Florence residents and firefighters urge council to revisit Chief Snyder termination, citing low morale

Residents and members of the Florence emergency response community used the council’s call to the public to press elected officials to revisit the town’s handling of the firing of Fire Chief Snyder and to act to restore morale.

Mike Sherm, who said he is a Florence firefighter, told the council that morale is “at an all‑time low” and that the department has already lost at least one firefighter to a neighboring department. He warned of a potential staffing crunch, saying "with the possibility of 10 or more new members from the department looking for employment elsewhere" the town could face a significant problem with staffing. Sherm urged the council to consider bringing Chief Snyder back, including negotiating a short‑term contract and removing the termination from personnel records so the chief could return without litigation.

Other residents said the department’s cohesion and public‑safety relationships were harmed by the decision. Mary Daniel, a longtime CERT volunteer, said the termination felt like "a rug being thrown under you" and called for conversation and remedy so the town can "learn from this" and restore trust. Brian Spurgeon, speaking as a Sun City resident and CERT supporter, asked the council to ensure it has an ability to review personnel actions that affect public‑safety leadership.

Sharon Woodard, describing 31 years in government and six years with the town’s CERT team, asked for clarity about why Chief Snyder was removed and for town management to explain what has happened. Cassandra Sherman added that the termination had affected firefighters' families and asked management to negotiate with Snyder to bring him back.

Council members did not take formal action during the public comment period; Mayor Eaton and staff said questions about personnel matters would be addressed under the appropriate agenda items or in closed sessions as needed. The council heard multiple public safety‑related items later in the meeting and recessed to executive session for several personnel and legal matters, after which it authorized legal action in separate litigation items but did not announce any immediate personnel reversals.