North Bench without a chief

THREE MILE — It was standing room only at the North Bench Volunteer Fire District annual meeting on Saturday as many district members wanted to know why Chief Tony Shope had been fired.

Tension was palpable, as both district members and firefighters demanded answers from board members over the surprise move. 

The seven-member board has lost four members since the start of the year with three members resigning in February. Only Dave Lorenz, Ken Homik and Greg Mead remained on the board. 

The firing dominated the district’s Feb. 14 annual meeting. On Tuesday, Feb. 19 Shope was given a letter, signed by Board Chair Lorenz, informing him that his employment was immediately terminated and was escorted off the district property. 

“We are going in a new direction. We do appreciate your efforts and wish you nothing but the best as you pursue your career choices with some other employment,” Lorenz told Shope in the letter.

Shope and his wife, Victoria were trespassed from the property. Victoria Shope was also removed from the department’s auxiliary. 

Shope said the termination follows “several very terse [sic] months” between himself and the board. 

“I'd like to say it’s surprising, but it’s not,” he said, noting the termination is difficult after everything he and the firefighters have worked on together. 

Many of those present at the annual meeting demanded answers, saying they had concerns about the district moving forward. 

At the meeting, Homik asked district residents to give the board “grace,” noting the many changes over the past couple of days and telling those gathered they are doing the best they can. 

Residents also expressed concern over a possible $6,000 discrepancy in the district’s finances.

Members suggested opt-in for email notifications and online payment forms to cut down mailing costs for sending out membership invoices. 

North Bench will eventually be moving Station 1 to a new property the district purchased this year near U.S. 95 and Echo Drive on the west side of the roadway for $350,000. The district received $150,000 when covering the Kootenai River Complex fires in 2022 and used the money as a down payment on the six-acre site. District officials plan to sell half of the acreage to pay off the remainder of the loan.

NBVFD pursued the move since the district is being charged $3,000 a month to rent on its Boundary County Airport site. Before they did not pay rent, but due to the Federal Aviation Administration requiring the airport to charge tenants more to receive FAA funding, North Bench is now receiving a hefty bill. 

On the topic of Shope’s termination, Homik said the decision was unanimous by the three remaining board members, that it was in the best interest of district constituents. However, because the matter is a personnel issue, board members said they are limited in what they can discuss in public. 

The decision to remove Shope was unpopular with the firefighters, who told the board they felt “blind sided” by the move. 

However, Fred Nystrom, who resigned from the board on Feb. 14, said Shope signed contracts and made decisions without telling the board, only letting them know after the fact. Such decisions, the former board member said, are the responsibility of the board.

Shope also decided to forgo his salary in order for those funds to go back to the district and be a nest egg going to the purchase of the property. However, Nystrom said, Shope went to the district’s bookkeeper, asking that his salary not be paid out. It was only after two months of the former chief not being paid that the board found out he was refusing to take his salary. 

“We did not take the decision lightly,” Homik said. “We wanted to be here at this meeting with a chief.” 

District members and firefighters said even if Shope was overstepping his role, he should have never been trespassed unless he was facing criminal charges. Others claimed the board didn’t want Shope to say things that might paint them in a bad light or that they didn’t want to hear. Another person said the move was “a hostile takeover.”

Homik denied those claims, saying speaking about personnel issues would put the district in a “tight spot” legally. 

Lorenz, the board president, was installed as interim chief. As a contingency plan if the firefighters opted to walk off, the board said if the district receives a call Lorenz would respond to the scene and give incident command to Paradise Valley or South Boundary Fire Districts when they responded as well. 

Homik said the board understands firefighters’ concern and hopes they stay, adding he doesn’t want to see them walk away. 

Fire districts in Boundary County respond in mutual aid to calls of service. 

Lorenz said this plan was a matter of “prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” 

An elderly district member asked what happens if there is a fire at his house tomorrow, will someone come. Many present firefighters indicated they would respond by a show of hands. 

Present in the meetings was South Boundary Fire Protection District Chief Alan Merritt, who said this is not a hostile takeover from the other fire districts, and that South Boundary is here to help in regard to mutual aid as they have always been. 

In response to rumors that fire district lines were changing, he said there was no discussion of that at the last chiefs meeting. 

During public comment, Tom Chaney, volunteer firefighter at Paradise Valley and North Bench district member said, “we [firefighters] are here to protect, not pledge to serve a person.”

Many North Bench volunteer firefighters spoke of the shock of losing Shope and wished they had been able to talk with the board before a decision was made. Many asked Lorenz not be re-elected nor remain interim chief, noting they did not trust him to lead them, and wouldn’t follow him into a burning building. Many lost trust in the board. 

District members spoke of coming back together and continuing the mission — that of having a fire district. 

At the board elections, Lorenz, although nominated, declined to accept the post, saying that if he was gone things might clear up between the board and firefighters.

Filling the two open seats up for election was Casey West and Joy Edwards. Earlier this month to fill the vacant seats not up for election, Aaron Rutherford and Mike Cupper were appointed. 

North Bench will post a job opening for the chief position. 

    Ken Homik, NBVFD board member, opens the annual meeting in front of a packed room.