No Confidence Vote for MA Chief after Police Flag Flap

HINGHAM, MA—Hingham firefighters unanimously voted to declare no confidence in Fire Chief Steve Murphy, citing issues including a mishandling of the recent controversy over "thin blue lines" flags, poor communication and a failure to address unsafe working conditions as problems with Murphy's leadership.

"...we find Chief Murphy to be negligent in his duty to protect the health and welfare of the firefighters of Hingham," Hingham Firefighters Local 2398 said in a letter to the Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator dated August 12.

According to the three-page letter, the union took a vote of no confidence during their Aug. 11 meeting.

Poor communication and safety issues

The union alleges Murphy failed to complete promised meetings with each member of the department to hear their thoughts and concerns about their work. It claims he spent too much time completing tasks for the National Fire Academy, including taking days or weeks off at a time to visit the academy in Maryland or writing papers while on duty in Hingham.

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"Chief Murphy never conducted trainings with members, shared his expertise to move members of the department forward, and didn't in fact build or strengthen the Town of Hingham resource," the letter reads, saying he chose instead to focus on his personal career rather than helping other members of the Hingham department advance.

In general, the union said, Murphy has been slow to respond to attempts at communication from both members of its executive board and rank and file members of the department, and has been lax about addressing safety issues.

For instance, mold has been growing in the air ducts of one of the fire station's living quarters for about two years, the union said. While the leak causing the mold has been repaired, bids for the work needed to remove the mold have sat on Murphy's desk for "several months," according to the letter. The letter also says he has been slow to change hiring practices to better fill vacancies in the department, a "potentially deadly issue."

"The safety of the firefighters of any fire department should be a Chief's top priority, and every effort should be made to protect that," the union wrote.

Response to the pandemic

The union alleges Murphy has failed to show strong leadership over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying he was absent from the station for three months earlier this year and communicated poorly with those still working from the station.

"Leadership... is not a person who retreats to the safety of their home, leaving behind a third in command who is granted no decision making abilities and is not communicated with by the Chief," the union wrote.

'Thin blue line' flag controversy

The union takes issue with Murphy's response to a recent controversy over firefighters flying "thin blue line" flags from several of the town's fire trucks.

Last month, a resident emailed selectmen to ask the flags be removed, citing an informal town practice to only fly official flags from town property along with the flag's use by white supremacist groups. Murphy, along with Town Administrator Tom Mayo and then-Police Chief Glenn Olsson, who has since retired, agreed the flags should be taken down. Firefighters ultimately removed the flags, but not until after a contentious, public battle with town and department leadership.

The union said at the time the flags were flown from the trucks to honor police officers killed on the job, specifically Sergeant Michael Chesna, a Weymouth police officer killed on duty in 2018.

During a selectmen meeting last month, several residents pointed to the "thin blue line" flag's association with white supremacists as a reason to remove the flags. Murphy spoke briefly during the meeting to answer a question regarding how long the flags have flown from Hingham fire trucks.

"At no time did Chief Murphy, who was on the Zoom call, speak up to defend the firefighters of his department," the union wrote in its letter. "The image and reputation of the firefighters of Local 2398 was being called into question and our Chief chose to separate himself from the amazing firefighters of this department to protect himself and his own image."

Murphy, a 20-year veteran of the department, became chief in 2018.

When reached by phone on Tuesday morning, Murphy said he would have to check with selectmen to see if they were issuing a statement before commenting on the no confidence vote.

Selectmen held a brief meeting on Tuesday morning to make appointments to the building committee for the new public safety building. The meeting's agenda did not include a point on the vote of no confidence.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Town Administrator's office released a brief statement acknowledging he had received the letter and expressing support for Murphy.

"The Town stands by Chief Murphy and his leadership of the Fire Department," it read in part. "We are in the process of reviewing the matters raised in the letter and will respond appropriately."

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