Fire district moves on after chief battle

Former Cloquet Area Fire District chief Matt Ashmore signed a separation agreement with the CAFD board in December that provided him with $35,407 (equal to four months salary) and a payout of unused vacation time of $7,954.

Ashmore was CAFD fire chief for only a year and was hired by the CAFD board after two searches to replace retired fire chief Kevin Schroeder. Ashmore had worked as a battalion chief and emergency medical services director before he moved here from Hibbing.

When he resigned from the district, Ashmore had been on paid administrative leave since Nov. 11, when the board also met in closed session to discuss allegations that Ashmore violated Covid protocols and "may have violated the organizational values of the district."

At the heart of the complaints was the fire chief having gone to work after contracting Covid-19 - but unknowingly, after testing negative at home, Ashmore told the board - and subsequently exposing a number of co-workers, community members and a student over a period of days before finding out he was positived.

As reported in the Pine Knot News in November, Ashmore defended himself in a Loudermill hearing - which provides public sector employees the right to contest reasons for possible firing - in both open and closed meetings Nov. 22 regarding the allegations and his performance as fire chief.

While the board did not dispute Ashmore publicly during that meeting, the Nov. 22 hearing notice stated the evidence suggested that by not following the CAFD Covid-19 plan, Ashmore's "actions and inactions significantly damage the respect for you of those you are required to lead." Several sections of the allegations against Ashmore were redacted in the Loudermill notice.

When contacted by the Pine Knot News this week, Ashmore said he did his best to follow the values and philosophy that the fire district has been known for. It was challenging, but he always tried to do the right thing, he said.

The separation agreement cited "different visions of the future direction the Employer should take" as the reason for the agreement, along with a desire to avoid the expense and uncertainties of litigation.

"I believe the district and I had vastly different ideas of leadership styles and agendas for the future of the department," he said. "I appreciated the time given to serve the citizens."

Ashmore teaches at Mesabi Range College and recently took a job with Essentia, he said. He has no intentions of returning to firefighting, he said.

The CAFD board appointed Jesse Buhs to act as interim fire chief following Ashmore's resignation. The board appointed Buhs to the CAFD chief position at its Wednesday, removing the interim title. Read more about that in next week's Pine Knot News.