Barrow fire chief suspended for one week by Yearwood

Barrow fire chief suspended for one week by Yearwood

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Thursday, March 19. 2009

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Barrow County Board of Commissioners Chairman Danny Yearwood suspended Barrow County Fire Chief Robert Post Monday for one week without pay. Post was suspended for being “untruthful” and for not following Yearwood’s directives about overtime pay and the use of county vehicles.

Post had reportedly requested a meeting with Yearwood to discuss rumors about the board of commissioners’ plans for the fire department. But when Post walked into the chairman’s office at 4 p.m. Monday, he found not only the chairman, but also Human Resources Director Norma Jean Brown. Yearwood told Post he was being suspended without pay for 40 hours. He was asked to surrender his badge, his county car, and until next Tuesday, his position.

Assistant fire chief Mark Melvin is serving as acting chief during the one-week suspension that ends Tuesday morning, Brown said.

Yearwood said he suspended Post because “he was doing some things I asked him not to do.”

Post became Barrow County’s fire chief in July 2007 after retiring seven months earlier from the Gwinnett Fire Department as an assistant fire chief with more than 33 years of experience.

For more details on this and other public safety stories, see the March 18 issue of the Barrow Journal.

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#1 anonymous on 03/19/09 at 06:56 AM [Reply]

Chief Post....like it or not, we all have a boss and if you did not follow orders you pay the price. I hope you and the BOC will come to a better understanding and move on.

#2 Bob on 03/19/09 at 04:19 PM [Reply]

Amazing. Post has 33 experience. Yearwood has 2.5 months. Unfortunately we have a stubborn dictator running the county now with a clown cronie Human resource director that is on the fence to keep her job. Monkey see monkey do three new commissioners that better realize they have angered the people that put them in office. Oh by the way Danny your buddy also did not pay his taxes like you, the one you helped get the position. Your airport compare. Anarchy.

#2.1 Joe the taxpayer on 03/19/09 at 08:53 PM [Reply]

Danny boy is drunk on power and has deemed Barrow County is fiefdom!

#2.1.1 Barrow resident on 03/20/09 at 11:25 AM [Reply]

He was elected by the people. The fire chief has to realize Yearwood is his boss.

#2.2 anonymous on 03/20/09 at 09:13 AM [Reply]

Cronie, Clown Ha Ha HA well none of you mealy mouth people can do anything about it, she knows how to navigate and manipulate and point her finger at everybody but herself.Danny certainly is no match for her , so we have a dictator and cronie clown things won't likely change anytime soon.

#3 Concerned on 03/19/09 at 07:34 PM [Reply]

I'm thinking in this economy Chief Post wouldn't have ordered the training for his men unless it was necessary, and if it is necessary for them to get the training then what right does Mr. Yearwood have to interfear in that? There are numerous chemical plants and factories in Barrow, let alone my house; I want these firefighters ready to handle all of that and if Danny Yearwood is keeping them from that training then I say shame on him. I'm having a hard time believing that Chief Post was in the wrong as he knows a lot better than Mr. Yearwood what is needed for his firefighters.

#4 Frustrated on 03/19/09 at 09:14 PM [Reply]

Bob Post is the consummate professional Fire/EMS professional. The Commission Chairman is playing politics with the emergency services of this county. Chief Post is an asset we cannot afford to lose. How will running depleted emergency services affect our county's ISO ratings? How will that affect yours and my insurance premiums? Who wants to be first when our emergency services personnel are so stressed out with these shenanigans that they start jumping ship to surrounding counties who aren't being subjected to this? Unless something changes in a hurry, I smell recall before year's end.

#5 Mr. Monster on 03/19/09 at 10:42 PM [Reply]

You may smell a lot of the things, but recall isn't among them. There is no grounds whatsoever for recall. Read the law. If you can read, that is. Which I doubt. Most of you (especially the county "workers" and their pimp/spouses) would rather whine, complain and threaten that earn your loot. If you don't like Yearwood, vote him out in 4 years. Meantime, straighten up and fly right. Don't like the money you make freeloading off the county coffers, quit. You can replaced. And that, right soon.

#5.1 Ha on 03/21/09 at 06:37 PM [Reply]

I find it funny that you question others ability to read, but you made numerous grammatical errors in your post. Maybe you should judge others until you get an education also.

