Ex-Maine firefighters are concerned about their former colleagues after a new chief has taken over the department.
"I'm afraid someone's going to die," former Shapleigh firefighter Michael Sabine told WCSH-TV.
"I'm sad to go, but I can't be involved in this. I've had too many friends die in the service," he added.
Sabine and former assistant chief Charles Starbird addressed the board of selectmen about safety following the hiring of Chief Kevin Romano. The new chief began Jan. 1, and both former firefighters believe he has had a negative effect on the department.
"I know of firefighters and officers that are on the department currently that have no gear," Sabine told WCSH. "How do you respond to a fire with no gear?"
Starbird added: "No two in two out. If you go into a building you're supposed to have two people out."
Jennifer Roux, the board of selectmen's chairwoman, told WCSH that she was blindsided about Sabine and Starbird's complaints concerning Romano. She said the board will be investigating, and the board will have 45 days to decide about any action against Romano.
"If there's a safety concern and you're afraid for your life, then there are steps that should be taken," Roux told WCSH.
Capt. Patrick Adams told Firehouse.com News that the department conducted an internal investigation into Sabine's and Starbird's concerns, and their claims were unfounded. He said both firefighters had been terminated from the department.
