MILLBURY -- Lake Township is without a fire chief after the resignation of Chief Todd Walters, and two other first responders, amid an investigation.
According to officials in Millbury, township trustees announced the resignations at a special, closed-door meeting Thursday night. Officials say the departures of Chief Walters and Richard and Michelle Hallock stem from a "poor decision" the three made to allegedly use saline solution bags (intravenous-fluid) from the Millbury Fire Hall to treat an intoxicated, off-duty colleague at a wedding.
The Hallocks are married and are both firefighter EMT's.
"The Board is really saddened to take this action," Board Chairman Melanie Bowen said in a statement. "These are good people and we thanks them for their work in all the fires they fought and emergency runs they made. We especially need to remember all they did for us when the tornado struck..."
The board says the resignations were a result of "a poor decision" that was made. They further explained that, over the weekend, the three attended the wedding of colleague, a member of the Lake Twp. Fire Department, while off-duty. After becoming concerned about the level of intoxication of an off-duty sergeant and member of the Lake Twp. Police Department, the Hallocks drove the sergeant to his home outside the township and treated him with two bags of saline solution obtained from Lake Twp. Fire Station 2.
According to Bowen, "This is in violation of Lake Township regulations and standards of care. The Fire Chief (Walters) was at the wedding reception and this happened on his watch."
Walters had been the fire chief since 2009. Deputy Fire Chief Mike Hornyak has been appointed acting fire chief.
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