Decatur Fire and Rescue Chief Charlie Johnson is stepping down from his post after 10 years, 10 days after the Decatur Firefighters Association publicly criticized his leadership and sought a review of complaints, including concerns about the safety of firefighters and citizens.
To what degree the recent controversy played a part in his retirement, effective May 1, Johnson was unavailable for comment Thursday. His decision to retire was made in January when he became vested with the city, Johnson stated in a written statement to his department, Mayor Don Stanford, the City Council and citizens.
"As a department head, a person can very easily become a target for those that disagree," Johnson wrote. "I hope the public will keep their confidence in the good people of the Decatur Fire and Rescue Department who enjoy doing their jobs."
Johnson, 56, whose firefighting career spanned nearly 36 years, also cited a persistent bout of osteoarthritis, of which he wrote has been treated with little success.
"I look forward to spending quality time with my wife of 34 years," Johnson wrote.
Stanford is expected to name an interim replacement today.
After learning about Johnson's intent to retire Thursday morning, DFA Vice President Lt. Don Palmer asked City Attorney Herman Marks to withdraw the organization's letter of complaints. Interviews with firefighters concerning the allegations outlined in the letter were scheduled to begin Thursday at City Hall but never took place, Marks said.
"They (DFA) do not want to pursue it any further, so our review is over," Marks said.
Palmer said in his written request to Marks on Thursday that the DFA looks forward to working with future fire chiefs "to advance our quality of service to the citizens of Decatur."
Lt. Craig Corum, DFA's president, is happy Johnson is retiring.
"I think we can move ahead now and work with new leadership to make our fire department more progressive," Corum said.
When asked if the organization is still concerned about safety, Corum replied: "A lot of our issues about that dealt with our current leadership, and now, we're just going to give the next person a chance to straighten those problems out."
The DFA, which claims 83 members, only represents a portion of the fire department, and most firefighters have been satisfied with Johnson's administration, District 1 Councilman Billy Jackson said.
"We've got a great group of firefighters serving our city, but a handful of them just can't be satisfied regardless of what they have," Jackson said. "I think they try to pull other people onto their side."
Fire and Rescue has 126 full-time employees. The department is the second-largest in the city behind the Police Department.
Stanford said Johnson, who came to Decatur from Cape Coral, Fla., spoke with him about retiring as early as a year ago.
"He's not retiring because of all of this," Stanford said, referencing DFA's complaints about Johnson's leadership. "He's got a bad knee that's been bothering him for some time.
"I've always had a good relationship with Chief Johnson and have no complaints about his service," Stanford added. "Residents have been and are going to continue to be safe with our fire department."
Personnel Director Ken Smith said Johnson is eligible to draw full retirement benefits.
He estimated he would receive roughly $20,000 annually. Johnson's current salary is $101,452, which includes transportation.
Smith said he will ask councilmen at the upcoming Monday work session which direction they would like to take in the hiring process.
Copyright 2012 - The Decatur Daily, Ala.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
