Opinion ID: 2025020
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fire Department Command Structure

Text: Before 1994, the fire chief and all other officers in the Willmar Fire Department were elected by the members of the fire department. Lundquist served as first assistant chief under Chief Lindblad from 1980 until 1985, when Lindblad resigned. In 1986, Lundquist was elected as chief. Later that year, Lindblad returned to the fire department as a firefighter. Lundquist served as chief from 1986 to 1991 with Grove as his first assistant chief for part of that time. During Lundquist's tenure as chief, he disciplined both Lindblad and firefighter Michael Schroeder on a number of occasions for various types of misconduct, including Lindblad's unauthorized use of fire department equipment and facilities and Schroeder's inappropriate sexual advances toward another firefighter, which had led to a fight with the other fire-fighter's husband. Lindblad and Schroeder disagreed with most of the disciplinary actions Lundquist took against them. In 1990, Lindblad ran for chief, but was defeated by Lundquist. At the end of 1991, elections were held again. Under the normal procedure, candidates for officer positions placed their names on a board in the fire station before the election. In 1991, only Lundquist had posted his name as a candidate for chief. Nevertheless, Schroeder campaigned among the other firefighters for Lindblad as chief. The night of the election, as was allowed, a nomination was made from the floor for Lindblad as chief. A vote was taken, and Lindblad defeated Lundquist, 23 to 19. After Lindblad won the election, a number of the posted candidates for other officer positions, including Grove, withdrew their names as nominees for office. Schroeder was then elected as first assistant chief to serve under Lindblad. When the newly-elected officers took their positions in the beginning of 1992, it was clear that two distinct factions existed within the fire department  either pro-Lindblad or pro-Lundquist. Several firefighters from the pro-Lundquist faction, including Hedglin, Lundquist, and Grove, claim that they observed and reported misconduct in the fire department and as a consequence began to be harassed by other members of the department. Eventually, the Willmar City Council decided to change the officer selection process. Rather than having the fire department hold an annual election, the council decided to appoint a fire chief. In 1994, the council appointed Lindblad to continue to serve as chief, a position he held until he retired in July 1995.