Sat Nov 21 2009
Mark Marentette, Defiance city fire chief for the past three years, is resigning, effective Nov. 6.
The resignation was announced this morning in a brief press release from city administrator Jeff Leonard. The release stated that “there are no other details available at this time.”
Leonard and Mayor Bob Armstrong were out of their offices this morning, attending the U.S. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ohio-Indiana state line. Law director Dave Williams refused further comment.
“I’ve been in fire service for 23 years and I believe that the personnel in the Defiance fire and rescue division are among the best and brightest in the profession,” Marentette said this morning. “It has been a pleasure to be their chief and I believe they will continue to provide exemplary service to the community as they move forward.
“The city administrator and I have agreed to part ways,” continued Marentette. “I intend to remain in the fire service profession. I’m just not sure yet when and where.”
Marentette became fire chief on July 5, 2006, coming to Defiance from Caledonia, Mich.
Before moving to Defiance, Marentette was the fire chief for Thornapple Township in Michigan from 2002-05. He had been heavily involved in firefighter training as a certified instructor. Since 2005, he had focused exclusively on his position as coordinator and instructor for a flash-over survival and fire suppression container training program in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area.
Earlier this month, the city settled a federal lawsuit filed by American Ag Fuels that alleged constitutional violations against the city. The allegations stemmed from an explosion and fire at the plant on Jan. 3, 2008.
More specifically, the suit alleged that Marentette unlawfully denied American Ag Fuels’ officials access between Jan. 8 and 11 of that year after he had issued “citations and orders to the plaintiff regarding the storage and labeling of flammable, combustible materials” at the site.
The suit alleged that the company incurred $150,000 in costs as a result of the above action. It also claimed that the company lost $27,265 in income during the time it was prevented from doing business.
The citations issued by Marentette against American Ag Fuels were later dropped by City Hall, although the company was subject to eight safety violations and a fine issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) in 2008. OHSA officials said all of these were corrected and had nothing to do with the Jan. 3 explosion.
Following a disciplinary hearing in Leonard’s office on Feb. 1 of that year, Marentette was relieved of his duties for insubordination related to how he handled the aftermath of the explosion at American Ag Fuels. The action was based on his communications with Crescent-News city editor Todd Helberg and gross insubordination for disobedience of a direct order issued on Jan. 15 to refrain from speaking with the press. He had been suspended indefinitely with pay on that date.
After an appeal filed by the chief, the city civil service commission modified the suspension to one month. The city accepted that decision and Marentette resumed his duties and has continued his service as fire chief.
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