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Consultant says firefighters used to relaxed leadership
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After numerous complaints from firefighters, a review has been conducted on McMinnville Fire Department in hopes of stemming the ongoing controversy.City officials asked the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) to review the department, determine where the discontent lies, and make suggestions for change. Fire management consultant Dennis Wolf performed the review and compiled a 40-page assessment.Among his findings, Wolf said firefighters don’t like heavy-handed leadership. He also said they don’t hesitate to go over the head of the fire chief if they are upset.According to Wolf, one of the problems is resistance from firefighters in transitioning from a relaxed leadership style under former fire chief Kevin Lawrence to one that is more rigid under current Fire Chief Keith Martin.“There are problems with the leadership in the fire department, and the cause of these problems goes back many years,” Wolf said in the study.