The City of Osawatomie’s personnel policy prohibiting nepotism has been modified to allow family members of firefighters to serve on the volunteer fire department, as long as they are not immediate family members of the fire chief. The decision was made following a discussion between Osawatomie Fire Chief, Aaron Sharp and city officials during the Osawatomie City Council Meeting.
Sharp says firefighting is often a family tradition, and the city’s nepotism policy has hindered the department’s ability to recruit volunteers. He also says no other fire department in Miami County has a nepotism policy.
Council member Dan Macek said he’d like to give Chief Sharp an opportunity to make it work. He made a motion to modify the policy to allow family members to join the department as long as they are not immediate family members of the fire chief, since Sharp would be the top direct supervisor. The motion passed 5-3, with Macek, Kenny Diehm, Tammy Filipin, Cathy Caldwell and Mayor Nick Hampson voting in favor, and Bratton, Henness and Kevin Schasteen opposed.
