Crime & Safety

Monarch Fire District Names Interims

Firefighters named to Monarch Fire Protection District posts vacated by dismissed officers average 30-plus years experience. Monarch's House No. 2, at 18424 Wildhorse Creek Rd., services Wildwood residents.

Interim replacements were named for Monarch Fire Protection District senior officers who were removed following an against the fire district. The suit recently was upheld in a state appeals court. After that decision, .

Assistant Chief Les Crews, Deputy Chief Cary Spiegel and battalion chiefs Fred Goodson and Mike Davis were the officers removed from their positions. A fifth officer, Captain Edwin Woods, was given the opportunity to stay, with a reduction in rank, and he accepted.

Following is a list of the interim positions and the personnel assigned to fill them, according to details released by Monarch Fire Marshal Roger Herin. He indicated each of the individuals had filled chief officer command positions previously, and have considerable experience in doing so. They have an average of more than 31 years of experience with the Monarch Fire Protection District.

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"Once again, these are interim position assignments, and plans have not been made to make them permanent," said Herin in an email.

  • Operations Chief: John Borgmann, a 30-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Protection District who comes from the rank of Battalion Chief.
  • EMS Chief: Nick Harper, a 32-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Protection District who comes from the rank of Captain/Acting Battalion Chief.
  • A-Shift Battalion Chief: Larry Beauchamp, a 33-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Protection District who comes from the rank of Captain/Acting Battalion Chief.
  • B-Shift Battalion Chief: Jim Wilcox, a 38-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Protection District who comes from the rank of Captain/Acting Battalion Chief.
  • C-Shift Battalion Chief: Bill Long, a 23-year veteran of the Monarch Fire Protection District who comes from the rank of Captain/Acting Battalion Chief.

Monarch Board President Kim Evans said the interim officer selection was done in a meeting between and the one remaining Battalion Chief:  John Borgmann. She said she sat in on the discussion. 

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"The Chief and Mr. Borgmann selected one captain from each shift who they felt had the most experience and would be the best fit as Acting Battalion Chief in the event that an Interim Battalion Chief on any given shift were off (sick, vacation, etc)," stated Evans in an email to Patch. 

She said Borgmann is one of the most senior staff officers. She also said Harper is one of three individuals on the hiring list for future Battalion Chief, and that he has a good working relationship with the Medical Control staff at Mercy Hospital. "The other two individuals on the hiring list for Battalion Chief were placed in two of the three interim Battalion Chief roles on their given shift (B and C), and one of the most experienced Captains from the A shift with past Acting Battalion Chief experience was made the interim A shift Battalion Chief," she said.

All of Interim Battalion Chiefs and interim Acting Battalion Chiefs are receiving additional training, Evans said.

"As for the other individuals who have been moved into interim positions, this was done in accordance with the Union's MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), which clearly outlines how positions of vacant Captains and Engineers will be filled," said Evans. "The hiring list generated from the most recent promotional process was once again used."


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