Retired Clackamas Fire chief hired in Hillsboro
Fred Charlton takes city s division training position, which is currently subject of complaint
Fred Charlton, who was the chief of the Clackamas Fire District until his May 1 retirement, is Hillsboro Fire s new division chief of training.
Charlton s new position in Hillsboro is one subject of a retaliation and discrimination complaint against the city and two other top Hillsboro Fire officials by two current employees, who had applied for the role but weren t hired, according to the complaint.
Clackamas Fire s leadership was criticized for its handling of the Riverside Fire last September, which burned nearly 150,000 acres in the Clackamas River basin and came within a half-mile of Estacada s commercial core.
Gurske s comments came after Raven complained to him about feeling discriminated against based on her gender.
When Gurske asked for examples, Raven reached over to her desk and pulled out her nameplate. A male fire chief had replaced her name with a nickname that meant she was crazy, the complaint reads.
The complaint also alleges that Gurske changed a male recruit s failing grade on a written exam to a passing one but terminated a female recruit from the same class for one small error in her practical exam. When Raven challenged Gurske over changing the male recruit s grade, the complaint states, she was disciplined. Gurske allegedly brought up that disciplinary action when Raven interviewed for the division chief position last November.