Disagreement between Waldron and a majority of the Frenchtown Fire Board has prompted him to take an extended leave of absence from the department.
Waldron also has sought legal counsel. And attorney Stacey Weldele-Wade wrote a letter to trustees outlining the chief's allegations against the board for breach of contract and creating a hostile work environment.
In 18 years as fire chief, Waldron has never taken a two-week vacation during the peak of wildfire season, and said he wouldn't start now except the situation is serious.
Waldron declined further comment for this story pending consultation with his attorney, but the letter Weldele-Wade sent to the board outlines his frustrations.
He alleges the board has stripped him of duties, his ability to manage staff and seek training opportunities. The letter also accuses the board of micromanagement.
“Because of these serious breaches in his Employment Agreement Š which make it impossible for Chief Waldron to continue to perform his duties to the Frenchtown Rural Fire District in a professional manner, Chief Waldron has been effectively terminated by the Fire District,” according to the letter.
Fire Board Chairman Mitchell Hicks declined comment regarding the letter because it deals with personnel matters, saying that “Scott Waldron's right to privacy heavily outweighs the public's right to know at this time.”
But Waldron's conspicuous absence from the station, the sudden resignation of longtime fire board member Tom Mahlum during an Aug. 11 board meeting, and the staff's decision to unionize earlier this year all point to the tension that has escalated within the Frenchtown Fire District between fire personnel and the board.
The effects are beginning to reverberate into the community.
In a statement released by the Frenchtown Career Firefighters Local 4654, the union talks of Waldron as a buffer between its members and the fire board. Since his absence, the employees say the “lack of respect and trust on the part of the Board to the staff is disheartening and apparent. We have concerns that this dysfunctional relationship has serious ramifications for the Fire District, as well as for the safety of the public and responders.”
One recent decision by the fire board even has Missoula County employees scratching their heads.
At a July 14 board meeting, over Waldron's objection, the fire board voted to no longer allow staff to review subdivisions. These reviews make sure roads are wide enough for emergency vehicles to get into a subdivision and that there's sufficient water supply should a fire erupt.
The issue has become controversial over the years.
The state of Montana requires new subdivisions to have some sort of water supply for fire protection, but the law is vague and left mostly up to local governments to define.
In many cases in Missoula County, developers often have one of two choices: They can dig a well and install a holding tank, or require homeowners to install fire sprinklers upon construction. Developers typically choose fire sprinklers because it's the less expensive alternative. But the choice is widely unpopular in many circles because it drives up the overall cost of a home.
Reviewing subdivisions is not part of the fire district's mission, chairman Hicks said. It is the county's responsibility. It is a building issue, not a fire issue, he said.
Many local fire districts disagree. Nearly every rural volunteer fire station in Missoula County provides some feedback to planners on new subdivisions in their district.
“I'm saddened by the decision,” said Missoula Rural Deputy Fire Chief Brent Christopherson. “It may affect firefighter safety and its citizenry's safety. If they are not going to do it, who is going to make sure those things are taken care of? If someone dies or is harmed Š then whose responsibility is it going to be?”
It's not as if subdivisions in Frenchtown won't be reviewed for fire safety, though. The county is charged with the health, welfare and safety of the public.
But no one in the Office of Planning and Grants, the agency that reviews subdivisions and presents a recommendation to the commissioners, has any fire expertise, said director Roger Millar.
It's likely the county will have to contract the work to someone who does, said Mary McCrea, senior planner with the Office of Planning and Grants.
Frenchtown was compensated for its subdivision reviews. Developers paid $530 per lot for Frenchtown fire to review subdivisions. The fee covered staff time and paperwork. Not all fire districts charge a fee, however. Missoula Rural Fire District, for example, does not.
Losing that revenue does not concern Hicks.
If the fire district charged exactly what it cost to perform the reviews, then not doing them won't be a loss. It only frees up staff to perform other duties, he said.
“It zeroes out,” he said. “It's a wash.”
Now that the burden falls to the county, staff is in the process of quantifying the issue.
Three or four building permits are held up awaiting review by a fire agency. The county is adding up the number of proposed subdivisions in the area and the number of subdivisions that the commissioners have previously approved, pending inspection by a fire agency.
The disagreement over whether to perform subdivision reviews is only one of several matters with which Waldron takes issue.
Others include board decisions to no longer pay for trips outside of the district, prohibiting firefighters from going on wildland fire calls outside the district, requiring a detailed accounting of miles put on department vehicles, and making it difficult to hire and recruit.
Waldron is asking the board for severance pay through the remainder of his contract.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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