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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WAUSAU, WI — Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany escaped with only minor injuries Saturday night after the small plane carrying him home from a political event lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany said he was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot was
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Nearly three weeks after bullets allegedly whizzed past the heads of golfers at Strawberry Creek Golf Course, no criminal charges have been filed against a 48-year-old Trevor man who authorities say was target shooting with his two sons, ages 12 and 13, on property north of the course.
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 56-year-old woman was killed Friday after being struck by a vehicle near Washington Road and 30th Avenue in Kenosha, according to Kenosha Police Capt. Leo Viola. Viola told Kenosha County Eye the woman was a pedestrian and that police do not currently suspect criminality in connection
Gabriel E. Mills, 43, of Kenosha in Court Being Re-Arrested(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Journey Church’s Board of Deacons is defending former Lead Pastor Kevin Taylor’s handling of the Gabriel Mills criminal investigation, telling Kenosha County Eye through legal counsel that Taylor “was not free
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 12-member Kenosha County jury unanimously found Peter E. Johnson III, 45, of Kenosha, not guilty Thursday of all four felony charges against him following a two-day jury trial before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Heather Iverson. Assistant District Attorney Sarah Norkus prosecuted the case, with Assistant
John Michael Angotti, 44 and Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, Both of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, and her husband, John Michael Angotti, 44, both of Kenosha, have been charged in connection with an alleged road-rage attack in which prosecutors say Tanya Angotti got out of a vehicle
KENOSHA, Wis. — Elijah M. Smith, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he drunkenly drove at a high rate of speed, lost control while attempting a sharp turn and slammed his car into Kenz Smooth Cuts before running from the scene, leaving an injured passenger behind.
Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes, is charged with disorderly conduct as an act of domestic abuse and contact after a domestic abuse arrest after prosecutors say he returned near the home of a woman
WAUSAU, WI — Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany escaped with only minor injuries Saturday night after the small plane carrying him home from a political event lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany said he was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot was
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Nearly three weeks after bullets allegedly whizzed past the heads of golfers at Strawberry Creek Golf Course, no criminal charges have been filed against a 48-year-old Trevor man who authorities say was target shooting with his two sons, ages 12 and 13, on property north of the course.
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 56-year-old woman was killed Friday after being struck by a vehicle near Washington Road and 30th Avenue in Kenosha, according to Kenosha Police Capt. Leo Viola. Viola told Kenosha County Eye the woman was a pedestrian and that police do not currently suspect criminality in connection with the crash. Police radio traffic reviewed by KCE showed a significant police
Gabriel E. Mills, 43, of Kenosha in Court Being Re-Arrested(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Journey Church’s Board of Deacons is defending former Lead Pastor Kevin Taylor’s handling of the Gabriel Mills criminal investigation, telling Kenosha County Eye through legal counsel that Taylor “was not free to disclose” what the Board characterized as privileged pastoral communications. But body-worn camera
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 12-member Kenosha County jury unanimously found Peter E. Johnson III, 45, of Kenosha, not guilty Thursday of all four felony charges against him following a two-day jury trial before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Heather Iverson. Assistant District Attorney Sarah Norkus prosecuted the case, with Assistant District Attorney Ben Woolley also appearing for the state during the trial, while
John Michael Angotti, 44 and Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, Both of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, and her husband, John Michael Angotti, 44, both of Kenosha, have been charged in connection with an alleged road-rage attack in which prosecutors say Tanya Angotti got out of a vehicle armed with a white PVC pipe measuring four to six feet long before
KENOSHA, Wis. — Elijah M. Smith, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he drunkenly drove at a high rate of speed, lost control while attempting a sharp turn and slammed his car into Kenz Smooth Cuts before running from the scene, leaving an injured passenger behind. Nathaniel R. Presterl, 25, of Kenosha, who police say was riding in the
Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes, is charged with disorderly conduct as an act of domestic abuse and contact after a domestic abuse arrest after prosecutors say he returned near the home of a woman protected by a mandatory 72-hour contact prohibition only hours after being released from
Thomas M. Degroot, 50, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — A 50-year-old Kenosha man is facing a misdemeanor retail theft charge after police say he stole a breast pump and other lactation supplies from the Pleasant Prairie Target before running from store security. Thomas M. Degroot, 50, of Kenosha, was charged Friday with misdemeanor retail theft, intentionally taking merchandise worth
Users KENOSHA, Wis. — At this point, Kenosha County residents could be forgiven for wondering whether someone is playing a joke on them. Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel “Catch & Release” Kellum certainly appears determined to live up to his nickname. One week after Krystyna M. Rogers, 36, of Kenosha, allegedly picked up four new felony bail-jumping charges within hours of Kellum releasing
