By Jacqui Seibel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

BROOKFIELD, Wis. — A fire lieutenant will serve a six-week unpaid suspension over an incident in which firefighters who were supposed to be training intentionally doused personal vehicles belonging to town police officers with hydrant water.

The incident sparked a feud with the Police Department and a six-month investigation.

In a decision released Tuesday, the town's Police and Fire Commission sided with Chief Andrew Smerz in ruling that Fire Lt. Brian Loomis allowed firefighters to skip training duties last summer. The firefighters instead sprayed the police officers' vehicles, then falsified training records.

After an internal investigation into the incident, Smerz charged Loomis with engaging in serious misconduct, including unprofessional supervision, breach of confidence, failing to exercise appropriate discretion and deceptive conduct.

Loomis, an 11-year veteran, typically works three shifts per month for the Town of Brookfield. He is a full-time firefighter for the Racine Fire Department.

Smerz had asked that Loomis serve a suspension of three to five 14-hour shifts. Smerz also said that he felt the discipline was too lenient but he was bound by a town order.

The Police and Fire Commission changed the punishment, ordering instead that Loomis be suspended over a 45-day period so Loomis could not circumvent the discipline by signing up for more shifts.

Two other firefighters, Jim Gaulke, a 15-year veteran, and David Balzer, a 13-year veteran, were given written reprimands for their part in the incident.

Only Loomis' case was heard before the commission last week.

In the decision released Tuesday, the Police and Fire Commission sided with the chief in finding that testimony by Loomis and Gaulke was not credible and that the training simply had not been completed as required.

Loomis contends that he modified the training because he believed that both Gaulke and Balzer were proficient. Balzer told the commission that he was not proficient.

"That training had a variety of requirements and elements, the only one of which apparently completed was hooking up to the hydrant," the decision says.

"It is uncontroverted that no hose was laid, which is the core purpose of the exercise. This simply was not a 'modification' of the training," the decision says.

The training policy allows for scenario changes that would supplement the basics of the drill, not eliminate the drill, the decision says.

The commission found that even if the firefighters were proficient, there is a benefit in repetitive training because firefighters are responding in emergency situations, the decision says.

"Any property owner suffering a fire would hope that the responding members can do the tasks required in their sleep," the decision says.

Both Gaulke and Balzer said that they signed the training log at Loomis' direction.

Loomis' attorney, Jill M. Hartley, could not be reached Tuesday to ask if Loomis will appeal the suspension.

On July 23, Loomis, Gaulke and Balzer were supposed to conduct training, according to the internal investigation released in February. Instead, they sprayed hydrant water, which is hard and has a foul odor, on two personal vehicles belonging to police officers. One of the vehicles had an open window, and a stroller was damaged. A confrontation between police officers and firefighters ensued, the investigation says.

One week later, the firefighters filed a complaint against the police officers accusing them of misconduct and abusing their positions.

Smerz then started an internal investigation, which led to a six-month review into the department's training records. The chief discovered that the firefighters falsified the training record July 23, according to the statement of charges.

Copyright 2008 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel