By JASON MICHAEL WHITE

INGALLS — A firefighter went outside, got his fire equipment and tossed it to the sidewalk after listening to the Town Council fire his chief.

But what remains unclear is whether the council had the legal right to oust the chief of a volunteer department. The fate of the department is also uncertain since no one is running it.

Town Council members Monday voted 3-1 to fire Fire Chief Josh Benson, citing concerns about horseplay at the fire station that he failed to address. Councilwoman Cheryl Martin voted against the motion, because she did not believe the council had the right to fire the chief of a volunteer department.

The council majority said the firing was valid, because Benson was the head of a town department and compensated by the town.

Councilman Tim Green offered to make Assistant Chief Daniel Robnolte the acting head of the department until volunteer firefighters could appoint a replacement. But Robnolte was quick to shoot the offer down.

“I‘m not interested in it,” he said. “What you guys are doing isn’t right.”

Firefighter Josh Caudill agreed. The volunteers at the department are responsible for voting in the chief and voting him out, he said. He questioned the council’s reasons for wanting Benson gone.

“We want to know why,” he said. “We think it’s a personal vendetta.”

Green was quick to defend the council’s decision.

“If you want to say it’s a personal vendetta, you’re wrong,” he said. “I like the guy.”

About a week ago, the council met in executive session with Benson to discuss concerns about the fire department. The department was not being run professionally and had problems with horseplay and teens using the station as a party house, Green said.

The council made a list of suggested improvements for the department, and not a single suggestion was followed, Green said. Councilwoman Joye Orr visited the station three days after Benson was given the list, and conditions were worse instead of better, Green said.

He did not elaborate on the horseplay, because he did not want to publicly belittle Benson.