MASON - Fire Chief H. Michael Drumm is defending his leadership and changes he's made since taking the helm less than three months ago.

        Most of the people who spoke at City Council's fire ad hoc committee meeting earlier this week said the chief is responsible for sunken morale, shrinking staff and a lack of leadership.

        “This department needs a leader,” part-time firefighter Barbara Peters said at the meeting. “There's a lot of turmoil. There's a lot of disgust.”
       

Third chief in a year
        For his part, Chief Drumm, who did not attend the meeting, said he is trying to bring more structure to the fire department, which has seen three chiefs in the last year.

        Among the changes he's made: delegating more responsibility to his staff, changing which officers respond first to calls, stopping fire engines from appearing at birthday parties, and making ambulances — not fire engines — the initial responders to medical calls.

        “Maybe some of the changes I made were too quick. I made some harsh changes real quick,” said Chief Drumm, who was hired three months ago to replace Billy Goldfeder, who resigned in October. “... Maybe I should have been a little slower. But I don't think it has caused a mass exodus in personnel.”

        Between Feb. 20 and April 25, he said, 15 people left the fire department; eight to take full-time jobs, two new employees never showed up for work and never called, one person went back to school full-time, one was terminated, one left for medical reasons and two resigned for personal reasons. The fire department has 74 employees, most of them part-time and on call paid staffers.
       

Absence noted
        Rick Easter, a part-time and on-call paid firefighter, criticized Chief Drumm for not responding personally to an industrial fire last Friday at Cincinnati Fan. The fire resulted in $20,000 in damage. The chief said he was in Illinois, wrapping up his move to Mason.

        “The man has done some good things, so I don't want to be totally negative,” Mr. Easter said. “He's given his officers a little more authority than they had in the past.”

Perception counts
        Another criticism: A church in Mason recently called the fire department to ask for help to untangle a flag on a pole. When Chief Drumm declined, the church requested and received assistance from a neighboring fire department. The chief admits he made a mistake.

        “Even if we couldn't have helped, I failed as the chief by not helping them find a solution,” Chief Drumm said.

        “My firefighters paid the price in the perception that we have failed to provide a service to the community. I accept all responsibility for it.”

        City Council could make a recommendation as early as the next council meeting on May 14 on how to address the concerns raised at the meeting earlier this week.

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