Outgoing chief burned out over legal bickering
Podcast Episode
Kyle Geissler talks with Janesville Gazette reporter Stacy Vogel about the resignation of the Edgerton fire chief.
EDGERTON — John Gietzel used to enjoy firefighting.
After all, he spent 17 years as a volunteer with the Edgerton Fire Protection District.
But after six years as chief, he said he’s grown disillusioned by the bickering and egos on the fire district commission and among the volunteers.
The bickering has been especially intense over the last four years as three fired employees challenged the district in a lengthy court battle.
“It felt like I couldn’t move forward with all the fighting and bickering going on,” he said. “I basically became burnt out.”
That burnout is one of the reasons Gietzel gives for resigning as fire chief effective Jan. 12. The other reason is he’s moving to Roscoe, Ill.
Gietzel’s announcement comes the same week three full-time employees returned to work, following a Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission order issued in 2004. The fire district challenged the order in a series of appeals.
On Aug. 16, the Fourth Court of Appeals upheld the ruling, ordering the employees reinstated with back pay. The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear the case in November, effectively bringing the legal case to a close.
But Gietzel is not resigning because the employees were reinstated, he said. In fact, he said, he’s glad they’re coming back.
“I told (the employees) I wish them the best of luck, and I hope things work out for them,” he said.
Gietzel thought the firings were shortsighted and hopes the district settles quickly with the employees’ union, he said.
He’s also unhappy with the way the fire chief is selected, he said.
Currently, the volunteers elect the chief, but Gietzel believes the district should appoint a chief. Otherwise, chiefs are afraid to discipline the volunteers for fear they won’t be reelected, he said.
Commission Chairman Jim Linsley said he’s raised the idea with the commission, but it has yet to take action.
“The appointed chief thing is a good idea, but the district board has enough on their plate right now,” he said.
Linsley said the district will miss Gietzel’s firefighting knowledge and experience.
“He kind of lived and breathed (firefighting) for quite a while, so he had quite a substantial knowledge of firefighting and volunteer departments and the law regulating them,” Linsley said.
Gietzel’s resignation will not become official until the volunteers vote to accept it, which will probably happen Monday, said Lt. Adam Walton, public information officer with the department.
The volunteers already were scheduled to hold an officer election Jan. 12, which will go on as planned. Until then, Deputy Fire Chief Brian Demrow and Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Beckwith probably will share leadership, Walton said.
Gietzel said he will remain with the department “as a consultant” until the election.
“I wish everyone well, and I’ve had some good times and some bad times, but I’m looking forward to moving on with my life,” he said.
Dec 8, 2007 at 9:17 p.m.
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I have no problem with John Gietzel moving out of town, but let's set the facts straight. He has been absent from training practices and fire calls for months now because he has been living out of town. John Gietzel was a good chief for many years, but he has not been acting as chief for some time now. Perhaps the bickering that he is refering to is because of the lack of his presence and leadership. It is time for him to leave; he should have stepped down months ago. But I am confused by the statements printed here. He has been a strong advocate supporting the elimination of the full time positions in the past. Why the change of opinion now? Did the Gazette represent the comments correctly?
Dec 7, 2007 at 1:38 p.m.
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Pumpkin
Dec 6, 2007 at 9:48 a.m.
"As a tax paying citizen of Edgerton I’m glad that someone is looking out for how our money is spent!"
Who is your "someone" Pumpkin? Each and every legal appeal by the Fire District Board was defeated - the decisions are on-line, and the written opionions are not kind to the Fire Board's legal counsel. Was all that attorney time provided free of charge to the taxpayers? Losing as bad as the Fire Board lost by should compel the legal counsel to refund his fees. And if the only people who "care" about the community are those who work for free, then what does that say about the police department? And I have to ask, do the "volunteers" at the fire station REALLY work for nothing? Does Chair Linsley run the Fire Board meetings for free? Surely the chair and the Fire Board get paid something. But I may be wrong. And if Fire departments can be 100% volunteer, then why not have volunteer patrol officers?
Dec 6, 2007 at 9:51 p.m.
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As a citizen of Edgerton, I support the Edgerton "Volunteers" Fire Dept for one reason and one reason only because the Volunteers are always there for the community and not the money! No need for the 3 full time guys. What a waste of money!!
Dec 6, 2007 at 12:43 p.m.
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Union?...was it necessary?
Terminate jobs?....Could have been done differently w/o objection
Fire chief.....Resign now, not when convenient.
Fire board?....all need to be replaced after this fiasco.
Fire district attorney?...appologize to citizens for your ill advised legal defense. After every defeat, what did you base any arguments on?
Edgerton?...stand behind your volunteers, they are the only ones who have always had your best interests in mind.
Dec 6, 2007 at 9:48 a.m.
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Maybe Beckwith and Linsley are trying to do what’s right for the people of Edgerton – why should the tax payers employ someone for $60,000 a year to answer the phones and clean the fire station when they have volunteers who will do it for free because they want to? The full timers wanted a salary equivalent to a Janesville firefighter. I’m sorry, but there is no way you can compare Janesville to Edgerton…that’s just silly. Also, if the three full timers were serious about the fire station they wouldn’t have disappeared for the past few years. They would have made an effort to learn the new equipment and get the same training offered to the other volunteers. They have not participated in the training and had no involvement with the station – but now they expect the volunteers to take even more time away from their families to train them and bring them back up to speed? How is that fair to the volunteers and their families?
Your comments show that you really don’t know what you’re talking about – if Gietzel was so concerned about putting the safety of the people first then where has he been the past several months? Why is he still collecting his chief’s pay while living in Rockton IL?
As a tax paying citizen of Edgerton I’m glad that someone is looking out for how our money is spent!
Dec 5, 2007 at 5:39 p.m.
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It appears that labor relations between the full-time Edgerton firemen and Chief-in-Waiting Beckwith is circling the drain. Given that guy's quotes from previous articles, how could the Fire Board consider for one minute to allow Beckwith to replace Gietzel?
This person Gietzel sounds like the consumate professional. His desire to keep peace between the "volunteers" and the returning full-time firemen demonstrates he placed residents and safety first.
This person Beckwith seems to be rallying the "volunteers" to quit their service.
And there is that name again, Fire Board Chair Linsley. He has either been completely duped by the Fire Board's legal counsel, or, he is as hostile towards the full time firemen as Mr. Beckwith is.
If reasonable people like Mr. Gietzel leave, then what is left behind?
My guess is the work environment at the station will be so hostile as to be nearly intolerable for those 3 firemen. Asst. Chief Beckwith, Fire Board Chair Linsley and that Commander Walton are likely to be conspiring to set strategies to push the three to resign.
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