#5.1.1 Mr. Monster on 03/21/09 at 11:22 PM [Reply]

You confuse "errors" with deliberate stylistic devices.
If you cannot detect the difference, then you are way too ignorant to engage in debate with me. IOW, you don't the difference between a burro and a burrow.

#6 Ashamed on 03/19/09 at 11:54 PM [Reply]

hmmm, Really makes me ashamed that Danny Yearwood
got my vote, I feel like dirt, kinda like the dirt on his tax papers

#6.1 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 06:28 PM [Reply]

Garrison!! All he ever done was to take care of the persons in real-estate, that’s where he came from. It’s about time we have someone looking after the tax payers. As for Post, let him go back to Gwinnett County. He spent more money on vehicles than the past fire chief.

#7 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 05:16 AM [Reply]

You could not ask for a better fire chief that Robert Post. Yearwood is the biggest mistake the voters of Barrow County have ever made. If voters had read the Barrow Journal's interviews of Garrison and Yearwood carefully before the election, they would have realized that and kept Garrison in office.

#7.1 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 06:35 AM [Reply]

No actually it was a chose between the least of two evils.

Neither were worthy of the office, it was just who would screw the people of Barrow the least.

I know for a fact that he told me one thing while running and is now doing the complete opposite. I'm sure I'm not the only one he lied to!

Oh, and Mr. Monster, I don't work for the county in any way shape or form, I'm just a business owner and taxpayer.

#7.2 CHRIS SMITH on 03/20/09 at 06:42 AM [Reply]

Doug has already replaced his campaign signs with real estate for sale signs. Interesting to note he has Jerry Lamps property near the airport on Hwy 8 listed. Several months ago these two had no conflict of interest with any property near the airport. The tax payers think its tough now just wait until the note comes due on the 15 million dollar bond approved by the prior administration. Anonymous if you want your voice and message heard have some guts and use your name.
Sincerely,
CHRIS SMITH

#8 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 09:11 AM [Reply]

If all this is true, I want a job where I do not have to follow the orders of my boss. If there are no rules because I am "public safety" then sign me up.

#9 Frustrated on 03/20/09 at 10:01 AM [Reply]

To those of Mr. Monster's ilk. You assume I am a county employee or related to one because I am dissatisfied with Mr. Yearwood's performance. I am not nor do I have the time to play gotcha games with someone who shoots from the hip with accusations he/she cannot substantiate. I was willing to give Mr. Yearwood the benefit of the doubt and allow him time to prove his detractors wrong. However, in the first quarter of the first year of his administration, the Commission Chairman has proven himself quite adept at misusing his position. He is micro-managing departments for which he has limited (if that) knowledge of their operations while focusing only on balancing the budget at the expense of the safety and welfare of the people of this county. Fire/emergency apparatus have specialized equipment that require trained operators and cannot be adequately or safely run with a skeleton crew.
When it's YOUR house on fire or YOUR family with an emergency and a piece of fire/ emergency apparatus rolls up with only the driver, I imagine you'll change your tune.
Meanwhile, there's a desk with your name on it at one of the remedial grammar classes being offered at the area schools.

#10 Blair Darst, IAAI-CFI on 03/20/09 at 10:37 AM [Reply]

Mr. Monster and Others;
I would be very careful using adjectives such as freeloading when it comes to public safety people. Sheriff, Police, Fire and EMS do that job to help others not to free load, or use it as a job works program. Everyone can be replaced that is true but and I want to underline BUT it takes years of experience and training to replace experience. Chief Post had a vision and it was kind of like dominos. Get fireman trained to a higher level, put a ladder truck in service, reduce overall response time, provide for a higher level of EMS delivery to the victims and patients that need them. Then request an ISO evaluation (don't know or understand what that is then Google it). With the ISO would have been a reduction in rating which equates to lower Insurance premiums to individual home owners and a better selling point to industries, and business looking to come to Barrow County. That in turn puts money in everyone's pocket. It is a vicious cycle that we are headed to, people with a lot of training and experience are leaving, people with little to none are coming in. So when the tones drop for a structure fire with someone trapped who and how do you think that person is going to be rescued. Not by the single person on the engine and not by the rookie who is scared to death to go in the fire cause this is the first time he has been faced with it. I travel all over Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee looking at the burnt remains of fire scenes. You want to see how Professional Fire Departments function and get the job done then please let me know I will be glad to show you the difference any day of the week.

