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Copyright 2006 Journal Sentinel Inc.
Report reveals details of controversy in Mukwonago
By AMY RINARD
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
MUKWONAGO, Wis. — The Fire Department’s only ladder truck made an unauthorized appearance at the Lake Geneva wedding of Chief Jeff Rolfe’s son last August because Rolfe’s wife indicated to department personnel that she expected the truck to be there, according to a just-completed investigation into the incident commissioned by the Village and Town of Mukwonago.
The investigative report, obtained by the Journal Sentinel under the open records law, was done by the Milwaukee law firm Davis & Kuelthau and discussed by the Town and Village boards last week.
The boards took no action on the matter, and no further meetings have been scheduled to discuss Rolfe’s role in the incident, village and town clerks said Tuesday.
The report concluded that village, town and Fire Department rules and regulations prohibiting the personal use of department apparatus without proper permission and approval had not been followed.
Rolfe said Tuesday that he had not read the report and did not want to comment on it. However, he acknowledged his wife’s role in the incident.
He said he did not know whether completion of the report marked the end of the matter or whether the boards might take some action as a result of the investigation.
Village President James Wagner said Tuesday that village officials are evaluating the report and have not decided whether further action is needed.
“The report is the report,” he said. “It does point out some issues.”
For the investigation, a number of department personnel were interviewed, include Rolfe. They all gave a similar account of events that led to the truck being brought to Lake Geneva, about 25 miles from the department’s service area, for the wedding.
According to the report:
Several firefighters attended the Aug 20 wedding of Rolfe’s son John, a paid-on-call Mukwonago firefighter, at the Interlaken Resort & Country Spa.
About 15 minutes before the start of the 3 p.m. wedding, Rolfe’s wife, Jan, approached the department’s Company 2 commander, Lee Hau , Assistant Chief Fred Purdy and Deputy Chief Andy Wagner and their wives and asked whether arrangements had been made for the ladder truck to be there for photos after the ceremony.
Hau and Wagner told Jan Rolfe that no such arrangements had been made. At that, she “appeared very upset and walked away.”
Hau and Wagner then suggested to Purdy that the truck should be at the wedding because Jan Rolfe had asked them about it. As the highest ranking person in that group, Purdy made the decision that the truck be brought to the wedding, and Hau and Wagner went to get it.
The truck stayed for about 20 to 30 minutes and was taken back to the station immediately after the wedding pictures were taken.
“There is no evidence the Chief ordered that the truck be brought to the wedding,” the report says. “However, the Chief did not question the arrival of the truck, did not inquire as to whether proper permission had been obtained and did not immediately order the truck back to the station.”
Rolfe told investigators that he was preoccupied with his son’s wedding that day and had left the department in the charge of Purdy.
Everyone interviewed by investigators, including Rolfe, said firetrucks have been used at weddings in the past as well as for community events and funerals.
Contrary to previous reports, the investigation concluded, the truck did not break down on the way back to the station. The truck developed a fuel leak two days before the wedding after it was used in the funeral of North Prairie Fire Chief Edwin Berg.
While the fuel pump was being repaired, a water pump leak was noticed. Because the leak was not serious, the truck was not taken out of service, and it was scheduled to be repaired the Wednesday after the wedding, the report says.
The leak was noticed while the truck was at the wedding. But when the leak appeared to stop and fluids and temperature seemed normal, the truck was driven back to the station. The cost of the repair was about $1,200.