WBR Fire Board Meet Tonight for Emergency Meeting to Address Fire Chief Position After Investigation
Two resolutions tonight would change fire chief role to part-time consultant, but documents reveal additional undisclosed taxpayer benefits
UPDATE 5:00 PM: The West Baton Rouge Parish Council will meet tonight at 5:00 PM to vote on these resolutions. This story will be updated with results following the vote.
PORT ALLEN — Parish officials called a special meeting this week to vote on two resolutions reshaping Fire Superintendent Butch Browning's role.
The timing raises questions, as these items appeared only after coverage by The Advocate, WBRZ, and continued reporting by WBR Independent.
Tonight's Emergency Actions
Two resolutions on tonight's West Baton Rouge Fire Protection District No. 1 Board agenda directly address the fire chief controversy:
Resolution 4A: "Changing the Fire Chief Position to Part Time" — This resolution would formally change the structure of the fire chief position.
Resolution 4B: "Authorizing Parish President to Sign Updated Consultant Agreement" — This would establish a $50,000 annual consulting contract with "Browning Associates LLC" to provide fire department services.
These resolutions were not on previous meeting agendas, appearing only after the investigation's publication.
The Consultant Agreement Details
Documents obtained by WBR Independent reveal the parish plans to pay Browning Associates LLC $50,000 annually for services described as "Fire Department Chief" duties. The contract language mirrors almost word-for-word the responsibilities Browning has been performing as "Fire Superintendent," including:
- Setting goals and objectives for emergency services deployment
- Supervising all administrative and operational functions
- Directing emergency operations and personnel management
- Preparing operational budgets and managing expenditures
- Maintaining fire insurance grading systems
- Creating public communications and fire safety education
- Attending fire board meetings and providing regular reports
The agreement also provides Browning with office space, staff assistance, and office supplies at parish expense, along with liability insurance and legal indemnification.
The duties are identical to Browning's current responsibilities - the only substantive change is the title from 'Fire Superintendent' to 'Fire Department Chief.
Questions About Process and Timing
Title change: The new contract describes Browning's role as "Fire Department Chief" while he has been operating under the title "Fire Superintendent." The duties listed in the consultant agreement are nearly identical to what he has been performing.
Historical context: The consultant agreement would formalize an arrangement that documents show has existed since 2022. The original consultant agreement, signed by former Parish President Riley Berthelot, established the same $50,000 annual fee structure and identical support services—raising questions about whether officials can retroactively legitimize actions that were outside required civil service procedures when first taken.
Questions of Accountability
The rushed timeline and incomplete documentation raise several accountability concerns:
Why the rush? If this was always intended to be a legitimate consulting arrangement, why weren't proper procedures followed from the beginning?
What is the legal basis? Can officials retroactively change civil service requirements to legitimize actions that appeared to conflict with civil service law when they were made?
Community Response
The original investigation generated significant community engagement, with residents expressing concern about both the hiring process outside civil service requirements and Browning's documented history of misconduct in his previous state position.
WBR Independent has received additional information from sources with knowledge of department operations regarding staffing violations and response time claims, suggesting tonight's resolutions may not end questions about fire department leadership.
What's Next
The Fire Protection District No. 1 Board meeting begins at 5:00 PM at the WBR Governmental Building, 880 N. Alexander Avenue in Port Allen. The public is invited to attend and comment during the public comment period.
The resolutions require a majority vote to pass. If approved, they would formalize an arrangement that sources say has been operating informally since Browning's controversial hiring.
However, fundamental questions remain about whether officials can retroactively legitimize appointments that may have conflicted with civil service law, and whether the public is getting accurate information about the true cost of these arrangements.
The meeting recordings will be available afterward on the parish website. The Parish Council will meet separately at 5:30 PM.
Background
This story follows WBR Independent's Wednesday investigation revealing that Browning was hired outside civil service procedures despite being required to appear on an eligibility list for the fire chief position. That investigation also detailed Browning's troubled tenure as State Fire Marshal, including documented attempts to cover up an $800,000 fraud investigation and false claims about military honors.
For complete background, see: "WBR 'Fire Superintendent' Hired Outside Civil Service Law—And His Past Makes It Worse"
https://www.wbrz.com/news/questions-raised-over-fire-chief-appointment-in-west-baton-rouge
The parish council meets regularly on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM. Tonight's special meeting agenda and supporting documents are available on the parish website at wbrparish.org.
https://wbrla.portal.civicclerk.com/event/859/files/agenda/1762
Contact WBR Independent with information about this story or other parish government issues at editor@wbrindependent.com or through our tip line at wbrindependent.com/contact.
