Johnson out as fire chief

BONNERS FERRY — Paradise Valley Fire Chief Jock Johnson was ousted with little fanfare April 16 and temporarily replaced by former deputy chief Doug Ladely Jr.

“Jock is no longer fire chief as of April 16,” said district board member Rod Ferreira. “We haven’t had the chance yet to meet as a board to choose a permanent replacement, and that’s all I can say.”

Johnson’s tenure sparked some heated controversy following the formation of the Paradise Valley Fire District,

Ferreria said in a public meeting Friday that the Paradise Valley Fire District board voted unanimously to fire Johnson.

Ferreria told The Herald he was not at liberty to give a reason for the decision to fire Johnson.

Johnson was a volunteer when the taxing district replaced the former Paradise Valley Fire Association in the 2008 general election, and he was hired on as full-time chief with a budgeted salary of $45,000 by the first board overseeing the district on the grounds that having a full-time chief on duty would result in homeowner’s insurance savings.

Paradise Valley residents served by the new district thought the salary, and the district’s overall budget of $243,000 was excessive, and November 2009, district residents ousted the entire original board by huge margins, bringing in the current board; Ferreira, Orrin Everhart and Brad Holifield.

Their first order of business after they were sworn in January 11, 2010, was to reduce the budget and the chief’s salary, which dropped to $24,000 a year, reducing his hours at the same time to 20 per week.

Everhart said the Paradise Valley Fire District Chief job will be posted with the Idaho Department of Labor this week.

Staff  writer Julie Golder contributed to this story.