#11 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 04:07 PM [Reply]

The way I see it; Yearwood has his own agenda and that's to balance the budget, no matter how it's done. (My way or the highway)

The problem with this is he's putting the residence of Barrow County at risk but not allowing the fireman to get needed training. Should there be a fire at my house -- I WANT the fireman to be WELL TRAINED.

#11.1 Anonymous on 03/20/09 at 04:49 PM [Reply]

Hold on; nobody has banned training if it's state or federal mandated. This issue is about firemen taking a TEST on overtime, not the actual training. Too many rumors, too little facts.

#11.1.1 Anonymous on 03/21/09 at 06:31 AM [Reply]

And the problem with that is????? Overtime, Regular time, training is training.

Should I need one, I WANT THE FIREMAN WELL TRAINED. FIND THE MONEY TO CUT THE BUDGET SOMEWHERE ELSE.

#12 Anon on 03/21/09 at 02:04 PM [Reply]

Ladies and Gents

Please look into the current situation of the fire and emergency services in this county. Start asking questions and become educated on what Yearwood is doing to this department. Call you commissioners and Yearwood and tell them this is not what you pay taxes for and that you demand a change for your families.

I also ask Mr. Buffington or the staff at Barrow Journal to do the same and inform the public through their paper what is truly going on and not the smoke screen that Yearwood is trying to cast. We are at the point of make or break.

The employees and most importantly the citizens deserve a better and safer environment that what this chairman and commission are providing.

Eva, Steve, Isiah, Ben, Billy is this what your standing for, we deserve, expect and demand better from each of you (note the lack of calling to Larry, we all know he and Yearwood are in this together and be rest assured as we sign the RECALL papers for one, we will also sign the other) Fix our public safety before one of the employees or citizens are hurt or killed as a result of these actions!

#12.1 Peter O'Toole, Winder Georgia, on 03/22/09 at 07:19 AM [Reply]

I'll sign the petition for a recall

#13 FF MEDIC on 03/21/09 at 04:03 PM [Reply]

Dear Citizen of Barrow County,

I am a firefighter and paramedic as well as a citizen of the county.

Let be put this in terms that may assist you in understanding our plight. We do a difficult job every day that is physically and mental demanding as well as dangerous and many days tedious!

Every third day, regardless of weather, holidays and even in some cases our kid’s birthdays, we leave our homes, knowing in the back of our minds that we will put our lives on the line every shift, for someone we may never know. So off we go to our second home, and our second family. Yes I said “family” and like every family we have our differences, but when the tones drop we buck up and come to your aid.

We continue to do our job, unfortunately some think that we are a fraternity of “lazy” “freeloaders” or “Fools”... SO BE IT! All I know is that regardless of: sex, age, race, religion, family status, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, body size/shape and yes even political party affiliation, we are there to help you.

So please help us... Educate yourselves about the differences between NPQ 1 & 2, ISO ratings, NFPA 1710 & 1720, medical response protocols of YOUR department to better serve you. Make an informed decision about what is ultimately your say. Exercise your freedom of speech and contact those that can make a difference...

Some links of interest:
ISO impact on a Community:
http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x599196814/Layoffs-could-send-insurance-rates-soaring
NFPA 1710 FACT SHEET:
http://www.jcfd.org/1710.pdf

“Two in, Two Out”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-in,_two-out

“Survival from prehospital cardiac arrest is critically dependent upon response time”
http://www.erexpert.com/articles/survival%20depend%20response%20time.pdf

The safety of our firefighters and that of the public’s is our main concern.

#13.1 facts please on 03/22/09 at 06:59 AM [Reply]

While I appreciate the work done by emergency response folks in our county, you folks chose this job. The fact is that you have less risk of dying on the job than cab drivers, truck drivers, refuse collectors, electrical workers, roofers and dozens of other occupations. When you complain of "tedium" other people understand that to mean that you have nothing to do. You say you have to go to work regardless of the weather, as if the rest of us do not?

Please, stop the whining.

#13.1.1 I support the fireman and Chief Post on 03/22/09 at 05:52 PM [Reply]

Care to go into a burning building to save someone's life? I think not!

