Buxton’s third fire chief in less than three years has quit abruptly.
Larry Straffin handed a letter of resignation to Jean Harmon, chairwoman of the selectmen, May 14 and left the job the same day. Straffin gave no notice.
“It was a surprise,” Harmon said. “He just gave his resignation, and we accepted it.”
Selectman Dan Collomy said after Straffin submitted his resignation, he called a family member for a ride and left. Collomy said Straffin turned in his badge and uniforms the following day.
Straffin began in December 2007 as Buxton’s fire and rescue chief, replacing Jim Graves, who had resigned Aug. 29, 2007, citing personal concerns. Graves had succeeded Jeff Grinnell, who resigned in July 2006, also for personal reasons.
Town officials said little this week on the reasons for Straffin’s abrupt resignation, or why the town has difficulty retaining a fire chief.
“He decided to move on,” said Selectman Dan Collomy, who on Tuesday had not seen Straffin’s resignation letter.
“He didn’t get along with a lot of the men,” said Gene Harmon, deputy chief at the Bar Mills Fire Station.
Gene Harmon said the fire chief is the department’s only full-time employee. The department has 50 call firefighters. He said Andy Townsend, a member of the department, is serving as an interim fire chief as Buxton advertises for Straffin’s replacement. Collomy said Buxton is paying Straffin through the end of May.
Straffin, who had 35 years’ experience in the fire service, had been deputy fire chief in North Berwick and assistant chief of training at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Straffin once was a first lieutenant in Rochester, N.H.
Straffin didn’t return calls seeking comment for this story.
The board of selectmen approved Straffin as the town’s fire and rescue chief late last year. Collomy said Jean Harmon was the only representative of the selectmen’s board on the panel of public safety officials that selected Straffin, who came highly recommended. Collomy said he now wants the entire five-member selectmen’s board involved with hiring Straffin’s replacement.
The annual salary for the chief’s position was set at $46,800 in town meeting last June.
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