The reappointment of Francis Hadik as the North Catasauqua fire chief was anything but routine at Monday's borough council reorganizational meeting. Twelve firefighters present at the regular council meeting that followed walked out, threatening to resign, when the council stood firm in their decision to keep Hadik at the helm of the department.

Hadik told The Press Tuesday morning he is working with the borough's Charotin Hose Company members and council for a compromise solution, but one had not been evident at Monday's meeting.

Charotin President Shawn McGinley told The Press after the meeting that Hadik, who has served as fire chief for 22 years, had declined to be nominated for the position by his fellow firefighters at a fire company meeting in November 2013 after learning then Assistant Fire Chief Erik Hirner was willing to accept the nomination. Fire company members voted to support Hirner as chief and McGinley as assistant chief at a December meeting.

Their vote was presented as a recommendation to the borough council, which has the responsibility of making the official appointment, but Councilwoman Cherie Gebhardt instead made motions to appoint Hadik as chief and firefighter Roger Scheirer as assistant chief.

Both appointments were approved by unanimous council votes.

Following the reorganizational meeting, the council convened a regular meeting, during which much time was spent discussing the appointments.

McGinley spoke first.

"When we [the fire company] nominate somebody, it's based on experience, respect and commitment," he said. "It's kind of a giant pop in the face, what you guys did, and I want to know where it came from and how it happened."

Gebhardt explained her support of Hadik.

"I felt that I have been lied to about some things concerning the new fire truck," she said. During the course of decision-making about purchasing the truck, it had been McGinley and Hirner who had presented information to the board about the truck's features and its cost.

She also expressed concern about placing Hirner at the head of the borough fire department.

"People came to me during election time and were very unhappy with Mr. Hirner – the way he talks to people or doesn't talk to people," she said. "I don't feel that he deserves to be fire chief."

She said if Hadik has not been doing a good job, it was because "people were walking all over him."

"He was the chief, and no one [in the fire department] seemed to go to him with things," she said. "People were doing things around him and I have a real problem with that."

McGinley responded that after two decades as chief, Hadik had been talking about stepping down and had shown a declining commitment to some of his responsibilities.

"With all due respect to Francis, Erik's doing fire reports from August, which was Francis's job," he said. "So is it a matter of stepping over him or stepping up?"

Gebhardt and Councilman John Yanek said they had concerns about inadequate and misleading information from the fire department while the council was deciding on the purchase of a new fire truck, now due to be delivered in February.

Hadik said he would not accept the appointment as chief if it meant that the firefighters who voted for Hirner would leave the fire service.

"I don't want to split this department up," he said. "I trust my life with these guys."

During a 30-minute executive session attended by council members and firefighters, the topic of the appointment continued to be discussed. At one point, Hirner stomped out of the room and down the hall of the municipal building to the adjacent fire station. He returned a few minutes later, carrying his firefighting gear, which he threw into to council room in a passionate protest.

Despite the protest exhibited by the 12 firefighters who walked out of the council room when the council did not rescind Hadik's appointment, Hadik told The Press Tuesday he remains hopeful something can be worked out to settle the issues.

In a brief company meeting held in the fire station while the council meeting continued, many of the firefighters present said they would not answer calls, in protest of the council vote.

Hadik returned to the council meeting and announced that because of a lack of personnel, the Catasauqua Fire Department would be taking on mutual aid coverage of any North Catasauqua emergency calls.

A posting on the Charotin Hose Company Facebook site Tuesday said a proposed resolution is being developed by the leadership of the fire company.

"In the meantime, we have full faith in our mutual aid companies to provide adequate coverage during this difficult time," the statement said. "We didn't leave the town unprotected."

A special meeting of borough council may be called to work on the fire company's compromise.

"I think we are going to have an agreement," Hadik said.