Rockville City Council delays decision on sudden firefighter resignations

6 Rockville firefighters suddenly resign

Six firefighters in the city of Rockville suddenly resigned, and will hang up their equipment in the next month. The news shocked the city. FOX 9's Kelly O'Connell has the details.

ROCKVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - After six Rockville firefighters, including the fire chief, resigned from leadership positions with the department, the Rockville City Council voted Tuesday to delay taking action on the resignation, hoping instead to reach an agreement with fire leadership.

The firefighters have agreed to remain in their leadership positions through January 2024. During a meeting on Tuesday, city officials announced they had met with the firefighters the night before.

Last week, Rockville Fire Chief Rodney Schafer informed city leaders the six members would step down from leadership but would remain with the department as active firefighters. The chief didn't explain the group's decision but comments during Tuesday's hearing pointed to a conflict between the fire leaders and the city council.

During Tuesday's hearing, several residents, firefighters, and former firefighters spoke, with some blaming city leadership for the problems.

Ultimately, the council chose not to accept the firefighter resignations on Tuesday, but rather postpone a decision until Jan. 31. In the meantime, council members indicated they would work to smooth over the situation with the firefighters.

At the same time, the firefighters are drafting a list of grievances to present to the city council.