Grand Coteau, LA, Fire Chief's Firing Sparks Walkout
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
(TNS)
The mayor of Grand Coteau fired the city's fire chief, Riley Skippy" Grishman, after the two had disagreements over public safety, the former chief wrote in a letter posted to Facebook.
Grisham served the department for eight years, serving as chief for the past five, stating that he was "heartbroken" to announce that Mayor Patrick Richard fired him recently.
He added that he improved his department over the years, even using his own money to fund the agency.
"Sadly, my dedication and leadership of this department was not enough to suffice Mayor Richard. He wanted me to disregard public safety and fire firefighters, and I stood up to him," Grisham wrote. "Every decision I made as Fire Chief [sic] for the safety of the citizens of Grand Coteau in mind and the betterment of our department. Unfortunately, that did not fit into Mayor Patrick Richards [sic] narrative.
A Grand Coteau town hall worker declined to connect a reporter to the mayor's voicemail and said he was not in the office.
Grisham said his termination was effective immediately.
Letter Riley Skippy Grisham
A letter written by former Grand Coteau Fire Chief Riley Grisham on August 19, 2025. The letter claims that disagreements between him and the mayor led to his termination.
© 2025 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.. Visit www.theadvocate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.