Documents claim that the chief of the fire department in the Black Forest “strangled” firefighters and stoked fears of…

Savannah Eller

The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

(TNS)

Two senior Black Forest Fire Department employees currently on leave say they face retaliation after presenting firefighters’ complaints against former chief PJ Langmaid to the district’s board.

“I’m on leave because I did my job,” said training captain Mike Torres, who, along with his deputy Chris Piepenburg, remains under investigation by an independent third-party investigator for undisclosed reasons.

The board decided to end its cooperation with Langmaid at a meeting on August 21. Langmaid was placed on leave at the end of June after employees sent the board a “letter of no confidence.”

Torres said he and Piepenburg presented allegations to the board that Langmaid was physically assaulted in the district, which employs 30 firefighters. The allegations, he said, were unrelated to the letter submitted.

During a series of closed board meetings in July, the Supervisory Board also decided to place Piepenburg and Torres on leave.

At the August meeting, the board voted to continue the leaves of absence for Torres and Piepenburg pending a new investigation into their conduct by an outside investigator. Supporters of both men, including their wives, spoke in their favor during the meeting’s public hearing.

In a statement, board chairman Nate Dowden said the board “cannot comment on ongoing investigations or alleged allegations made by Captain Torres and Deputy Chief Piepenburg.”

Piepenburg and Torres said their role in bringing Langmaid’s assault allegations against employees was the reason they remained on leave.

When asked about any investigations related to Langmaid and Black Forest Fire Rescue, a spokesperson for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that an assault investigation was ongoing but had been closed. No arrests were made.

Neither Piepenburg nor Torres would elaborate on the nature of the allegations they received against Langmaid. Piepenburg said they spanned “an extended period of time” and involved more than one person.

Both firefighters claim that board members friendly with former Chief Langmaid are behind the ongoing investigations in retaliation for their reporting.

“We blew the whistle and this is what happened,” Torres said.

In a statement, Dowden said the board appointed current CSFD Battalion Chief Josh Bartlett as interim chief. Bartlett had already assumed an operational leadership role at the BFFR along with another CSFD Battalion Chief.

“Chief Bartlett will continue to serve in this capacity in accordance with the county charter until the county has identified and hired a permanent fire chief for the BFFD,” the statement said.

A CSFD spokesman said the department provides assistance as needed under existing mutual aid agreements.

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