Greg R. Douma, 59, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Greg R. Douma, 59, of Kenosha, is back behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday morning to repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl whose account indicated the abuse began when she was just 6 or 7 years old and continued for years. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Heather Iverson accepted Douma’s guilty plea,
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A private Facebook group packed with Salem Lakes elected officials and other prominent government figures was created by James Beinecke and his wife, Margaret Beinecke, two well-known local internet trolls who routinely ridicule people with whom they disagree online. James Beinecke, whom Kenosha County Eye previously profiled in January as part of its “Internet Troll” series, started the private
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David O. Hughes formally celebrated his investiture Thursday afternoon during a 4:15 p.m. ceremony in the newly restored Ceremonial Courtroom at the Kenosha County Courthouse, surrounded by family, fellow judges, attorneys, elected officials and members of the community. Hughes began serving earlier this year after Gov. Tony Evers appointed him to succeed retired Branch 4
BURLINGTON, Wis. — Randall Consolidated School J1’s new District Administrator, Dr. Jeffrey Fleig, says transparency, accountability, organizational culture and responsible financial stewardship will be among his top priorities as he takes over leadership of the western Kenosha County school district. Fleig comes to Randall with more than 30 years in public education and nearly three decades in school administration, having served as a
SOMERS, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson will headline a September 11 remembrance ceremony Friday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, marking 25 years since the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The “Remembrance Remarks” ceremony, organized by Parkside Student Government, will begin at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the entrance to
Miguel Medrano, 23, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Miguel Medrano, 23, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with first-degree child sexual assault involving a child under 13 and resisting an officer after prosecutors alleged he repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl who was as young as 5 while staying overnight at her family’s home. Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum set
KENOSHA, Wis. — Alderman Dominic Ruffalo presented Hope Council Executive Director Michelle Sandberg with a City of Kenosha proclamation Aug. 25 recognizing September 2026 as National Recovery Month, as the local organization highlighted two women whose recovery journeys now total 25 years. Hope Council thanked Ruffalo, Mayor David Bogdala and members of the Kenosha Common Council for recognizing recovery efforts in the community.
Sherman Marquise Howard Jr., 16, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Sherman Marquise Howard Jr., 16, of Kenosha, became the second juvenile charged as an adult in connection with alleged threats to kill a Kenosha Police officer. Howard was also charged in a separate case accusing him of firing a handgun near children during a July 4 gathering. Court Commissioner Daniel
Nehemiah RJ Carr, 21, of Mount Pleasant(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Nehemiah RJ Carr, 21, of Mount Pleasant, was charged Wednesday with a felony after prosecutors say he walked through a Kenosha Dollar General with his genitals exposed and masturbated while staring at a 17-year-old employee. Carr is charged with exposing genitals to a child, a Class I felony; lewd and
Joseph R. Schwarz, 59, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) TWIN LAKES, Wis. — Joseph R. Schwarz, 59, of Twin Lakes, was charged Thursday with three counts of felony bail jumping, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia after Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies allegedly found him drinking at a Twin Lakes bar while under felony bond conditions. Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum
Allyson J. Jacobs, 49, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Allyson J. Jacobs, 49, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with third-offense operating while intoxicated after police say she ran a solid red light and caused two drivers to brake to avoid a collision. Liberal activist supplemental court commissioner Daniel E. Kellum gave Jacobs a no-cash bail Thursday afternoon. Allyson J. Jacobs,
Holly M. Daniel, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Holly M. Daniel, 18, of Kenosha, was charged Wednesday with carrying a concealed weapon after police say she pulled out and sparked a taser during an incident involving students near Reuther High School. Daniel was 17 when the alleged incident occurred. Holly M. Daniel, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You
KENOSHA, Wis. — For months, Kenosha-area residents have packed government meetings to deliver essentially the same message about Microsoft’s proposed hyperscale data center: slow it down, study the consequences and, in many cases, stop it altogether. That message continued Wednesday night at the Kenosha Common Council meeting, which was held at 7 p.m. Wednesday instead of the council’s usual Monday meeting date because
Traci L. Buccieri, 43, of Trevor(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Traci L. Buccieri, 43, of Trevor, was charged Wednesday with criminal trespass as domestic abuse, misdemeanor battery, and two counts of disorderly conduct after authorities say she caused a disturbance at the Riverside Inn, entered her former boyfriend’s apartment without permission and attempted to take his 7-year-old daughter. Court Commissioner Daniel
WAUSAU, WI — Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany escaped with only minor injuries Saturday night after the small plane carrying him home from a political event lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. Tiffany said he was returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot was
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Nearly three weeks after bullets allegedly whizzed past the heads of golfers at Strawberry Creek Golf Course, no criminal charges have been filed against a 48-year-old Trevor man who authorities say was target shooting with his two sons, ages 12 and 13, on property north of the course.
