be sufficiently respected when it is no longer a place where dullards dream and rogues rob . . .That the corrupt practices in our courts of law
Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha, has been charged with felony second-degree sexual assault in connection with allegations that he sexually assaulted a heavily intoxicated woman in Veteran’s Park in August 2024. Rather than being arrested, Hall was issued a summons ordering him to appear in Kenosha County Intake Court on
KENOSHA, Wis. — One of Kenosha’s largest summertime celebrations is returning next month with an expanded footprint, live entertainment at two waterfront locations, family-friendly activities, food, vendors and a sunset boat parade as LakeFest celebrates its fourth year on Saturday, Aug. 22. Organizers say this year’s festival will be the biggest yet, stretching across Celebration Place at HarborPark and the Kenosha Beach House
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Montrell Clark, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors allege he repeatedly punched his ex-girlfriend, who was six months pregnant with twins, kicked her in the stomach, and damaged her vehicle during a confrontation outside their workplace in May. Clark is charged with battery to an unborn child,
KENOSHA, Wis. — As thousands of Kenosha County residents continue to deal with widespread power outages following Monday’s severe thunderstorms, the City of Kenosha has announced a special storm debris pickup program to help residents clear fallen trees and brush from their properties. The announcement comes as We Energies reports 30,643 customers without power in Kenosha County, the highest total of any county
Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Keith K. Wright Jr., a 16-year-old Racine teen who was waived from juvenile court into adult court on felony charges accusing him of stealing two vehicles, was nevertheless granted no-cash bail Tuesday by Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.
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.