Abbott steps down as SGI fire chief
Abbott gave verbal notice he was stepping down to the volunteer fire department's board of directors on
All residents of the island are invited to take part, and are free to nominate individuals to lead the department, but voting is reserved for the firefighters and first responders, of which there are about two dozen.
Abbott, 68, has been a member of the firefighting unit for the past 32 years, and was instrumental a year after he joined in 1986 in creating the first responder unit. He has served as chief for the past 27 years, during which time the main firehouse at
At the time of his resignation, Abbott was being paid
Those administrative duties are now being handled by
Sources within the department say Abbott's compensation had been a contentious issue with the board, with a series of attempts made to lessen his pay in conjunction with some administrative duties being farmed out to Roberson and Rowland.
Ultimately, Abbott was provided a severance package, the details of which have not been disclosed.
In addition to Hayes, board members include Vice President
"Jay did an excellent, excellent job for the 27 years he was chief, not just for
The roster of the island's volunteer firefighters, as listed on the department's website, includes
Volunteer first responders include
One challenge for the department, as well as the several other volunteer fire departments around the county, is that the state has instituted more stringent requirements Firefighter 1 certification, which enables an individual to enter the so-called "hot zone."
A fire district's ISO rating, which has a bearing on insurance rates, is also dependent on having firefighters who are duly certified through having taken the required course and passed the examination upon its completion.
Just three of the
That course also includes firefighters from
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