KCK firefighters union calls for chief's ouster

Chief's 13-month Prairie Village stay at issue

NOW TO AN I-TEAMEXCLUSIVE: THERE ACALL TONIGHT FOR THEK-C-K FIRE CHIEF TORESIGN OR BE FIRED.THAT DEMAND IS COMINGFROM SOME OF HIS OWNEMPLOYEES....MEMBERSOF THE FIREFIGHTERS'UNION.AS THE I-TEAM'S ANDYALCOCK REPORTS, ATISSUE IS THE CHIEF'SRESIDENCE FOR MORETHAN A YEAR.Chief Michael Callahan / KansasCityFire Dept."We looked around to rent ahouse with a yard and wewere unable to find anadequate yard here so Irequested permission to lookoutside of the county."KCK FIRE CHIEF MICELCALLAHAN EXPLAINS WHYHE HAD BEEN LIVING INTHIS PRAIRIE VILLAGEHOME FOR OVER A YEAR.WHEN CALLAHAN TOOKTHE JOB IN 2018, HEIMMEDIATELY MOVED INTOTHIS APARTMENT COMPLEXIN KCK AT 110TH ANDPARALLEL.BUT THE CHIEF IDBECAUSE HIS WIFE HAS AMEDICAL CONDITION ANDCAN'T WALK THE COUPLE'STWO DOGS LONGDISTANCES, HE NEEDED ABACKYARD.So there was nothing in all ofWyandotte County you couldrent with a yard?No I didn't say that, what Iidwas there was nothing with ayard with sufficient size forthedogs, our two dogs to run."THE BUSINESS MANAGERFOR THE LOCAL FIREUNION IS PUZZLED.Bob Wing / IAFF Local No.

64"There's not a place thereright now that's suitable for meto live.

People ought to lookpretty dimly at that, I do."Andy Alcock / Reporting"ACCORDING TO THE REALESTATE WEBSITE ZILLOW-DOT-COM, THIS HOMEWHERE CHIEF CALLAHANHAS LIVED FOR THE LAST13 MONTHS RENTED AT$2400 DOLLARS A MONTH.IT MEANS CALLAHAN HASSPENT OVER $30-THOUSAND DOLLARS INRENT.IN EFFECT, THAT MONEYPAYS FOR HIS LANDLORD'SPROPERTY TAXES FOR THESHAWNEE MISSIONSCHOOLS, PRAIRIEVILLAGE AND JOHNSONCOUNTY AMONG OTHERTAXING DISTRICTS."Doug Bach / Wyandottte CountyAdministrator"That seems to be kind ofabsurd on its face.Andy the big thing I look at insituations like that are what;sthe long term game here."THE LONG TERM MEWYANDOTTE COUNTYADMINISTRATOR DOUGBACH IS REFERRING TO ISCHIEF CALLAHAN BUILDINGTHIS HOME HE MOVEDINTO MONDAY.UNIFIED GOVERNMENTRULES DON'T ALLOWEMPLOYEES TO LIVEOUTSIDE WYANDOTTECOUNTY AFTERESTABLISHING RESIDENCETHERE UNLESS the countyadministrator GIVES THEMAN EXCEPTION.COUNTY RECORDS THE I-TEAM OBTAINED SHOWCALLAHAN FIRST ASKEDBACH TO LIVE IN PRAIRIEVILLAGE ON JUNE 27TH2019.BACH RESPONDED AEWDAYS LATER ON JULY 1,2019 QUOTE "AUTHORIZINGYOUR REQUEST TO LIVEOUTSIDE OF WYANDOTTECOUNTY".THEN ON JUNE 10TH OFTHIS YEAR, CALLAHANASKED BACH FOR ANEXTENSION UNTIL AUGUST10TH TO MOVE INTO HISNEW HOME DUE TO"SUPPLY DELAYSRESULTING FROM COVID-19SHUTDOWNS".WHILE CALLAHANANSWERS TO BACH, BACHANSWERS TO THE BOARDOF COUNTYCOMMISSIONERS."DID YOU GO TO THECOMMISSIONERS ANDDISCUSS THIS DECISIONWITH THEM?"YA I INFORMED THEM.""DID HE TALK TO YOUABOUT THE CHIEF LIVINGOUTSIDE OF WYANDOTTECOUNTY?""NO HE DID NOT."COMMISSIONER MIKE KANESAID IF BACH HAD COMETO COMMISSIONERS FORINPUT, KANE WOULD'VESAID NO TO CALLAHAN'SREQUEST TO LIVE INPRAIRIE VILLAGE.KANE ALSO SAID IT'S NOTTHE FIRST TIME HE'S BEENUNPLEASANTLYSURPRISED BY A BACHDECISION WITHOUTCOUNCIL INPUT."IT'S OBVIOUS THAT HETHINKS WE WORK FOR HIMAND IN REALITY, HEWORKS FOR US.DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCEIN HIS LEADERSHIP AT THISPOINT?"I DO NOT."BACH SAID HE'S GRANTEDSIMILAR LIVINGEXEMPTIONS TOFIREFIGHTERS AND OTHERU-G EMPLOYEES WHENTHEY ASK ...TYPICALLYDUE TO SOME HARDSHIPOR WHILE A NEW HOMELIKE CHIEF CALLAHAN'S ISBEING BUILT."I don't believe I've denied onein my six years as themanager."Billy Jones / Former KCK Asst.FireChief"I was given a hard no, I wassurprised, but I played by therules."IN 2016, FORMERASSISTANT FIRE CHIEFBILLY JONES ASKED BACHIF HE COULD STAY ON AFEW MORE MONTHSBEFORE RETIRING AFRMOVING TO SHAWNEE.JONES HAD LIVED INWYANDOTTE COUNTY HISWHOLE LIFE AND WORKEDFOR THE KCK FIREDEPARTMENT FOR 34YEARS.BACH'S ANSWER,CONFIRMED BY FORMERBACH ASSISTANT JOECONNOR, WAS NO.Billy Jones / Former KCK Asst.FireChief"It wasn't the way I wanted togo out."Doug Bach / Wyandottte CountyAdministrator"I can't remember thesituation."FIREFIGHTERS' UNIONBUSINESS MANAGER BOBWING ALSO POINTS TO ANINTERNAL FIREDEPARTMENT ROSTER PUTOUT EACH YEAR THEUNION SUPPLIED TO THEI-TEAM.IN EARLY 2019, CALLAHANIS LISTED WITH HIS KCKAPARTMENT COMPLEXADDRESS.IN 2020, THERE'S NOLISTING FOR CALLAHAN.Bob Wing"MY FIVE-YEAR-OLDGRANDSON COULD'VEFIGURED OUT THERE'SSOMETHING WRONG WITHTHAT."5:43:37"Can you explain that?I can not I don't know whatthat list is, I don't know whereit was generated, no I can't"Bob Wing"I think he should resign, ifnot, I think he should beterminated."Chief Michael Callahan / KansasCityFire Dept."I think he's entitled to hisopinion."But obviously you disagreewith that opinion, right?"Well I'm not going to resignifthat's what you're suggesting."CALLAHAN ALSO SAIDDURING HIS ROUGHLY TWOYEAR TENURE, HSPERSONALLY SIGNED TWOAPPLICATIONS FORFIREFIGHTERS TO LIVEOUTSIDE OF WYANDOTTECOUNTY DUE TOPERSONALCIRCUMSTANCES.I'M INVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK, 41 ACTION NEWS