MA Firefighters Seek Assistant Chief's Removal

ROCKPORT, MA—Members of the Rockport Fire Department have told town leaders they have no confidence in Assistant Fire Chief Stephen Abell Jr. and are seeking his removal from the department.

The demand was outlined in a letter Capt. Frank Favaloro of the Speedwell Engine Company said he delivered to Regional Human Resources Director Michelle Carroll. The letter claims Abell has lost all trust with the department's captains, lieutenants and firefighters after he allegedly accused the volunteers of arson.

"We agree that this relationship is irreparably damaged and unsalvageable," the letter reads. "Therefore ... the undersigned volunteer firefighters state they have no confidence in Stephen Abell Jr. and demand he be removed promptly from the Board of Engineers as assistant chief and as a member of the volunteer Fire Department so no additional damage can be done."

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"Around 95%" of the department's volunteers are in support of Abell's ousting, according to Favaloro.

"We had a vote around two weeks ago," Favaloro said. "I've been trying to keep quiet about this but it's about time to change that."

Abell declined to comment on this story.

This marks the second time Rockport firefighters have asked town officials to remove Abell from duty.

In November, the volunteers sent a letter to selectmen demanding Abell's resignation and the removal of Assistant Police Chief Mark Schmink from his position as emergency service director position. The volunteers argued at the time Abell was working with Schmink to hire full-time staff to replace them, ultimately reshaping the department so that Abell could serve as its new fire chief. These complaints are reiterated in the firefighters' most recent letter.

"He has intentionally undermined morale of the department by conducting investigations into firefighters for minor infractions, leading to several suspensions and terminations, therefore creating a hostile work environment," it reads. "He has prevented potential new hires from joining the department in order to keep employee numbers low. ... This only points to his long-standing goal to develop a full-time department where he would ultimately become fire chief."

Favaloro said he hasn't received any official response from the town regarding firefighters' latest letter. This week, Carroll reportedly reached out to Favaloro asking for a roster of Rockport Fire volunteers to cross reference how many signed the letter.

The firefighters' latest complaint comes after Abell allegedly complained to town officials regarding a Fire Department training exercise. Training, or lack thereof, was a point of contention between firefighters and Schmink last year. The volunteers alleged Schmink put a hold on Fire Department drills after some firefighters refused to help with a COVID-19 mask program organized by the Police Department at the start of the year. The town said the delay was caused by COVID concerns. Selectmen allowed training to resume a week after firefighters sent their initial letter.

Sometime in January, the Fire Department used a condemned building on Penryn Way to practice search and rescue procedures. This included controlled scenarios where certain objects were lit on fire inside the house.

"We put a barrel inside and filled it with wood" and lit it on fire, said Favaloro. "It fills the house up with smoke. We try to do this every time we get a house like that on our hands. We haven't been doing anything different for the last 25 years."

The house itself did not burn down to the ground, according to Favaloro. Contractors tore down the building some days later.

Favaloro said Abell wrote a letter to town officials allegedly recommending the town reprimand the volunteer firefighters for committing arson.

"He never went to acting Chief (Kirk) Keating about it," he continued. "He didn't say anything to anyone. We don't have all the facts of the letter because (town officials) haven't given it back to us."

"Although certain personnel matters involving the Fire Department have been discussed publicly in recent months, that was at the request of the affected employee," Town Administrator Mitch Vieira wrote in an email in repsonse to a request for comment. "The town is not able to discuss personnel matters publicly, due to the privacy interests of all involved parties."

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