Lebanon Fire and EMS chief Meehan abruptly steps down

Former Lebanon fire and EMS chief Dan Meehan at a fire on New Bridge Road in August. (Rochester Voice file photo)

LEBANON, Maine - The Rochester Voice has learned that Lebanon Fire and EMS Chief Dan Meehan, who often stirred controversy since his hiring with out of town use of the department vehicle, moonlighting and huge increases in the department budget, resigned abruptly on Wednesday.

Meehan, will be replaced by Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Mathews, who was appointed as interim chief during an executive session Wednesday afternoon.

Mathews will be publicly installed in the position later today.

Meehan stoked controversy in the town soon after he was first hired in January 2015, first because he was not from Lebanon but Rochester; and secondly when he was allowed to use the Command Vehicle to drive back and forth from home.

In February 2015 then-selectman Ben Thompson arranged a meeting at Lebanon Elementary School for Meehan to clarify issues regarding several residents' complaints including use of the department vehicle, his pay and the lowering of the town ambulance transport license from paramedic.

In 2016 Meehan pushed through a massive budget increase, much of it created by his personal raise in chief's pay from $28,800 to around $46,800.

In return for the increase he promised to retire from his full-time Rochester firefighting job where he earned $60,000 a year to focus full time (as he put it "24/7") on Lebanon.

However, even though the process of retiring was shown to take just 30 days, according to state retirement board officials, Meehan delayed it for six months, while he still worked 10 24-hour shifts per month in Rochester.

He finally officially retired from Rochester last December.

No reason has been given for his sudden departure, nor is it clear whether his wife, Windy Rudnicki, will stay with the department.

Meehan's departure is the second high-profile Lebanon official to resign in 60 days. Former code enforcement officer Mike Beaulieu resigned Sept. 18 after which selectmen learned of several questionable practices by him regarding shoreland zoning protection enforcement on residential properties bordering Milton Three Ponds.