S.C. Chief Fired; Firefighters May Quit
INMAN, S.C. --
A board meeting with firefighters in Inman got heated Wednesday night after a department's chief was fired.
Volunteer firefighters at the meeting Wednesday night told WYFF News 4 that Chief Lee Jeffcoat was given an ultimatum recently by board members.
They said he was told his salary and hours would be cut in half. They said when he refused, the board offered him two months severance to resign.
Jeffcoat reportedly refused their offer again, and the board voted 4-to-1 to dismiss him.
Firefighters told News 4 they felt the board has been after Jeffcoat since last fall.
The firefighters threatened to walk out on the job after the meeting, which would leave no one to cover the district that spans 30 square miles of Spartanburg County.
The volunteer firefighters plan to meet with board members again on Friday, at which point they said theyll decide whether to walk out.
Just this week, the Holly Springs Volunteer Fire Department was involved in a search on Lyman Lake for a missing boater.
Copyright 2010 by WYFF4.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.