Fire department suspends officers charged in arson probe
LUZERNE TWP. – The Isabella Fire Department, after some hesitation, has complied with the township supervisors’ request and has fully suspended and replaced the four officers charged with the arson of the department’s social hall. Solicitor Jack Purcell said he received a letter from Uniontown attorney Bernadette Tummons, who represents the department, stating that the four men have been fully suspended and replaced.
Last week, Supervisor Ron DeSalvo moved to suspend the entire department after they received a letter stating the four officers were suspended from firefighting duties only. That letter marked the second time the department failed to comply with the supervisors’ request.
DeSalvo said that the department’s suspension of the officers from firefighting duties only did not comply with the township’s request for the department to suspend the four men from all duties related to the department.
Purcell said the department’s latest action does comply with the supervisors’ request.
According Purcell, Chief Steven Dugan, Assistant Chief Thomas Baker, Vice President Jerry Booker II and Trustee William A. Robison have all been suspended from all activities involving the department.
This suspension prohibits the four from being on the department’s property and from participating in fund-raising activities.
All four men were charged in March with federal criminal violations in connection with two fires in June that completely destroyed the department’s social hall.
Baker and Booker were charged with arson, while Dugan and Robison were charged with mail fraud for allegedly filing a false claim with Selective Insurance Co. of New Jersey.
Purcell said the department’s actions to suspend the four men has, “finally put the matter to rest temporarily until further development.”
Purcell has said that the township is not indicating that they believe the four are guilty of a crime. He said the supervisors just want the four suspended until the criminal charges are resolved.
“This (the department’s actions to suspend the four men) was a good resolution to a difficult problem. It was a wise thing to do for the benefit of the township and the department,” Purcell said.
The fire department’s latest action to suspend the four officers comes after much hesitation. The township supervisors had asked the department to suspend the officers before their regular meeting in April and the department failed to do so.
At that time, the supervisors gave the department 30 days to comply to their request or face suspension of the entire department.
When the department failed to do that and only suspended the men from firefighting duties the supervisors were prepared to suspend the entire department until James Dugan III, president and former chief, said he would comply with the supervisors request within three days.
Purcell said he received word of the full suspension of officers within two days. He said the supervisors will take no further action on the matter.
James Dugan III, former chief for 30 years, will replace his son as chief and Jerry Booker will replace his son as vice president. The department did not name an assistant chief.
Federal prosecutors have said that Baker and Booker face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $750,000, while Dugan and Robison face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.