A fire chief in Massachusetts has been suspended without pay for 30 days for what officials called "reckless" and "dangerous" driving of a town-owned vehicle in an incident that led firefighters to complain.
According to MassLive, Granby Fire Chief John Mitchell received the month-long suspension from the town's Select Board after his speeding on the Mass Turnpike on April 30 placed him, three firefighters and other motorists in danger.
The report says that Chief Mitchell and the other three firefighters were driving to Walpole in the rain to inspect a new piece of apparatus for a potential purchase, and one firefighter said the chief at one point reached 90 miles per hour on the speedometer, although that detail is in dispute.
The incident followed a previous one from earlier in April in which a Select Board member, Jennifer Silva, was driving on Route 116 when the chief drove past her at a high rate of speed. Granby Town Administrator Christopher Martin had reportedly warned the chief about his driving prior to the suspension.
Mitchell, who has called his punishment "excessive" and plans to appeal, will remain suspended until June 30, but MassLive also reports that the chief will be on paid administrative leave from July 1-6 because of another complaint reportedly related to comments he made on Facebook.
