PORT ALLEN - The West Baton Rouge Fire Protection District No. 1 Board voted to abolish a full-time fire chief position from the parish classification plan. Instead, they will move forward with retired State Fire Marshal Butch Browning in a part-time role.

Just a week prior, Parish President Jason Manola told WBRZ that he was going to propose that they continue with a part-time fire chief in a consulting capacity with Browning moving forward. Thursday night, he did just that.

"I want to ask you to abolish the full-time fire chief, and on the next agenda item tonight, I'm going to ask you to allow me to sign an amended part-time fire chief consulting agreement with Browning Associates LLC for $50,000, which is what we currently have been paying since 2022," Manola asked the board.

Manola had told WBRZ that Browning was first brought in back in 2022 and that his contract is $50,000, claiming that compared to a full-time fire chief, they're saving anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000 when one considers benefits and "everything else associated."

"The only thing that has been budgeted since that time has been a part-time consulting agreement for Butch Browning, so we have not funded a full-time fire chief position, anytime through that period of time," Manola said.

Manola told WBRZ in an interview last week that back in 2021, he was serving as chief of administration for West Baton Rouge when Riley Berthelot was the parish president.

"Under the previous parish president, we had to create a full-time fire chief position. We actually had one prior. We actually asked the civil service to deal with the position when we hired a part-time chief prior to that. Then, we reinstated the full-time fire chief, and actually, the Civil Service Board had a list of questions that they provided," Manola had said.

An eligibility list of potential candidates was made, which is standard law in the state for a position like a full-time fire chief.

"In 2021, (Parish) President (Riley) Berthelot, as the appointing authority, put together a committee to address reinstating the full-time fire chief position. At a public services board meeting on May 9, 2022, President Berthelot, as appointing authority, stated his intention to enter into a consulting agreement with Butch Browning to serve as West Baton Rouge Fire District No. 1 Fire Superintendent on a part-time basis," Manola said to the board.

Manola told the board that after 18 months of being provided an eligible list of candidates, it had expired in 2023.

"So I, as the appointing authority, don't even have an active list to be even able to appoint someone as a full-time fire chief," Manola said.

As for reasons why Manola thought they should continue with a part-time fire chief, Manola pointed to several factors.

"This is the first year we have our consolidated rating for the entire parish. We're going to be rated again this coming year. We're also about eight months into an emergency transport ambulance system. We're also fully staffed in our fire services for the first time in a long time, based on what has been budgeted," Manola said.

The ambulance system was the result of the parish receiving $1.5 million in grant money to add four ambulances.

Manola did say that if the fire department continues to show consistency in the ambulance service and their fire rating, a full-time fire chief would become more attractive to potential candidates, adding that when they develop qualifications for a full-time fire chief, they're going to have to tie in the emergency services as part of the qualifications.

"At the time it becomes financially and operationally feasible for us to re-establish the full-time fire chief, I will bring a formal request to the fire board and the civil service board to reestablish the position," Manola said.

Among the attendees of the meeting was former WBR Volunteer firefighter John Summers, who said he was disappointed, but not surprised by the outcome of the vote.

"(They're) the only parish department without full-time leadership, and now that we have EMS, I think it's even more critical we have a full-time Chief, whose finger is on the pulse of the organization," Summers said.

Another speaker on the parish's behalf was Henry Olinde, who Manola says is their Civil Service Board attorney. He spoke to the board about the abolishing of the full-time position.

"That's something that typically is done on the request of the appointing authority, which is you guys (the board) and President Manola. The Civil Service Board has the power to do that, based on the grounds of your request, as I understand, is the fact that number one, the position hasn't been funded: a full-time fire chief. Number two, the class plan that's out there right now is somewhat obsolete because you now have EMS, you have a whole lot of changes that President Manola talked about. I think you have the grounds for it," Olinde said.

Summers claims that since 2019, West Baton Rouge Parish has operated on a $7 million budget without a full-time fire chief.

"One thing I want people to take away is that change is coming in West Baton Rouge, and I'm on a mission to do it. Whether today or tomorrow, or in 2027. I'm going to make sure we have a change," Summers said.