Moran is under criminal investigation by state police and has been on paid leave since June 15.
The Holyoke Fire Commission met in emergency session Friday to discuss acting Chief William Moran. Commissioners Priscilla Chesky and Juan Pedrosa announce that the meeting would go into executive session.HOLYOKE – The Fire Commission took a unanimous vote Friday in a closed-door emergency meeting regarding acting Fire Chief William P. Moran, who is under criminal investigation, but refused to say what the vote was about.
“I can’t discuss that, it’s a personnel matter,” commission Chairwoman Priscilla F. Chesky said.
Moran, a 27-year veteran whom the commission last week put on paid administrative leave, didn’t attend the meeting at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.
Moran is under investigation by the office Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni and state police after sources told The Republican and MassLive.com he was suspected of sending an engine company to a false call on June 15.
During the response around noon that day, several vehicles collided at Homestead Avenue and Pynchon Road when one vehicle failed to pull over for a fire truck, police said.
A driver of one of the cars was taken to Holyoke Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
Mastroianni said Friday the probe of Moran is nearly done and results could come early next week.
Chesky said “any future action” by the commission regarding Moran would be tied to the results of the criminal investigation.
Chesky declined to say whether the commission’s closed-door vote resulted in Moran being suspended.
Holyoke provisional Fire Chief William P. MoranMoran has had disciplinary problems before. The Fire Commission under previous Mayor Michael J. Sullivan demoted Moran to captain in 2009 for what officials at the time said was conduct unbecoming a firefighter. Moran denied that, and he was reinstated to deputy chief last year after an agreement between his lawyer and the city.
Moran worked on the campaign of Mayor Elaine A. Pluta, who appoints the three-member Fire Commission.
Two lawyers representing Moran, Nathan A. Olin and Matthew L. Donohue, participated in the executive session but declined to comment later.
Municipal boards can meet behind closed doors for limited reasons, such as litigation, collective bargaining or if a public discussion could harm an individual’s public reputation.
Chesky, a lawyer, said state law allows for votes made in executive session to stay confidential if they concern a personnel matter.
But it remained unclear why the meeting was considered an emergency session, which is how it was posted on the city website and how Chesky described it.
Chesky and commission member Juan A. Pedrosa participated in the meeting. Member William N. McCoy was absent.
Chesky said the plan is still to hold an evaluation known as an assessment center of candidates to be permanent fire chief in late July or early August.
Before the June 15 incident, Moran was considered a candidate for fire chief, along with 15 other deputy chiefs and captains in the department. Chesky said she was unable to say if Moran remains eligible for that job.
The job’s yearly salary will be $95,000 to $104,500.