Homestead fire chief removed from position after disorderly conduct charge
The volunteer fire chief in Homestead has been permanently removed from his position after he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct months earlier.
Timothy Eads said members of the volunteer department removed him from his role because he got into what he called a scuffle with a security guard at Steel Valley, his son's high school. Eads said he was just being a parent and addressing an issue in school.
Members of the department made their decision on Wednesday. Eads had been chief for five years, he said.
Following those charges, he had been kept off the job for months. KDKA spoke to Eads outside a Homestead Borough Council meeting on Thursday. He explained that he was still a firefighter and still employed as both the borough's emergency management director and code enforcement officer.
Unlike the fire chief job, those two positions are controlled by the borough.
Eads did not speak to KDKA on-camera on Thursday, but Homestead Solicitor Sam Dalfonso said officials have been told a new fire chief has already been installed.
"Nothing's really going to change," Dalfonso said. "You just might have a new name at the top of the masthead over there, but they're still going to provide the same great service that they have to Homestead. We've experienced no interruptions with as far as our interactions with the fire department. We still get our same reports, we still hear the same calls. We're still getting the same kind of questions that go back and forth with our fire department."
When asked if he has any hard feelings about being removed, Eads said not having the responsibility to lead the department anymore is a relief. He said if he's done his job right, those who follow him will still be effective. He plans to remain a firefighter, he added.
