By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
October 13, 2004
The recently resigned chief of the Byram Volunteer Fire Department said he will not return to the company, citing bad blood with the department's board over the suspension of its assistant chief.
"I'll go back to Byram when hell freezes over," former chief Aaron Stahl said.
Stahl, 39, a 22-year veteran of the department, stepped down Sept. 1 after the department's board of directors denied his request to reinstate Keith Creamer, the first assistant chief. Byram officials suspended Creamer late this summer, but have declined to discuss the reasons for the suspension. After his resignation, Stahl initially characterized his departure as a "break" and that he might return to the department as chief or a member.
"But now I want nothing else to do with the department," Stahl said. "I do not believe in the decisions the Board of Directors are making."
Stahl said regardless of the circumstances of Creamer's suspension, the absence of Creamer as a regular responder to fire calls had hindered fire protection for the Byram community.
"Keith is a valuable asset to the firehouse and to me as chief," Stahl said. "For them to hold him out this long really bothers me."
Thomas Greco, president of the board of directors, declined comment on the suspension, and said an investigation of Creamer is ongoing.
Stahl said he might later join another town company or the Port Chester Fire Department as a volunteer.
While Stahl said the Byram department has several seasoned firefighters, he is concerned about the lack of experience among the company's volunteer ranks.
"The Byram district is in a lot of trouble and there are only a few good guys left in Byram," Stahl said.
Greco said the department's volunteer ranks are well-trained, and said that Stahl's attacks are baseless.
"We have a great group of both 'firematic' and administration people at the department and whatever Aaron says is just the feeling of one member," Greco said.
Creamer has said -- and Stahl said yesterday -- that Creamer's suspension involved an Internet payment system used to receive donations.
Creamer has said that about two and a half months ago board officials questioned him about an account he set up in 2001 to accept donations via the department's Web site, which he also created.
The account, which was one of two methods the department used to collect Internet donations, was created through PayPal, a popular Internet payment system that allows people to send and receive money, Creamer said.
Greco said he appreciated Stahl's service to the department and wished the former chief good luck.
"I don't want to take away from Aaron in his capacity as a chief because he was extremely valuable to us," Greco said.
Last month the department appointed Dan Caruso, a former chief of the Glenville Fire Department, to take over as acting chief.
"We're looking forward to working with him and move forward in a direction that is positive," Greco said.
Copyright © 2004, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.