FAIRBURN, Ga. — A fire chief who submitted a fake degree resigned Friday.
CBS46 reported that Fire Chief Harold Weller, with the Fairburn Fire Department, has been the subject of an ongoing investigation, which most recently found he submitted a degree from a known diploma mill when applying for the fire chief position in 2005.
Chief Weller also faced scrutiny when he terminated firefighter Jason Trotter, 37, who was recovering from cancer that may have been caused by job-related exposures. The investigation also uncovered low morale, high turnover and health concerns within the department, according to the report.
Mayor Mario Avery defended Chief Weller’s submission of a phony degree.
Weller’s last day as chief will be Dec. 19.