Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun has tracked the issues with the New Carlisle Fire Division since April, when concerns were raised in an anonymous letter, including stories digging into staffing.
New Carlisle has selected Steven Trusty as its fire chief, months after the city’s previous chief resigned amid repeated questions about his leadership from residents, city leaders and some firefighters.
But one city council member called Trusty’s selection a “poor choice” that would likely continue to cause problems within the fire division.
Trusty has worked as fire inspector and firefighter EMT with the New Carlisle Fire Division for three years and has worked in fire service for more than 40 years. He said he’s thrilled and thankful to have been selected as chief.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the job and helping the department and growing the department.”
Trusty replaces former New Carlisle Fire Chief Bradley Phillips, who resigned in September.
Prior to Phillips’ resignation, Council Member Rick Lowrey said he planned to seek action to remove him. The chief submitted a letter of resignation instead, which was read to council.
The issues at the department began with an anonymous letter mailed in April to city leaders that detailed several concerns over Phillips’ leadership and handling of the fire department. That included low morale, gaps in staffing, accusations that a firefighter had reported to work drunk and concerns about faulty equipment that included expired air tanks.
When asked about the issues within the department, Trusty said it’s a new day.
“It’s a clean slate,” Trusty said. “We’re not looking backward. We’re looking forward.”
He was previously a lieutenant and fire inspector with the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Department and retired in June 2014 after 25 years of service.
Trusty was among 24 applicants for the job and was selected after City Manager Randy Bridge narrowed the search to three finalists — Trusty; Joe E. Stalder, a retired chief of Moorefield Twp. Fire and EMS; and Ron Grout, a former New Carlisle fire chief.
“All three finalists were qualified for the position and did especially well at the meet-and-greet and one-on-one interviews. Making this decision was tough, but the right one was made,” Bridge said.
Bridge added that prior to Trusty’s selection, he received comments from current fire division members, Elizabeth Twp. trustees who contract with the city for fire and medic services, council members and New Carlisle residents.
Mayor Lowell McGlothin said Trusty was Bridge’s choice and wasn’t selected by council members.
“We had three good candidates. Any one of the three would have been more than acceptable,” McGlothin said.
McGlothin said Trusty and Grout had the trust of members of the fire division.
Council Member Ethan Reynolds said he was disappointed in Bridge’s selection and called it a “poor choice.”
Trusty declined to comment when asked about Reynolds’ statements.
Reynolds said he would have preferred Grout or Stalder, who had more managerial experience.
He said the city would likely have to revisit its fire chief selection as soon as next year because he doesn’t know if Trusty is up to the job as chief.
“A lot of the department was split in half with the last chief. We have this uncanny ability just to appoint the next in line without asking a lot of questions about it and that’s what we did,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also expressed concern about comments Trusty made during council meetings, alleging that Trusty called firefighters who didn’t sign a letter expressing concerns about former Fire Chief Bradley Phillips “cowards.”
The city manager respects Reynolds’ opinion, but Bridge said Reynolds didn’t have access to all the information that he had.
An Elizabeth Twp. trustee who is a current full-time firefighter sat in on the interviews, Bridge said, and played a crucial role in the selection.
Trusty provides a balance between skills sets, ethics and experience.
“Chief Trusty has respectable moral character, tenacious work ethic and a desire to make positive changes in a department that has seen its ups and down over the past few years,” Bridge said.
The job pays $16 per hour with a $250 stipend per pay period, which is every two weeks.
Council Member Richard Zsambok said all three finalists are qualified for the job.
“All three candidates would have been a good selection. I think that it was job of the city manager to make the selection and he did,” Zsambok said.
Zsambok said he shared his impression of the applicants with Bridge, but was adamant that the decision was Bridge’s to make.
When asked to respond to Reynolds’ calling the selection a “poor choice” Zsambok said council members have no legal authority to influence the decision.
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