Decatur fire lieutenant appeals demotion after accused of making inappropriate comments during emergency

DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) – A Decatur Fire Department lieutenant is appealing his demotion to the city’s personnel board, claiming he was singled out and treated differently than others.

According to the city’s human resources director and two battalion chiefs, Kevin Jackson is a very strong firefighter who is passionate about his work and is a charismatic leader. But the testimony also painted him as a man whose emotions often got the better of him, leading to a toxic work environment for others.

Mayor Tab Bowling demoted Jackson in July after a complaint was filed against him stemming from an incident in November.

While responding to the scene of a man having a tree fall on him, Jackson was accused of saying “he’s dead as f–” followed by “We’re out of here” before leaving to respond to another fire .

Battalion Chief Brandon Strickland testified Friday that other firefighters often felt uncomfortable working under Jackson and believed he was setting a bad example as a lieutenant.

He was pressed for a paper trail showing a trend of Jackson’s bad behavior, but admits he was put on a Performance Improvement Plan just this year.

Strickland says Jackson still has leadership potential, but says it was worth the demotion. WAFF 48 News has not been able to hear from Jackson.

The next hearing will be held on Wednesday, where we expect to hear his testimony.

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