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Sept. 17--YORK, Pa. -- The West York Borough Council voted to remove Neil Gunnet as chief of Reliance Fire Company.
Gunnet was named chief in January, after serving as acting fire chief.
Volunteer firefighters and the executive board of the fire department brought their concerns about the chief to a recent council meeting.
Ed Washington, president of the fire department, told the council that since Gunnet's appointment, the fire company has been discontent, morale has been killed and misinformation spread.
Both volunteers and paid personnel are not being represented in the proper manner for West York, he said.
Washington said that he and those involved and represented were requesting that the council remove Gunnet as the fire chief.
Gunnet did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The council voted 4-1 to remove Gunnet. Voting for the measure were president Brian Wilson, vice president Shelley Metzler, Dawn Shue and Joseph Mummert. Voting against the measure was Nancy Laird, who said that everyone should try to work together, and Gunnet should serve until the end of the year. Steve Herman abstained from the vote.
Wilson said that, for the time being, that he and Mayor Sam Firestone would take care of the administrative side of the fire department, such as timesheets.
Matt Millsaps, who introduced himself as a seven year part-time police officer with the borough and a full-time career firefighter, said he would be happy to offer assistance as needed during the transition period. Firestone said that he would work alongside Millsaps to keep things moving.
Firestone invited firefighters, emergency management personnel, and the council to meet and discuss what happened and what to improve in the future at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the fire hall, located at 1341 W. Market St.
