Westbrook out as city fire chief

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Vicksburg firefighters listen as Mayor Laurence Leyens talks about Chief Kevin Westbrook’s resignation. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[02/27/02]After four and a half years in the top spot, Kevin Westbrook is stepping down as chief of the Vicksburg Fire Department.

Mayor Laurence Leyens called a meeting and announced Tuesday to about half the personnel of the 117-member department that Westbrook’s last day as chief will be Friday. The mayor said the city will begin a nationwide search to find a replacement and will announce an interim chief by the end of the week.

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Leyens said attitudes in the fire department are bad. “I am incredibly disappointed in the culture we have in the fire department today,” he said. “I haven’t seen anyone with a few exceptions to step up.”

Westbrook, who did not attend the meeting, said later he would be moving to code enforcement. Former Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Scott moved to code enforcement in September.

“It’s just time for a change,” said Westbrook, who has been with the Vicksburg department for 23 years. “I’m ready to move on to something different.”

Leyens also chastised the firefighters for not “rising above the culture” that has existed in the department in recent years.

“When I go by a fire station and I see you sitting outside with your feet propped up it doesn’t impress me and it doesn’t impress the taxpayers,” Leyens said.

Tuesday, Leyens suggested firefighters spend more time cleaning stations, making repairs or bringing in area children to their stations.

Although no department heads were replaced when the three members of the city board took office in July, several have been since. Personnel director Wayne Roberts was fired and Police Chief Mitchell Dent was demoted twice and resigned last week.

“I know it seems like you got a lot of spankings and not enough pats on the back,” North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young told firefighters. “We do think a lot of you and that’s why we want to see you do the very best.”

The Vicksburg Fire Department has been one of the state’s top-rated in terms of pay, training and equipment. Virtually all trucks, ambulances, radios and other equipment are state of the art and a bid accepted two weeks ago was for another engine for $690,000.

Problems began between the new administration and the fire department before the election with a rumor in the fire department that if elected Leyens would make the city department all-volunteer. Leyens denounced the rumor as political and bought advertising, sent letters and met with firefighters to deny it.

Shortly after the new administration took office, plans were announced to make the Vicksburg police officers the highest-paid in the state, but when no fire department pay changes were announced at that time, many of the firefighters complained.

At the time, Leyens said the department leadership was at fault for not making the process clear.

Since, the city has restructured the fire department’s pay scale in a manner similar to the police where new recruits will start at a base pay, but be able to move up to the highest level in the state during the first year by meeting certain incentives. The police department’s new pay scale will begin April 1.

“I don’t think there is any question about how good you are,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman, whose son is a Vicksburg firefighter. “The problem is that everybody is too worried about what everybody else is doing.”

This administration is not the first to have difficulties with the fire department. Two years ago, under the administration of former Mayor Robert Walker, a rift between City Hall and firefighters erupted when the city board voted to not allow premium cable TV channels at fire stations.

Westbrook was named chief to replace Doris Sprouse in 1997 as the previous city administration took office. He was paid a salary of $48,000 annually and will be eligible for retirement in 18 months.

There was no word on what salary will be advertised for the job. When Moffett was hired to replace Dent, the new chief was offered $80,000, about $25,000 more than the person he was replacing.