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 56-year-old woman was killed Friday after being struck by a vehicle near Washington Road and 30th Avenue in Kenosha, according to Kenosha Police Capt. Leo Viola. Viola told Kenosha County Eye the woman was a pedestrian and that police do not currently suspect criminality in connection with the crash. Police radio traffic reviewed by KCE showed a significant police
Gabriel E. Mills, 43, of Kenosha in Court Being Re-Arrested(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Journey Church’s Board of Deacons is defending former Lead Pastor Kevin Taylor’s handling of the Gabriel Mills criminal investigation, telling Kenosha County Eye through legal counsel that Taylor “was not free to disclose” what the Board characterized as privileged pastoral communications. But body-worn camera
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 12-member Kenosha County jury unanimously found Peter E. Johnson III, 45, of Kenosha, not guilty Thursday of all four felony charges against him following a two-day jury trial before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Heather Iverson. Assistant District Attorney Sarah Norkus prosecuted the case, with Assistant District Attorney Ben Woolley also appearing for the state during the trial, while
John Michael Angotti, 44 and Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, Both of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Tanya Nicole Angotti, 45, and her husband, John Michael Angotti, 44, both of Kenosha, have been charged in connection with an alleged road-rage attack in which prosecutors say Tanya Angotti got out of a vehicle armed with a white PVC pipe measuring four to six feet long before
KENOSHA, Wis. — Elijah M. Smith, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he drunkenly drove at a high rate of speed, lost control while attempting a sharp turn and slammed his car into Kenz Smooth Cuts before running from the scene, leaving an injured passenger behind. Nathaniel R. Presterl, 25, of Kenosha, who police say was riding in the
Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) SALEM LAKES, Wis. — Brandon Wayne Smith, 25, of Salem Lakes, is charged with disorderly conduct as an act of domestic abuse and contact after a domestic abuse arrest after prosecutors say he returned near the home of a woman protected by a mandatory 72-hour contact prohibition only hours after being released from
Thomas M. Degroot, 50, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — A 50-year-old Kenosha man is facing a misdemeanor retail theft charge after police say he stole a breast pump and other lactation supplies from the Pleasant Prairie Target before running from store security. Thomas M. Degroot, 50, of Kenosha, was charged Friday with misdemeanor retail theft, intentionally taking merchandise worth
Users KENOSHA, Wis. — At this point, Kenosha County residents could be forgiven for wondering whether someone is playing a joke on them. Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel “Catch & Release” Kellum certainly appears determined to live up to his nickname. One week after Krystyna M. Rogers, 36, of Kenosha, allegedly picked up four new felony bail-jumping charges within hours of Kellum releasing
Greg R. Douma, 59, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Greg R. Douma, 59, of Kenosha, is back behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday morning to repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl whose account indicated the abuse began when she was just 6 or 7 years old and continued for years. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Heather Iverson accepted Douma’s guilty plea,
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A private Facebook group packed with Salem Lakes elected officials and other prominent government figures was created by James Beinecke and his wife, Margaret Beinecke, two well-known local internet trolls who routinely ridicule people with whom they disagree online. James Beinecke, whom Kenosha County Eye previously profiled in January as part of its “Internet Troll” series, started the private
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge David O. Hughes formally celebrated his investiture Thursday afternoon during a 4:15 p.m. ceremony in the newly restored Ceremonial Courtroom at the Kenosha County Courthouse, surrounded by family, fellow judges, attorneys, elected officials and members of the community. Hughes began serving earlier this year after Gov. Tony Evers appointed him to succeed retired Branch 4
BURLINGTON, Wis. — Randall Consolidated School J1’s new District Administrator, Dr. Jeffrey Fleig, says transparency, accountability, organizational culture and responsible financial stewardship will be among his top priorities as he takes over leadership of the western Kenosha County school district. Fleig comes to Randall with more than 30 years in public education and nearly three decades in school administration, having served as a
SOMERS, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson will headline a September 11 remembrance ceremony Friday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, marking 25 years since the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The “Remembrance Remarks” ceremony, organized by Parkside Student Government, will begin at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the entrance to
Miguel Medrano, 23, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Miguel Medrano, 23, of Kenosha, was charged Thursday with first-degree child sexual assault involving a child under 13 and resisting an officer after prosecutors alleged he repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl who was as young as 5 while staying overnight at her family’s home. Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. Kellum set
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.