Fire Deputy Chief Terminated, Civil Service Board Accepts Appeal as Department Undergoes Rapid Leadership Overhaul
Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of WBR Independent's coverage of the Fire District No. 1 Civil Service Board. Part 2 will dig into the details — what led to the termination, the legal questions surrounding it, and what it means for the department going forward.
Fire Deputy Chief Terminated, Civil Service Board Accepts Appeal as Department Undergoes Rapid Leadership Overhaul
PORT ALLEN — West Baton Rouge Parish Fire Protection District No. 1 Deputy Chief James "Bean" Hartley was terminated on January 20, 2026, for alleged violations of the department's sick leave policy, as stated in Personnel Action Forms read into the record at Monday's Civil Service Board meeting.
The board accepted Hartley's appeal of his termination during the meeting, which was held at 4:00 p.m. at the WBR Parish Administration Building. The meeting was not posted on the parish website or social media, with notice posted only at the administration building and fire stations.
Hartley's attorney, Kevin Vogeltanz, said in a statement to WBR Independent that "Deputy Chief Hartley timely appealed his dismissal from Fire District 1, maintaining he violated no departmental policies and asserting other irregularities in the department's purported investigation and disciplinary process. Additionally, DC Hartley challenges in his appeal the purported appointing authority of the individuals who apparently approved his dismissal. Deputy Chief Hartley looks forward to presenting his case to the Fire Civil Service Board."
The board also accepted a motion to dismiss Hartley's appeal filed by Fire District attorney Troy Ingram on December 30, 2025. Both matters will be taken up at a combined hearing. The board authorized its secretary to coordinate a hearing date with all three attorneys of record — Vogeltanz for Hartley, Ingram for the fire district, and Henry Olinde for the civil service board. Olinde told WBRZ the hearing would likely take place in late March.
WBR Parish President Jason Manola denied the termination was connected to Hartley's public criticism of department leadership. "Obviously we won't use anything like that as a reason. The Fire Chief would not use that as a reason for a recommendation of termination for an employee," Manola told WBRZ.
A Department Reshaped in Two Weeks
The Personnel Action Forms revealed a rapid restructuring of fire department leadership in the days following Hartley's termination.
On January 21 — one day after Hartley's firing — DiGiovanna resigned from West Baton Rouge Fire. On January 22, Bishop was appointed provisional fire captain and McDaniel was appointed provisional deputy fire chief. By February 2, three additional provisional fire captain appointments followed: Carpenter, Emery, and Little.
In total, one termination, one resignation, and five provisional leadership appointments occurred within a two-week period. Additional corrections were also read into the record for Stewart, Serio, and Ransonet.
Little, who serves on the civil service board as the employee-elected fire representative, was among those receiving a provisional captain appointment. Board members Dantin LeBlanc and Aaron Daigle were also present.
Captains Exam Requirements Waived
At the same meeting, the board approved a waiver for the upcoming captains exam that eliminates all certification requirements and drops the five-year service requirement as a firefighter operator. The State Examiner's Office recommended the waiver. Little seconded the motion.
The move comes months after the same board adopted stricter promotion requirements in October 2025, including rules requiring continuous uninterrupted service before advancing to captain or deputy chief. Those rules were designed to prevent employees from being demoted and immediately returning to higher positions.
A Pattern of Conflict
Hartley's termination follows a public appearance at the Fire Board's October 2025 meeting where he testified about compensation disparities within the department, questioned the impact of abolishing the fire chief position, and challenged the leadership contract structure.
"I challenge anyone in this room to find me one example nationwide of a department of our size that is completely made up of contracted part-time leadership," Hartley said during that meeting.
Former WBR Deputy Fire Chief Robby Smith said he believes the fire department and parish were making an example out of Hartley. Smith told WBRZ that after Hartley confronted Hillary R. "Butch" Browning Jr. of Browning Associates LLC, the private company contracted to serve as the parish's fire chief, on things that were not being handled properly according to state statute, "from that point on they've been retaliating against Mr. Hartley."
During Monday's public comment, Hartley addressed the board and asked why his initial appeal had been denied. A board member clarified that the appeal was not denied but would be addressed at the combined hearing with all matters taken up at one time.
What Comes Next
The appeal hearing will determine whether Hartley's termination followed proper civil service procedures and whether the stated grounds for dismissal were justified. Under the WBR Home Rule Charter, Fire District No. 1 operates under a classified civil service system with protections for employees including due process before termination.
WBR Independent has requested documentation related to Hartley's termination and the provisional appointments and will update this report as additional records become available.
WBRZ first reported Hartley's termination Monday evening. Their full report is available at WBRZ.com.
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