By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
The city said Friday evening it fired two Salisbury Fire Department employees who city officials had earlier said were no longer with the department after an investigation into alleged improprieties.
Firefighter Courtney Brown was dismissed Jan. 16 and Capt. Baxter “Buddy” Miller was dismissed Jan. 25, according to personnel records the city released.
Another firefighter, Castleman “Chet” Hedrick, has been suspended without pay for misconduct as a result of the investigation, the city said.
Salisbury was the second fire department to dismiss Brown this month. Cory Orbison, chief of the South Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, told the Post he investigated a single individual in his department for “conduct issues.” He said he removed Brown Jan. 20.
“We let her go,” Orbison said. “She is no longer with us.”
Miller has been an instructor at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, and officials there said they will conduct their own review to determine whether he will teach there again.
Salisbury officials have not disclosed the nature of the alleged improprieties or any details of the investigation.
State law requires governments to make public a document explaining the reasons for a public employee’s dismissal if it is a result of disciplinary action, but it allows governments to withhold that information to give the terminated employees time to appeal.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.