Greenwood Township issued the following announcement on April 1.
The Greenwood Township Board voted to terminate the employment of the fire chief on March 30, 2020 during a special telephonic meeting for poor work performance, poor communication with the township board and negligence of duty. Under the Open Meetings Act, the board voted to go into closed session as requested by the employee in a written communication.
Assistant Chief John Miller was appointed as interim chief. Mr. Miller has been a member of the fire department for 27 years and serves as a trustee on the Board.
Public Acts 9 and 10 of 1992 prohibit a member of the township board from serving as fire chief (unless the township has a population of less than 3,000; PA 196 of 2011) … Greenwood Township has a population of under 2,000 and thus is exempt from the statute.
Like many rural fire departments, Greenwood Township has a limited number of on call firefighters. A total of 14 firefighters were on the roster. Unfortunately, five (5) members of the fire department have made the decision to no longer serve. Several former members of the fire department have stepped forward to help.
During this difficult and trying time in the world, the intent of the Board is not to cause harm but to protect the members of the community and the entire fire department as a whole. Greenwood Township has reached out to neighboring communities for assistance if needed and has received overwhelming support.
We would like to thank the many people who have come forward to help including former members of the department, employees, and citizens who have secured disinfectant wipes, gloves, and the recruitment of masks to protect our fire department members who continue to serve us.
A very special thank you goes to Bob Hunter, Oscoda County EMS Coordinator, who delivered N95 masks for our fire fighters on March 31, 2020. Our fire equipment is now stocked with the necessary supplies.
We ask for your support during this difficult transition. Respectfully, Greenwood Township Board
Original source can be found here.
Source: Greenwood Township
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