Ex-fire chief cleared of charges, will not be rehired

By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
   ROBBINSVILLE — A former fire official charged with shoplifting in June has been cleared, but will not be rehired by the township.
   Former Fire Chief Kevin Brink was cleared last week of shoplifting charges stemming from an incident in May at McCaffrey’s supermarket in West Windsor Township. The municipal judge there, Mary S. Brennan, dismissed the case Sept. 2.
   Mr. Brink could not be reached for comment because updated contact information was not available. Mr. Brink’s attorney, Hamilton-based Nick Travisano, did not return calls to comment before The Messenger-Press’ deadline.
   Mr. Brink was accused of concealing items with the intent to steal during a May 25 trip to McCaffrey’s. West Windsor Lt. Pat McCormick said Mr. Brink was driving a fire vehicle toward Robbinsville when he was pulled over.
   Employees did not initially file a complaint, but did so June 8, stating that Mr. Brink placed food items in a bag, but did not leave the store with them.
   The former chief was negotiating with the township to accept a demotion to captain, but the department already has six captains and seven would have been too many, said Township Administrator Mary Caffrey. He was laid off July 17.
   Mr. Brink earned $99,000 per year as fire chief in Robbinsville. The settlement will total about 36 weeks of pay, which includes his accrued sick and vacation time, Ms. Caffrey said.
   Chuck Petty, also a lieutenant in the Robbinsville Police Department, is currently in charge of the Fire Department. Lt. Petty was serving as the deputy fire chief — the highest ranking volunteer position, Ms. Caffrey said. He earns $105,000 per year as a lieutenant, but will not earn additional compensation for his role within the Fire Department, she said.
   As for hiring a new chief, the administrator said that with the township’s recent takeover of the Municipal Utilities Authority, newly approved firefighter contracts and the alleged shoplifting case, the department needs time to “let the dust settle.”
   ”Chuck is already known and respected within the department, and he can lead them through this final period of transition,” Ms. Caffrey said. “We get a sense that they’re happy with things so far, so we will see how this goes.”