PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ (AZFamily) — A central Arizona fire department has named an interim leader after its chief was voted out on Monday.
The Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) Board voted 3-2 to terminate the contract of Fire Chief Scott Freitag, who has been head of CAFMA since it was formed in 2016 when the Central Yavapai and Chino Valley fire districts merged.
This board decision followed a “no confidence” vote by the CAFMA Chapter of the United Yavapai Fire Fighters Local 3066 union on Sept. 10. Of the voting members, 96% expressed a lack of confidence in Freitag’s leadership.
The union members’ vote came after firefighters censured Freitag last month over accusations of bullying, harassment, inadequate staffing and failure to address and mitigate the risk of firefighter cancer. The International Association of Fire Fighters, a union representing more than 350,000 firefighters and emergency personnel in North America, voted unanimously at its annual convention to censure Freitag.
At the time, Freitag said he was hurt by the decision and claimed he was not given a chance to defend himself.
“I did not see this coming,” he said. “I had no opportunity to refute any of the charges or allegations made against me at any point.”
Freitag has been accused of failing to update cancer prevention techniques, sending fire engines to scenes with fewer than the recommended four personnel, and creating a hostile work environment where rank-and-file members feared retaliation.
Freitag added that staffing challenges are not unique to his agency but are a nationwide issue.
“If the basis for censure is that our agency cannot provide four-person engine companies 24/7, 365 days a year, then nearly every fire chief across the country should be up for censure for the same thing,” he previously said.
Freitag said he has had no other complaints in the near-decade he has served as fire chief.
Don Jongewaard, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, praised the board’s decision and said it brings an opportunity for positive change within the department:
“We had 250 people who showed up last night to support our firefighters. What we heard again and again is that they want to see CAFMA move forward. They want the district to direct more resources to putting boots on the ground, to make 911 calls faster and more efficient. They want firefighters to be better protected from cancer and from danger. They want a workplace culture free of fear and retaliation. And they want the investigations and the threats against firefighters to stop – right now.
“The firefighters, their wives, the community members — we all want the same thing. We want this fire district to have leadership as committed to public safety as CAFMA’s firefighters are. Firefighters are human beings with very tough jobs. When we’re supported by our leaders, when we have the right tools and the right policies — when we matter as part of a team — we do a better job. CAFMA has the potential to be a very different fire department now that the board took a stand for our firefighters.”
On Tuesday afternoon, CAFMA announced that Assistant Chief of Operations John Feddema has been appointed interim fire chief, effective immediately.
“With 24 years of service to the organization, Chief Feddema brings extensive experience in fire operations and leadership,” CAFMA said in an emailed news release. “He will oversee CAFMA’s continued commitment to providing high-quality fire and emergency medical services to the community.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 14:24:00
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