PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The three top-ranking volunteer fire officers at a Prince William County fire station suddenly resigned Tuesday, giving little reason.
Coles District Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Fire Chief Adam Eldert and Asst. Chiefs Jimmy Pearce and Jeff Osborn sent an email to county officials saying they were resigning effective that night, according to the Washington Post.
The reasons for the resignation have not been made clear. Asst. Chief Pearce was in his 14th year with the Coles Department and said that when he and the two others took on leadership roles they hoped to tackle certain issues in the department. However, he said, they ended up butting heads with other factions. He would not clarify what specific issues led to their decision to leave.
“It was a barrage of random things. At the end of the day, it boiled down to not being able to see eye to eye,” he told the Washington Post.
Chief Eldert said that “irreconcilable differences” led to his stepping down and that he looks forward to spending more time with his family.
County Fire Chief Kevin McGee was surprised by the resignation and claimed he was unaware of any outstanding issues within the fire company, or anything else that would have led to resignations.
Chief McGee said the station would still be fully staffed and Deputy Chief David Wood would take over duties.