Judged:

1

December 9, 2008

To whom it may concern:
I feel there has been a grave error made on the part of the elected officials of Stafford County Board of Commissioners. Are you aware, as citizen, that the board has taken it upon itself, without any investigation or inquiry, to terminate the employment of your new Director of Emergency Services, Kevin Payne?
This decision was made without consultation with either, Mr. Payne, his employees, the community he works for, or the Stafford County Medical Director; Dr. Farmer. These members of the board have also failed to provide due cause for the termination. He was notified Monday December 8th letter and given until Thursday December 11th of the decision. Mr. Payne is devastated by this decision, and truly confused by this turn of events. Mr. Payne has consulted with attorneys on this matter, and feels compelled to fight for his job.
Mr. Payne left family and friends to come and serve this community and its emergency services needs, bringing many years of experience and knowledge. This decision has left he and his family emotionally distraught and feeling hopeless, faced with the prospect of finding a new home, and new employment in a community that has shunned him, a community that he has devoted every waking moment to since accepting the position just over 2 months ago. Leaving his home at all hours, to serve as a commander on a fire or accident scene, or acting as the counties only paramedic, Mr. Payne has spent time writing new protocols to better serve the community, planning and executing training for staff, to ensure quality response for the citizens, implementing mandatory training and testing for staff, and upgrading equipment, again, all with the desire to provide the county with well trained and educated responders, quality equipment, and saving the tax payers money in the long run.
I am asking for only support. Support for Mr. Payne in his fight to keep his job, support from the community he hopes to continue to serve. Phone calls and letters may serve to sway the board from continuing with this mistake. As citizens of Stafford County, you may feel compelled to support Mr. Payne, and ensure a proper inquiry into the circumstances of his termination.

Thank you for your consideration;
Jessica R. Wallace, BS, EVT, EMT-P, FF