MOORESVILLE — Sixteen members of the Mooresville Fire Department and Professional Firefighters Union Local 4555 signed a letter to the Mooresville Town Council last month expressing “deep concern” with fire chief Matthew Dalton.
“In recent months, we have continued to experience a significant marked decline in morale, communication, and overall engagement with our team,” the letter reads. “We believe the decline in morale and overall cohesion of our department directly correlates with Fire Chief Matthew Dalton’s approach to management, communication, leadership and conduct.”
The letter, obtained last Friday by The Correspondent through a records request, was received by every member of the town council May 18, but the council declined to talk about it at its June 3 meeting.
The letter contains a number of grievances against Dalton, and ultimately called for the council to conduct a formal review of the fire chief’s position and performance.
“We believe a leadership change is necessary to restore confidence, morale and a healthy working environment that better supports the Mooresville Fire Department’s effectiveness, morale and mission,” the letter reads.
There won’t be any performance reviews, but the aggrieved firefighters got their wish — the council approved Dalton’s resignation at last week’s council meeting, effective at the end of June.
Dalton, the fire chief in Mooresville since 2020, will be leaving the town to work with the Martinsville Fire Department. The Correspondent spoke with Dalton last Friday, and he was asked about the criticisms levied against him in the letter.
At the top of the list of the union’s concerns with Dalton was the alleged “recent discovery and acknowledgement that audio and video spy surveillance equipment” had been installed in the firehouse. The letter accuses Dalton of directing the installation of this equipment.
“These devices were placed without the knowledge or consent of the department members and have created a pervasive atmosphere of distrust and unease,” the letter reads. “The nature and extent of these recordings — particularly the fact that they include audio — have raised serious ongoing concerns about privacy, legality, and respect within our workplace.”
Dalton was asked about the alleged surveillance equipment, but declined to comment, instead only saying it was part of an ongoing investigation. When asked about who was conducting the investigation, he said only that it was an internal investigation conducted in conjunction with the police. Dalton did not say who was leading the internal investigation, only saying that it was not him.
Chief’s Award controversy
Dalton told The Correspondent that he was unaware of the letter to the town council. He disputed the letter’s characterization that there has been a decline in morale among the staff, and said that only one town council member had disapproved of how he handled being chief — councilman Jeff Cook, who has frequently sparred with Dalton at town council meetings.
Perhaps the biggest flare up between Cook and Dalton occurred at the Feb. 18 meeting of the town council, when Cook questioned Dalton about an unnamed firefighter who had been “paid to sit at home” since August of last year.
The firefighter in question is now-retired Capt. Sean Selby, who spoke with The Correspondent last week. Selby said the department essentially forced him into retirement after a near-spotless 26-year career.
Selby explained that he received an email on Aug. 27, 2024, informing him that he had been placed on paid administrative leave. The email did not explain why, so Selby asked Dalton to explain the accusations against him. Selby said Dalton would not do so; furthermore, Selby said he was banned from fire department property while under investigation, and said his fellow firefighters were instructed to have no contact with him.
After getting a lawyer, Selby learned that he was being accused of “bullying and hazing,” charges that Selby compared to a “witch hunt.”
Eventually, it was decided that Selby would use the rest of his time and retire, as he didn’t want to come back after “false accusations” were made against him. The fire department nevertheless celebrated his career on Facebook, congratulating him on his “well-earned” retirement.
Despite the investigation and the abrupt end to his career at Mooresville, Dalton awarded Selby the “Chief’s Award” back in February, an act heavily scrutinized by Cook at the council meeting. Dalton said the decision to give out the award to Selby was made before the investigation was complete, and that Selby deserved it after 26 years of service.
“Has anybody contacted him to let him know he’s won the award?” Cook asked at the time. “Have you?”
“I have not,” Dalton responded.
Selby said Dalton met with him after his retirement and gave him a “firefighter Bible,” which allegedly contained a note inside from Dalton apologizing to Selby for how he was treated.
What’s next
Dalton told The Correspondent his resignation as Mooresville’s Fire Chief had been in the works for a while. He will take a $4,000 pay cut in his new role in Martinsville, and will have no leadership positions, instead working as a rank-and-file firefighter.
“A leadership role is a lot of stress,” Dalton said. “(The new job) is worth the pay cut.”
Martinsville Fire Chief Kevin Greene said by phone Tuesday that Dalton will start as a “probie” — or a probationary firefighter. His years of service will transfer with him and be used to establish his pay rate, but he’ll be considered a rookie with the department.
“We’re excited to have him,” Greene said, while addressing reports that Dalton would be replacing him. “I just want to make sure it’s very very very apparent and people realize, I’m still the fire chief.”
Dalton’s addition to Martinsville Fire is replacing an open position vacated via retirement.
“We’re not adding (a new position),” Green said.
In the meantime, the Mooresville Town Council hopes to appoint an interim chief in house by the time Dalton is finished at the end of the month.
Councilman Cook told The Correspondent that normally an assistant chief would take over the role, but Dalton had never appointed one during his time as chief — a decision Cook said was a “mistake.”
