For the last 4 years, Fire Chief Ken Corbin has not only been battling fires and responding to medical emergencies. As a 28 year fire fighter veteran, he found himself battling the politics and corruption of the Blackjack Fire Protection District where he has been Chief the last 8 years.  From a nearly broke and un diverse Fire District, Chief Corbin's leadership garnered Black Jack Fire Protection District a consistent double AA rating from Moody's, Cut unnecessary expenditures and overtime, he established a sound and well funded pension for it's future retirees and personal rapport with the community.  Propositions were passed once again after 20 years of citizen disapproval due to the Board's history of  reneging on their commitments for an effective EMS (Emergency Medical Service). The BJFPD was once again given a chance by the community to additional taxes for improvements in service.

However the battles may have been won but extinguishing the corruption and politicking of the Board of Directors was far from over.  Unnecessary out of town trips with their families and mistress, lavish spending on meals and sundries at the tax payer's expense, pressuring vendors for gifts and favors such as baseball tickets, conflicts of interest by signing for their own duplicate insurances, pressuring Chief Corbin to dismiss public bidding and sell outgoing vehicles to them for a lower cost, Nepotism where the white Assistant Chief, Roger Ellison in a quid pro quo hired his son with the approval of the board despite the Fire Chief and the Union recommending against it, resulting in dismissing more qualified applicants.

He solely confronted and have on record, called out and complained to the board of directors said irregularities in both admin and operations. Instead, he was discriminated for wanting to put things right and wanting to uphold good governance. He was denied trainings whilst Assistant fire chief, Roger Ellison would have all trainings and education approved and paid for by the tax payers.  He also holds a job at Christian Hospital and is hardly at the Fire House while being assistant chief. 

Whist on vacation, Asst. Chief Ellison, with one of the Board of Directors sitting shotgun in their vehicle came to the Corbin Residence and intimidated him and his family with a fraudulent Cease and Desist Order that the three Board of Directors just made up.  A few weeks later, Chief Corbin was terminated and his last pay, which he worked for was withheld. His insurance was requested to be terminated immediately despite their knowledge that his wife had a medical condition and was just released from the hospital, they were also unmindful that he has a 7 year old child with special needs. This was their retaliation for Chief Corbin filing an EEOC complaint. The Corbin’s now have to pay out of pocket while at the same time paying for the Board of Director's double insurance from their taxes. Immediately after his termination, he was replaced by his then Assistant Chief Roger Ellison as the new interim Fire Chief who once told him he would never want to be Chief of Black Jack FPD.

For the past months, citizens have been attending the board meetings in the district.  They refused to answer queries and would even hide in their boardroom letting the residents wait for over an hour and a half.  Either that or they would cut their meetings short just in time where citizens are arriving. 20 minutes for a board meeting is what they show the citizens where their hard earned money goes.

The board of directors are represented by Bruntrager and Billings.

Black Jack Fire Protection District is not the only fire district that is experiencing this kind of politicking and corruption. Join the fight against corruption in our fire districts - because our safety depends on it! Out with corruption, in with trust: it's time for change in our fire districts! We won't let corruption be the arsonist of our community! The Board of Directors need to be held accountable. What kind of legal advice on good governance are they getting? Don't let corruption burn down our trust in fire services! Firefighters shouldn't have to battle corruption too!