EDGERTON—Citing irreconcilable differences between himself and the Edgerton Fire Protection District Board, Brian Demrow resigned Friday as Edgerton fire chief.
“They wanted to go one way, and I wanted the department another way, and we just weren't seeing eye to eye …” he said.
Demrow told department staff about his decision in an email a couple weeks ago.
“I am very proud of what we have accomplished, but there are issues that I cannot resolve but for me to leave,” Demrow wrote in the email.
Demrow declined Friday to elaborate on the issues but said he was disappointed it had to come to the decision that was “all politics.”
He didn't share any recommendations for the board as it begins its search for a new chief.
“They didn't want to listen to me before; no sense listening to me now,” he said.
Despite the bad blood, the board is using Demrow's resignation to reevaluate how the department operates.
Board members on Friday morning presented a list of questions they'll ask area departments similar in size and function to the Edgerton Fire Department to compare operations. Questions include:
— Who governs your fire department?
— To whom does your chief (and any other department heads) report?
— What are the expectations of full-time staff outside their normal working hours?
Members will take the questions to the Monroe, DeForest and town of Beloit fire chiefs. They hope to come back with responses by the board's next meeting.
“We want to look at how we're currently organized and see if it's indeed the best way,” board member Candy Davis said. “It's an opportune time to look at the entire thing.”
There's been talk of hiring a fire administrator to handle the bureaucracy of operations.
“We found we have a good fire department but a little weak by their own admission in human resources and business skills,” board member Leonard Mueller said.
“I understand we need an administrator, but that's our second need” after a chief, board member Evan Sayre said.
The board hopes to have a new chief as quickly but will take as long as it needs to “do it right,” Sayre said.
Whoever ends up chief, Demrow hopes the board lets him or her run the department as he or she sees fit.
“That's all I care about,” he said.
Like other area departments, the Edgerton Fire Department faces challenges in recruiting and maintaining staff with a tight budget, Demrow said.
“You've got to find a new way to keep people and bring in new ones,” he said.
Demrow became chief in 2008 and full-time chief in 2009. The department has five full-time employees, he said.
During his time as chief, Demrow helped bring the Lucas CPR device to Rock and Walworth counties. He's particularly proud of how he helped turn Edgerton's ambulance service from privately owned to department owned and operated, he said.
The department became more progressive in how it fought fires under Demrow's leadership, using new techniques and methods to save more buildings. Department employees went through more rigorous training, Demrow said.
“People look to us now on what we're doing instead of us looking to other departments to see what they're doing,” Demrow said.
Deputy Chief Ryan Beckwith is acting chief until a new chief is hired, board members said.
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