By Associated Press - Wednesday, April 23, 2014

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (AP) - An escalating fire district feud in west St. Louis County has led its board of directors to purchase used bulletproof vests for safety.

Monarch Fire Protection District Capt. Chris Gelven tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (bit.ly/1jMvku1 ) that the three board members, fire chief and his assistant won’t wear the vests but instead prop the protective clothing along a half-wall that sits in front of their desk at meetings.

Gelven is a shop steward for the firefighters’ union, which has fought the rehiring of an assistant chief after his 2011 dismissal.



Board secretary Jane Cunningham, a former state lawmaker, says the board won’t publicly discuss its security plans.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, https://www.stltoday.com

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