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WASHINGTON, Utah (AP) -- Washington firefighters have protested the firing of Fire Chief Dwayne Isom.
Isom, who served in the city fire department for 22 years, was terminated Tuesday.
"Dwayne Isom no longer works for (the city) and that's all I can say at this point," City Manager Roger Carter said before city officials met Wednesday night with the firefighters.
The department consists of two full-time firefighters and about 30 volunteers.
"This is not a meeting to bring up a past history that we cannot control," Jim Keith, public safety director, told the firefighters. "We need to move forward from here. We want to enhance what's been developed here -- that's the new direction we're going."
The new direction was not disclosed, the firefighters said.
"You have to have some type of plan we have to hear," said volunteer Roger Barker. "You pulled the rug out from underneath us -- Dwayne is our rug. What direction were we not going?"
Keith declined to discuss the past performance of the department or state what the exact direction the department was going except that the city is moving toward forming a public safety department.
"This whole room needs an explanation," said volunteer fire instructor Jared Street.
"You can't get it from me," Keith said. "I don't know where you go to get answers."
Some firefighters said they would try to get answers at next week's City Council meeting.
Keith said that while the city searches for a new fire chief, the department will receive help from the St. George, Hurricane and Ivins fire departments.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
