The fallout from the firing of former Osage Beach Fire Protection District chief Jeff Dorhauer continues.
Paid and volunteer firefighters are aligning themselves with Dorhauer, questioning the action of two board members and demanding the former chief be reinstated.
For some, like Joe Bartels, what has transpired over the last several days is a disgrace, a political move that he believes will backfire on the district if the board doesn’t correct the situation.
“This is a total outrage. I was a volunteer for 8 years,” Bartels said. “Dorhauer was my hero, we fought fires, cut people out of cars, and many, many other situations. He is the best, is honest, would work with us on his own time to teach any one of us anything to improve our skills. This is by far one of the worst mistakes Osage Beach has ever made and it’s all political.”
Bartels says maybe some of the board members who have not been in burning buildings or cut someone out of a car who is dying need to be replaced. The board’s action has a lot of people, both friends and fellow firefighters outraged.
“This is a terrible move,” he said. “I will fight for him, all the way. We need to bring him home to the fire station where he belongs.”
Bartel’s comments reflect the feelings of many in the community. At a meeting Wednesday evening, Dorhauer spoke to a packed room to address what has taken place.
Dorhauer was fired earlier this week following a lengthy executive session. The emergency meeting was called by two members of the board, Marlen Frank and Jim Schneider. Tom Kasmarzik, the third member of the board, stormed out of the executive session and later resigned. He said the fire chief was acting in the best interests of the district and had done nothing wrong.
Kasmarzik said Dorhauer was set up by the other members of the board.
Since the meeting, Kasmarzik and Dorhauer have spoken out publicly, taking aim at the board’s decision. The dispute that led to Dorhauer’s firing appears to be related to the budget and how the district was handling it.
The district has its regular board meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the main station on Bluff Drive. Firefighters, volunteers and a representative from the International Association of Firefighters are expected to attend.
The board has declined to discuss the Dorhauer’s firing, saying it is a personnel issue.
Contact this reporter at
joyce.miller@lakesunonline.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Osage Beach Fire Protection District is a separate taxing entity from the city of Osage Beach. The city does provide ambulance service but not fire service. The city and surrounding area is included in the fire protection district. It is funded through a tax levy assessed against personal property and real estate.
Osage Beach, Mo. —
