Franklin
Selectmen reject officer's termination, demote him to firefighter
Sun Journal file photo
James Butler Jr., Jay firefighter
JAY — Selectmen voted unanimously Monday not to uphold the fire chief's termination of a firefighter, and instead demoted former Capt. James Butler Jr. to the rank of firefighter, according to minutes provided Tuesday by Town Manager Ruth Marden.
The action came after nearly four hours in executive session, according to the minutes.
Butler, 23, of Jay appealed Jay Fire Rescue Chief Jim Shink's decision to terminate him in early October to the Board of Selectmen, Butler said Tuesday.
Shink was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Butler said previously that he has served on the Fire Rescue Department since he was 16. He declined to say what went on in executive session, but revealed he was terminated for breaking the respiratory protection policy.
He brought some junior firefighters to an out-of-town training session, Butler said, and they had not been tested to make sure they were fit enough to wear a self-breathing apparatus mask. There was some confusion over whether the junior firefighters needed to be tested prior to the particular training exercise, he said. There are local, state and federal regulations that govern firefighter training, he said.
Butler said he received information from a higher-ranking officer from another department at the training that led him to believe a fitness test was not necessary in this instance, he said. It was a gray area, he said, but through an investigation it was determined that the firefighters should have been tested.
He was the highest ranking officer from Jay with the junior firefighters, he said, and was in charge of their safety.
"I'm satisfied with the selectmen's decision," Butler said. "I'm just happy to be back to work."
Selectmen will release a finding-of-fact on their decision in about a week, Marden said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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James B is a moron. Shink
James B is a moron. Shink did what he should have done.
I think this fire fighter
I think this fire fighter should be terminated'Who does he think he is to overstep his superiors?Team work is always the most important goal to have so you can achieve all of your goals.Just as proffesional sports teams exacute there plays told by there coaches.This fire fighter seems to be a individual and not a team player.I think the people should look at why and I question why they allowed this man back to work.It's time to support the chief.It sends the wrong message to the other fire fighters by this guy getting reinstated.Again I would question why the selectman voted this way.Good job chief.
I don't think any Jay
I don't think any Jay Firefighter is 'nervous' about James taking their jobs! James has repeadly overstepped his boundries in the Dept. He should do the 'manly' thing and resign. Why would he even want to stay where he knows he has done wrong so often? Some people just like to be a thorn in others sides...I support the Jay Fire chief in his decision....
James was terminated a while
James was terminated a while ago from his duties with the Town, if I remember correctly was because of things going on with the Fire Department. Shiloh Ring is in charge of Code Enforcement anyways. Seems like the Fire Deptartment has been lossing people left and right, maybe time for that managment to go. I know James, not very well but has always been a honest hard working person, I think maybe the upers in the Fire Department were getting nervous James would take their job...This young person is getting the raw end of the deal and this needs to be looked into. I applaud the Selectmen for overturning the decison. I disagree with appealing the laws on buidlngs, I think it is important to have codes to ensure the safety of others who may be unaware of hazards.
This is the guy in charge of
This is the guy in charge of code enforcement in jay? Doesn't do his homework on this just imagine him going to your house to make a decision! could cost you tons of money in legal fees or unnecessary materials. Time to call legislators and get that ridiculous law repealed and let people do what they wish with their own property!! Land of the Free Right?!
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that is a wetland
eye can see green in the spring...do you hate amphibians?
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Sorry Jason, but they do destroy nature.
Just ask the birds, including eagles, and bats that fly into these spinning blades. Just ask the fish that die from the runoff of all the herbicides used to maintain the cleared sites. Ask deer and other large game who are poisoned by the herbicides when they browse. Ask all the small critters blown up by dynamite when the blasting of ridges and mountaintops begins. Ask people who get sick from poisoned well water. And, ask the trees, who give us oxygen in return for CO2s. They are living, breathing life forms, too.
All dead or dying from wind turbines.
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sound
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the fact that people, property values, and natural quiet are collateral damage
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