We are taking a closer look at a volunteer fire department that has come under scrutiny in recent weeks for failing to meet minimum staffing requirements. Our investigation has raised questions about the staffing levels at the Leland Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, and the composition of its Board of Directors, which is made up exclusively of Chief John Grimes and his subordinates at the department, including his wife.
The LVFRD is on probation with the state for failing to have enough firefighters responding to four different calls this year. Leland responded to more than 1,800 calls in 2015 so this represents a small fraction of their total calls. But unless they correct their staffing issues, the state has threatened to drop LVFRD’s fire service district rating from a 6 to a 10, which would significantly increase insurance costs for home and business owners.
During a recent presentation to Leland Town Council, LVFRD Chief John Grimes explained that 69 percent of the department’s $2.5 million budget went to personnel expenses.
Since Chief Grimes had repeatedly mentioned that the department had just 20 “career firefighters,” we were surprised that personnel costs would run nearly $2 million a year. When we asked him about this after the presentation, Grimes explained that they also have 32 part-time employees on the payroll.