HANOVER TOWNSHIP, NJ - Hanover Township Fire District No. 2 commissioners voted Thursday night to suspend Fire Chief Paul Perrello without pay and move forward with formal disciplinary proceedings following a nearly three-month investigation.
The action came during an Aug. 27 special meeting that drew extensive public comment, with residents and members of the fire department questioning commissioners about the investigation, the reasons behind the disciplinary action and what comes next.
Perrello had been suspended with pay since June 9 while the Board of Fire Commissioners conducted an investigation. On Thursday, commissioners approved a preliminary notice of disciplinary action that changes his suspension to without pay and provides him with the opportunity for a disciplinary hearing.
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The board has not publicly disclosed all of the allegations behind the disciplinary action.
According to the resolution read aloud at the meeting, Perrello had been directed to provide passwords and other information necessary for the district to access district files. On Aug. 21, the board issued another order directing him to provide passwords and usernames and restore Apple access to a district-issued cellphone. The order stated that failure to comply would result in suspension without pay.
The resolution states that Perrello failed to comply with or otherwise respond to those requests.
More information about the investigation emerged during the meeting. Commissioners said it began after complaints from volunteers who believed Perrello was not treating everyone fairly, but that those complaints were not the full extent of the investigation.
"We had enough information to substantiate looking more deeply into what was going on," one commissioner said.
The investigation uncovered more information than commissioners initially anticipated, with one commissioner describing some of what was found as "alarming." The board did not provide further details about that information.
Much of the public comment focused on what remains unknown about the case and how the investigation has been handled.
Those in attendance questioned whether Perrello had been given an opportunity to respond to the original complaints, who had been interviewed and whether an independent investigator should have handled the inquiry. In response, the board said some portions of the investigation could be conducted internally, while work requiring specialized expertise, including computer forensics, would be handled by a third party.
Perrello also received support from several people at the meeting. One longtime department member said Perrello had enforced state training and certification requirements and suggested that those requirements may have contributed to complaints that some volunteers were being treated unfairly. He also said the board had previously supported enforcement of those requirements.
The district-issued cellphone was another point of discussion. Questions included how personal information stored on a district-owned device would be handled and whether commissioners use personal cellphones for Fire District business.
The effect of the situation on the department's career and volunteer firefighters was also raised. One woman, who identified herself as the wife of a career firefighter, urged commissioners to consider the impact on both groups.
Another attendee cited an online petition that he said had received 221 signatures and asked how the board intended to restore public confidence in the district. The petition total was not independently verified at the meeting.
While answering questions, board members maintained that the public does not yet have all of the information gathered during the investigation and that additional details could not be disclosed while the disciplinary process remains underway.
A disciplinary hearing is the next step, with more information expected to become available following the hearing.
Under Thursday's resolution, Perrello remains prohibited from entering Fire District premises, including the firehouse and grounds; responding to fire calls; accessing district or Whippany Fire Department websites; and using district apparatus or equipment, including radios.
The resolution also prohibits Perrello from communicating with district personnel and directs future communications concerning district matters to a designated commissioner in writing.
In separate action Thursday, commissioners approved a resolution authorizing interviews of candidates for firefighter/EMT positions.
The resolution allows candidates to be evaluated based on qualifications including firefighting experience, EMT certification, training and availability. It did not appoint any candidates.
The next regularly scheduled Board of Fire Commissioners/Work Session meetings are set for September 7 at 7:30 pm for District No. 2 and September 3rd at 7:00 pm for District No. 3 (as of 8.28.26).