FAST FACTS:
(Jericho, AR 10/05/2009) Jericho, there's a new volunteer fire chief in town and his name is Tommy Hampton.
"Were back running strong now," smiles Hampton.
For weeks the tiny Arkansas town has been without a fire department. The chief was fired.
After a Jericho policeman shot Fire Chief Don Payne in court during a traffic ticket dispute, the mayor fired Chief Payne. The entire volunteer fire department of 20 officers walked off the job in support of Payne.
"There's some very bad business going on," Payne said about the city."
Chief Hampton has been on the job about a week now and says all but two volunteer firefighters are back on the job.
Though Jericho is a tiny town of more than 180 people, Chief Hampton doesn't appear to be very well known.
Not even the mayor of Jericho, the woman who recommended Hampton for approval, remembered his name when we asked her about him through the door she refused to open.
"I don't even have it wrote down," said Mayor Helen Adams. "You don't have the fire chiefs name written down? No, I know his last name is Hammon, if I'm not making no mistake now."
According to the new chief, Mayor Adams knows him best as Officer Hampton. That's because he's also a criminal investigator for the Jericho police department. Hampton is an EMT who also served for six months as a volunteer with the city's fire department.
Time on the job that gave him valuable insight into the department's needs.
"I got a guy coming in Wednesday to write a grant," explained Hampton. "All the uniforms are over ten years old and any guy gets close to a fire he's going to catch fire."
- Jericho Volunteer Fire Department gets new chief
- Mayor recommended chief but can't remember his name
- Old chief fired after police officer shot him in ticket dispute
(Jericho, AR 10/05/2009) Jericho, there's a new volunteer fire chief in town and his name is Tommy Hampton.
"Were back running strong now," smiles Hampton.
For weeks the tiny Arkansas town has been without a fire department. The chief was fired.
After a Jericho policeman shot Fire Chief Don Payne in court during a traffic ticket dispute, the mayor fired Chief Payne. The entire volunteer fire department of 20 officers walked off the job in support of Payne.
"There's some very bad business going on," Payne said about the city."
Chief Hampton has been on the job about a week now and says all but two volunteer firefighters are back on the job.
Though Jericho is a tiny town of more than 180 people, Chief Hampton doesn't appear to be very well known.
Not even the mayor of Jericho, the woman who recommended Hampton for approval, remembered his name when we asked her about him through the door she refused to open.
"I don't even have it wrote down," said Mayor Helen Adams. "You don't have the fire chiefs name written down? No, I know his last name is Hammon, if I'm not making no mistake now."
According to the new chief, Mayor Adams knows him best as Officer Hampton. That's because he's also a criminal investigator for the Jericho police department. Hampton is an EMT who also served for six months as a volunteer with the city's fire department.
Time on the job that gave him valuable insight into the department's needs.
"I got a guy coming in Wednesday to write a grant," explained Hampton. "All the uniforms are over ten years old and any guy gets close to a fire he's going to catch fire."
