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Retired Charlotte fire chief offers to mediate Sigurd volunteer fire-department dispute
Summary
Paul Wilkinson, a retired Charlotte Fire Department division chief, told the Sigurd council he will interview firefighters, review documentation and produce options to restore the volunteer department. Wilkinson emphasized accountability and transparency and said he will produce a written report; council authorized staff to let him meet with fire members.
Paul Wilkinson, who identified himself as a retired division chief from the Charlotte Fire Department, told the Sigurd Town Council on May 21 he would act as a neutral reviewer to help restore the volunteer fire department.
Wilkinson described plans to collect documentation (charter, budgets, training and personnel files), conduct station visits, interview members one-on-one for candid information, and provide a written set of options the council could choose. "Accountability and transparency are two main things," Wilkinson said, adding that he would prepare a written report with multiple options and recommended steps.
Council members and residents asked about cost and confidentiality. Wilkinson said he had no financial stake and would not demand significant payment; if the town wished to pay him, he would accept modest compensation but otherwise would pursue the work as a neutral contributor. He noted that some records may be legally restricted (labor laws, HIPAA) and that anything that cannot be publicly released would be clearly footnoted or redacted. "There will be some parts that are... better not to talk about," he told the council, describing a process in which some sensitive items would be handled confidentially while a general findings report would be shared publicly.
Council members asked Wilkinson to speak individually with fire department members and report back; several council members said a one-on-one approach likely will yield more candid information than a large-group meeting. Residents urged public documentation and transparency for the final findings. The council agreed to allow Wilkinson to conduct interviews and to have a town representative and a fire-department representative work with him as primary contacts.
Wilkinson promised a final written report and a set of recommended options to restore operations, improve documentation, and address training and equipment needs. There was no formal procurement action recorded at the meeting; council authorized the consultant to proceed with outreach and assessment work under a neutral engagement framework.
