BOW Accepts WFD Resignations, WPD Rehire
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Board member and City Council President Joe Thallemer and Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins approved the resignations. Councilman and board member Charlie Smith was absent during Friday's meeting.
Warsaw Human Resources Director Jennifer Whitaker said Kipker and Warren voluntarily resigned.
Whitaker said the captain positions are posted at both fire department stations, and the replacements will be hired internally. It will take several weeks to get through the letters of interest and interviews, according to Whitaker.
"I appreciate all of Ed's and Kreg's hard work and dedication, but we respect that this is their time they want to resign," Whitaker said.
Whitaker said she was surprised that Kipker and Warren decided to step back to the firefighter rank.
She said it can't be easy being a firefighter dealing with trauma much of the time, serving on 24-hour shifts and being required to attend mandatory training exercises.
"With the New Year here, I suppose it was a logical time to allow them to make the switch back to firefighters," Whitaker said.
WFD Chief Mike Rice said Kipker and Warren decided to resign on their own, and served the department well as captains. He also said the position changes have nothing to do with disciplinary reasons.
"It was their choice to resign, and they decided it was their time in their career to resign," Rice said.
"They started as firefighters and worked their way up, and the profession is demanding and people expect service out of us and it's getting tougher and tougher," Rice said.
According to Whitaker, Kipker's yearly salary will be reduced by 5.11 percent effective Sunday. His yearly salary as captain of the C shift was $54,364, and his yearly salary as a firefighter will be $51,719.
Kipker was hired March 1, 1981, and has served on the department as firefighter, lieutenant, assistant fire chief and captain.
On the other hand, Warren's yearly salary will be reduced by 5.20 percent effective Sunday. His yearly salary as captain of the B shift was $53,502, and his yearly salary as a firefighter will now be $50,857.
Warren was hired May 16, 1992, and has served as firefighter, lieutenant and captain.
The board also approved rehiring former Warsaw Police Dept. Patrolman Jaime de la Fuente at a $42,591 yearly salary effective Monday. He will replace Tony Faucett, who will retire Sunday after 20 years of service with WPD.
De la Fuente was employed by WPD from June 13, 2004, to March 19, 2009, Whitaker said.
He left the department and moved to Texas to be with family where he continued his law enforcement career, and recently moved back to Kosciusko County.
He is an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduate.[[In-content Ad]]In other business, the board approved a request from Staci Young, Warsaw Parks Department activities director, for a $15,000 contract between the city and Noisy S.O.D. Inc. for Classic Rock band Foghat to perform in Warsaw. They will be the headliner for this summer's Warsaw Parks Department summer concerts in Central Park.
The concert has been set for June 18 at 8 p.m. at The Glover Pavilion at Central Park, 117 E. Canal St., Warsaw.
The band is known for its songs "Slow Ride" and "That'll be the Day". Band members are Roger Earl, Bryan Bassett, Charlie Huhn and Craig MacGregor.
The board also:
- Approved Oakwood Cemetery purchasing 4.88 tons of limestone from Superior Excavating for $78.08 for the department's shop addition to fill low areas around the new addition.
- Approved an $828.16 maintenance service agreement contract between Cummins Crosspoint LLC and Warsaw Fire Department for maintenance for generators at the department's two stations.
- Approved a pre-audit consulting services agreement limited to $2,500 between R.W. Bassett & Associates and Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory for the company to provide consulting services for the new fire territory.
Rice said the fire territory will undergo a new Insurance Services Office audit that could benefit taxpaying homeowners. An ISO sets ratings that will determine what homeowner's fire insurance will be.
Board member and City Council President Joe Thallemer and Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins approved the resignations. Councilman and board member Charlie Smith was absent during Friday's meeting.
Warsaw Human Resources Director Jennifer Whitaker said Kipker and Warren voluntarily resigned.
Whitaker said the captain positions are posted at both fire department stations, and the replacements will be hired internally. It will take several weeks to get through the letters of interest and interviews, according to Whitaker.
"I appreciate all of Ed's and Kreg's hard work and dedication, but we respect that this is their time they want to resign," Whitaker said.
Whitaker said she was surprised that Kipker and Warren decided to step back to the firefighter rank.
She said it can't be easy being a firefighter dealing with trauma much of the time, serving on 24-hour shifts and being required to attend mandatory training exercises.
"With the New Year here, I suppose it was a logical time to allow them to make the switch back to firefighters," Whitaker said.
WFD Chief Mike Rice said Kipker and Warren decided to resign on their own, and served the department well as captains. He also said the position changes have nothing to do with disciplinary reasons.
"It was their choice to resign, and they decided it was their time in their career to resign," Rice said.
"They started as firefighters and worked their way up, and the profession is demanding and people expect service out of us and it's getting tougher and tougher," Rice said.
According to Whitaker, Kipker's yearly salary will be reduced by 5.11 percent effective Sunday. His yearly salary as captain of the C shift was $54,364, and his yearly salary as a firefighter will be $51,719.
Kipker was hired March 1, 1981, and has served on the department as firefighter, lieutenant, assistant fire chief and captain.
On the other hand, Warren's yearly salary will be reduced by 5.20 percent effective Sunday. His yearly salary as captain of the B shift was $53,502, and his yearly salary as a firefighter will now be $50,857.
Warren was hired May 16, 1992, and has served as firefighter, lieutenant and captain.
The board also approved rehiring former Warsaw Police Dept. Patrolman Jaime de la Fuente at a $42,591 yearly salary effective Monday. He will replace Tony Faucett, who will retire Sunday after 20 years of service with WPD.
De la Fuente was employed by WPD from June 13, 2004, to March 19, 2009, Whitaker said.
He left the department and moved to Texas to be with family where he continued his law enforcement career, and recently moved back to Kosciusko County.
He is an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduate.[[In-content Ad]]In other business, the board approved a request from Staci Young, Warsaw Parks Department activities director, for a $15,000 contract between the city and Noisy S.O.D. Inc. for Classic Rock band Foghat to perform in Warsaw. They will be the headliner for this summer's Warsaw Parks Department summer concerts in Central Park.
The concert has been set for June 18 at 8 p.m. at The Glover Pavilion at Central Park, 117 E. Canal St., Warsaw.
The band is known for its songs "Slow Ride" and "That'll be the Day". Band members are Roger Earl, Bryan Bassett, Charlie Huhn and Craig MacGregor.
The board also:
- Approved Oakwood Cemetery purchasing 4.88 tons of limestone from Superior Excavating for $78.08 for the department's shop addition to fill low areas around the new addition.
- Approved an $828.16 maintenance service agreement contract between Cummins Crosspoint LLC and Warsaw Fire Department for maintenance for generators at the department's two stations.
- Approved a pre-audit consulting services agreement limited to $2,500 between R.W. Bassett & Associates and Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory for the company to provide consulting services for the new fire territory.
Rice said the fire territory will undergo a new Insurance Services Office audit that could benefit taxpaying homeowners. An ISO sets ratings that will determine what homeowner's fire insurance will be.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092