LIVERMORE FALLS – Marvin Parker stepped down as fire chief Tuesday, citing lack of support from selectmen, and three lieutenants joined him in leaving their posts.

Parker said he and Alan Chretien, Craig Hewins and Butch Bryant plan to continue as firefighters with the department.

Parker, who has been chief for 10 months, read his resignation to selectmen Tuesday.

He and other firefighters have been trying to reorganize and improve all aspects of the Department, he said.

“Although change has been difficult for a select few, everything that has been accomplished has been done so with the best interest of this town in mind, along with respect and fairness for all concerned, as well as for the safety and well being of our residents and Fire Department members,” Parker said.

He has made decisions and carried out his duties, he said, as agreed upon with town officials, but has unfortunately found, on occasions, decisions undermined by a select board member.

It has not always been easy to make some of the tough decisions, he said, but he has always been up front and honest about them.

One of those hard decisions, Parker said, after the meeting, was to order a firefighter not to drive a truck again because of a minor accident involving a firetruck and a firefighter’s truck and near misses before that, he said.

The chief has the authority to remove a firefighter as a driver and his decision created quite a heated discussion within the department, Parker said.

However, a few officers, in his absence, made a decision to ignore the order and allowed the person to drive a truck, Parker said.

It jeopardized the safety of the town as well as Fire Department members, he said, and caused undue risk of a lawsuit.

“Although I feel this incident should be dealt with, with appropriate actions of termination, I was not aware of the situation until the elections of officers were upon us, and termination under my sole direction without proper backing at this time would appear as though I am assuring my position as chief,” Parker said.

Firefighters voted on April 7 to elect Assistant Chief Mark Chretien as fire chief beginning July 1, and Capt. Ron Leclerc as assistant chief. They will be considered by selectmen for appointment after they meet with the board to determine if they are in compliance with federal and state standards.

Chretien was appointed interim chief by selectmen Tuesday.

Chretien had no comment Wednesday on what Parker said in his resignation letter.

“The department will move forward,” Chretien said, and agreed change is sometimes hard.

There is a full complement of firefighters and they work hard to protect the town, he said.

Department members are in the process of updating bylaws, Chretien said. Once they’re approved at that level, they’ll go before selectmen for final approval.

Alan Chretien, a cousin of Chretien’s, said he resigned because he felt selectmen didn’t support Parker’s decisions. Parker has updated the department with state and federal standards, he said.

“I thought it was pretty sad that I turned in my resignation and not one selectman called to find out why I felt the way I did,” he said.

“I felt very sad they made that decision,” select board Chairwoman Louise Chabot said, of the resigning officers. “I felt it was regrettable. I wish they could have discussed it with the board so we could try to work something out.”