Germantown Fire Chief Gary Weiss, placed on administrative leave, has resigned



GERMANTOWN -- Germantown Fire Chief Gary Weiss resigned on Monday, March 19 after he was placed on paid administrative leave as of Thursday, March 15.

Weiss' placement on administrative leave was due to a human resources issue, according to Germantown Village Administrator Steve Kreklow.

The village board announced the resignation during a meeting Monday night. Kreklow said he wants people to know complaints that were brought forward were taken seriously, and the goal now is to provide a good work environment for employees.



During a closed session portion of the meeting, the Germantown Village Board examined a recent investigation regarding a human resources issue within the Germantown Fire Department. They later openly accepted Weiss' resignation.

"At this point, we're focused on providing a good work environment for village employees and providing good services to the community," said Kreklow.

Prior to the start of the meeting, Kreklow said he doesn't anticipate further turnover in the fire department.

"We're not anticipating any. We hope we can keep the rest of the real, solid team we have over at the fire department," said Kreklow.

Germantown Village Administrator Steve Kreklow



Kreklow said at this point in time, they're not making public the concerning complaints they received. He also would not say who filed the complaints, but did say the investigation goes back over a month.

"I don't think it's helpful for us to get into the details of the issues that were raised. We are addressing those and making sure everyone in the fire department feels comfortable in their work environment," said Kreklow.

Weiss has been the fire chief since 2014. He's known as a safety advocate, and recently spoke with FOX6 News to raise awareness of the dangers in firefighting that can lead to occupational cancer.

Gary Weiss



"I encourage Chief Weiss to focus on the positive things he did during his four-year period within the department. There have been a lot of innovations and modernizations. He should feel very good about the work he has done here," said Kreklow.

Kreklow said the next step is finding a new fire chief.

FOX6 News made efforts to reach out to Weiss for comment, but we have not heard back.