Kent County Chiefs Association

Standard Operating Guidelines &

Standard Operating Procedures

Subject: Written Complaint Policy

SOG # 1-1-7

Approved

March 2014

Approved by: President James L. Price, Jr.

Reaffirmed

June 2025

I.   Purpose

To establish a formal policy for submitting and managing written complaints

II. Definition

1. S.O.G. – Standard Operating Guideline

2. S.O.P. – Standard Operating Procedures

III. Policy

A.    It shall be the policy of the Volunteer Fire/Rescue/EMS Companies/Departments of Kent County to submit a written complaint in accordance with Kent County Chief’s Association S.O.P. 1-7.

B.     It shall be the policy of the Kent County Chiefs Association to managed written complaints in accordance with Kent County Chief’s Association S.O.P. 1-7.

IV. Complaints

A.    Complaints can be made for, but not limited to, violating any of the following.

1.      Kent County Chief Association By-Laws

2.      Kent County Chief Association Apparatus Standards

3.      Kent County Chief Association S.O.G.’s

4.      Kent County Chief Association S.O.P.’s

5.      Or any other incident that the Company/Department feels the Kent Chiefs Association should manage.

B.     Intra Company/Departmental complaints shall be managed by the Company/Department in question and not the Kent County Chiefs Association.

C.     Complaints shall be made in writing on the Company’s/Departments letterhead to the Kent County Chief Association at any Kent County Chiefs Meeting.

D.    The complaint shall contain as much information as possible of the violation or incident.

V.  Complaint Investigation

1. Once the complaint is filed with the Kent County Chiefs Association it shall be read at the meeting.

2. The Companies/Departments in attendance shall decide if the complaint is valid and whether the Association shall manage it

3. If the Association decides that it is a valid complaint the Association shall first, try to resolve the complaint at the meeting.

4. If the complaint cannot be resolved at the meeting the President of the Association shall appoint a committee of at least three members to investigate the complaint and report back the Association.

5. The committee shall meet and report back to the Association with its findings by a date determined by the President.

6. The committee’s findings should include but are limited to the following information.

1.      Was there a violation

2.      If yes, what punishments shall the Kent County Chiefs hand out

3.      Recommendation so that the violation shall not happen again.

4.      Whether the violation, punishments and recommendations shall be forward the Kent County Emergency Service Board.

VI. Complaint Resolution

1. Once the committee report is submitted and read the Companies/Departments shall discuss the findings regarding whether there was a violation or not.

2. If a violation has occurred, the Association shall vote on the recommendation that the committee submitted.

3. If no violation has occurred, the Association shall consider the incident closed.

4. The Companies/Departments in question feel that justice has not been done so they can take their complaint to the Kent County Emergency Service Board.

Betterton Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Chief Renny Grapes

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Chief John Darling

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Community Volunteer Fire Company of Millington, Inc.

Chief Charles Boyles

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Galena Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Chief Albert (Bert) Piasecki, Jr.

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.

Chief James L. Price, Jr.

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Kent & Queen Anne’s Rescue Squad, Inc.

Chief Jason Lobley

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Chief Mike Pinder

YES      NO      NOT PRESENT

Kent County Emergency Service Board

Chair Lynn Sutton

Submitted for Emergency Service Board Approval on _____July 21st, 2025______________

Compliance Date _______August 19th, 2025________________________________________

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