Town Council voted Monday night to bring charges against two of its four remaining suspended volunteer firefighters. The unspecified charges will be handled by a hearing officer, who will decide the firefighters' fates in the company, officials said.
Town Solicitor Brian Howell, who along with Town Business Administrator Jerry Barberio has investigated allegations against six firefighters, did not name the two who will face a hearing. He said he would not be more specific about the charges, either.
The hearing will not be public, but will be a private personnel hearing.
Six firefighters from Company No. 2 were named as suspended at a Sept. 28 council meeting. After the meeting Mayor Steve DiDonato said other volunteer firefighters had made allegations of sexual harassment, sending threatening text messages, and that one firefighter allegedly drove another firefighter off the road on purpose. "It's important to note there are volunteers that are going to be brought up on charges possibly ... and there are volunteers being treated inappropriately. There are volunteers on both sides of the equation," said DiDonato Monday night.
He also said the entire fire department, which includes two fire companies, will be put through many hours of training to help change the culture to eliminate harassment of any kind.