He's back.
Embattled former Lewes Fire Chief Bill Buckaloo, suspended from the department for two years for using a racial slur, has been reinstated.
"You could hear a pin drop in the room," a member told CoastTV, describing the moment after President Wally Evans made the announcement at the fire department meeting Monday night.
The move to allow Buckaloo to resume operations that came just weeks after the board suspended him was met with confusion and shock, members told the press.
Less than a month ago, Evans said: "In my opinion, for the best interest of the Lewes Fire Department, it would be good for Mr. Buckaloo to resign."
When asked Tuesday if he stands by that, Evans refused to answer the reporter's question.
The Board of Directors dealt the two-year suspension amid backlash from the community and the impact on fundraising efforts.
The fund drive is down $27,000 from where it was at this time last year. There has been a 45 percent increase in EMS calls and 23 percent boost in fire responses.
In an e-mail to members, obtained by the media, officers wrote in September: "This was an incredibly difficult decision, one taken with careful consideration in order to uphold the integrity of our department. As we move forward, it is essential that we come together as a group to heal."
Now, Evans claims the e-mail was unauthorized and called it 'fake news.'
