The London Fire Department Chief Donnie Hale and Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Wagers were terminated after one of them pulled the fire alarm during a city council meeting. 

A letter from the mayor's office accused Wagers of misconduct, violations of law, dishonesty and failure to perform “essential duties” of his job. The key reason was Wagers pulling a fire alarm in a crowded London Community Center during a December 2025 city council meeting, according to Fox 56 News.

Wagers, a training coordinator and instructor, failed to ensure that full-time staff met the requirement of completing 100 hours of annual training each firefighter needs to qualify for the Kentucky Firefighters Foundation Program Fund.

When confronted about the lack of training hours, Mayor Tracie Handley said Wagers deflected and said it wasn’t his responsibility.

The third cause of Wagers’ termination was indirectly tied to the first two reasons, according to an interview on Oct. 29, where Wagers claimed he pulled the fire alarm because the room was “over capacity.” When officials interviewed him, they found that statement false.

A second hand-delivered letter to Hale said that the mayor lost confidence in his ability to lead. Hale failed to hold Wagers accountable for the fire alarm incident, and he completed only one-third of his required 75 hours of 2025 annual firefighter training.

City leaders said the lack of training reflects poorly on the department, puts incentive pay for affected staff at risk and could obligate the city to repay insurance fees.

Both Hale and Wagers were required to return all property and equipment to London Police Chief Gary Mehler.