I'm not a fireman, related to a fireman, or employed by the county in any capacity. I just know what it takes to be a fireman and what risk they take.

While I have to go to work everyday, with the exception of snow or ice, I don't begrudge the fireman. Yes, I'm sure it can be a very boring job most of the time, but think about how you would feel if you needed a fireman, and there wasn't one. Hope you have damn good insurance and your house is insured for replacement value because should there be a fire and no fireman, you'll need it!!!!

Yearwood needs to balance the budget, I get that, but he needs to find the money from some other source. LEAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALONE

#13.1.1.1 Anon on 03/24/09 at 05:11 PM [Reply]

Sure I have "been there done that" as a unpaid volunteer I did for a reward that has nothing to do with money my training was on my time with my money so maybe you overpaid guys should be out there and start cutting the grass along the roadway and help the county out instead of whining and complaining in a station that the citizens of Barrow County provides for you, drawing a paycheck the citizens of Barrow County give to you.

#13.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 03/24/09 at 08:45 PM [Reply]

So, would you be one of the "volunteer" fireman, I watched argue over who's turn it was to hold the end of the hose while the building burnt down? And yes, this did happen -- in Barrow County! My husband helped the owner pull vehicles out of the building while the "volunteer" fireman "whined" over who's turn it was to hold the end of the hose!!!!

Should I need one, do I want an "untrained volunteer" or a trained professional? I vote for the trained professional!

#13.1.1.1.2 Anon on 03/25/09 at 12:03 AM [Reply]

Come and spend a day with us and just see how much of our paycheck is "given to us". Your sure to not come back here and continue to down talk what we do on a daily basis. Yes, yes, I know I picked this career and yes it was my choice but if I were not here doing it, would you be? Do you have the time available to volunteer for this department? Do you not think that 90% of us came from that same volunteer era, you bet we did. Do you not spend every birthday and other holiday with your families? What about first ball games and school recitials, you missing many of those? Did you sleep all night last night? Many of us did not. Missed any meals lately? I can count a few we left hot only to return to it being cold. We have, and yes (before you say it), we do it by CHOICE not for the money, but FOR YOU!!! For the citizens of this county. We do it for the love of a job well done, for a sense of giving and knowing that what we do might just make someones life different, better, and more meaningful. Each of you come here and speak on so much that you know so little about. Please either support us, our chief and our direction or don't. But please let it be, we are tired of hearing, reading and listening to negativity. Enough is enough, we welcome your support, we welcome your criticisms even, but lets get on another horse, I think this one is dead enough!

#13.1.1.1.3 Anonymous on 03/27/09 at 03:12 PM [Reply]

You know "Anon", I too were one of the former Volenteers. I hold them close to my heart. I know how many dropped what they did to leave their families to try help someone in need. Know why? I was once one myself. I have also been a full time fire Fighter. I am not saying one is better than the other. I am saying you said these people should cut grass on the side of the road. Why dont you volenteer to hit the ball feilds, maybe even ask what County building you could help repair. or could it be, your one of the ones who would show up on meeting night, sign a book, making sure you got two hours of training credit, then go home. Only to get your pension paid. Ever actually go inside a real fire? If you had learned anything at all, it would be, we have all done this for a reason. You would not be here slamming the people who do it now. Do you have time to volenteer now? If so, we do have one faithful person who shows up every Tuesday night. Drop by, fill out the paperwork, then show up on Tuesday nights. Bet you do not sign a paper then leave.

#13.1.1.1.3.1 Kurtis Cook on 04/27/09 at 10:58 AM [Reply]

Barrow County still has a vol. program? Where would i go to apply? I have GA FF2 and NPQ II. I live in Barrow. I thought Mitch did away with volunteers in the county.

#13.1.2 Facts on 03/24/09 at 07:54 PM [Reply]

Yes, some people do have to go to work regardless of the weather. Others, have to come in during a snow storm on their day off. I personally worked 36 hours straight with three hours of sleep. We roamed the county all night cutting trees, checking power lines, transporting the sick or injured, and even fought a house fire at 3AM. All done in extremely hazardous conditions. While others do have to work regardless of weather, few have to work in the conditions that the public safety personnel face.

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Barrow fire chief suspended for one week by Yearwood

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Barrow fire chief suspended for one week by Yearwood

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