Guilford Chief Pays $250 Motel Bill For Family Displaced by Fire

GUILFORD, CT - Fire Chief Charles Herrschaft spent $250 of his own money to house a family overnight in a motel that was displaced by a fire because Guilford didn't have a line item mechanism in place to foot the bill.

That relevation came to light at the November Board of Fire Commissioners meeting when the chief told the commissioners about the the fire, which was caused by a lightning strike.

There was major damage to the house, which was home to a family of four, and Herrschaft said the family was housed at the Tower Motel the night of the fire.

The Chief submitted a check request for payment to the motel, but it was denied, he said by First Selectman Matt Hoey for inappropriate use of town funds, so Herrschaft said he paid the motel bill himself.

The Commissioners held a discussion about the First Selectman’s decision not to approve the check request submitted by the chief for reimbursement of the cost of housing a family at the Tower Motel.

Herrschaft explained that Hoey suggested the chief request that the homeowner reimburse the town. Herrschaft said he felt that housing this family with children in an emergency, was part of the department’s mission to protect and serve, and he refused to request reimbursement from the family.

The Commissioners, according to the minutes of the meeting, expressed dismay that the expense was not approved and also unhappiness that the chief had to pay for the bill out of his own pocket.

It was decided that in the next budget, a line item would be added for these types of emergency expenses.

First Selectman Hoey, however, reached on Monday morning, said there's a bit more to the story than the commission minutes reflect.

"There is actually a process in place for situations such as this, which is what I explained to the chief," Hoey said. Hoey said that "process" is for the person who reimbursed the family - in this case the chief - to ask the Social Services Department in town to use money in what Hoey termed the "gift fund" for reimbursement.

For whatever reason, Hoey said, the fire chief declined to do that and simply paid the bill himself.

Herrschaft stated that in his 35 years with the Fire Department, he can only think of four emergency situations that the department found it necessary to house a family at a local motel.