Limerick fire chief asks board to uphold termination amid dispute over lights, radio use and town water; appellant alleges due‑process violation and retaliation

The Limerick select board heard a public grievance appeal on July 7 from firefighter Stephen McLean after Fire Chief Jared Welsh terminated McLean. At the hearing, McLean’s attorney, Scott Dolan, said the town and chief denied McLean a required testimonial hearing and that the termination was unlawful retaliation and age‑based discrimination. Dolan asked the board to either reverse the termination or grant McLean a full hearing before the board.

Dolan told the board that McLean was not given an evidentiary hearing and cited the Maine Administrative Procedure Act in arguing McLean should have had a chance to call and cross‑examine witnesses; he also said the charges cited in the termination letter did not point to clear, preexisting department rules for some allegations, including use of station water and lights. Dolan said McLean and another long‑serving firefighter had raised safety concerns about department maintenance and that McLean’s public comments on equipment precede his suspension, which Dolan called evidence of retaliatory motive.

Chief Jared Welsh, who said he has more than 20 years of fire and EMS experience and has led the Limerick department since Jan. 1, 2026, described a different account. Welsh summarized a timeline of written warnings, prior discipline and incident reports that, he said, showed repeated misuse of personal emergency lights (blue lights), improper radio traffic that can tie up a shared emergency frequency used by multiple towns, and the unauthorized filling of private vehicles from the department’s unmetered station line. Welsh said he reviewed department security footage and written statements and offered McLean the opportunity to meet and confront the allegations; McLean declined. Welsh said those incidents undermined the department’s safety and his ability to rely on McLean during emergency responses and that prior, lesser discipline had not corrected the behavior.

Representing the town and the chief, attorney Justin Carey disputed Dolan’s reliance on the APA and said the Maine APA does not apply to municipal personnel proceedings in this context. Carey outlined the procedural steps McLean received—notice of charges, predetermination letters and an opportunity to respond—and pointed to the town’s personnel policy and existing SOGs (standard operating guidelines) that the record shows have governed personnel conduct. Carey said the question before the board was whether the chief had "just cause" for termination, and he contended the record supports that conclusion.

Both sides disputed whether the department had a specific written policy about filling station water for private use. Board members and speakers noting local custom described decades of informal practice where firefighters filled trucks or assisted residents in need; the chief and counsel told the board no express, department‑wide water policy was on file. Counsel for McLean said a red‑light SOG labeled "SOG 17" was not included in McLean’s known SOG packet and that the SOG was produced late in the process; the chief and counsel said SOGs and personnel policies addressing radio use, lights and insubordination were available in the department files.

The hearing included extended questioning from board members and multiple citizen remarks. At the end of the allotted time, the chair closed the public hearing portion and said the select board will render a final decision within 30 working days, per town personnel rules. No final disciplinary ruling was made at the meeting.

What happens next: the select board will review the exhibits and presentations and issue its written decision within the 30‑working‑day period specified by the town’s personnel policy. Both sides said they would be available to answer additional questions, and counsel for McLean asked that the board consider granting a full board hearing if the board finds the evidentiary record inadequate.

Quote examples from the hearing: "The fire chief's decision to fire Steve McLean from the fire department is wholly unwarranted," said Scott Dolan, attorney for the appellant. "I cannot do that if I cannot trust that a firefighter responding in urgent situations will follow directions," Fire Chief Jared Welsh said in explaining the termination.

Ending: The board closed the grievance hearing and recessed for a break before continuing its regular agenda. A final decision on McLean’s appeal will be issued in writing within the town’s 30‑working‑day deadline.