On May 28, 2026, Assistant Fire Chief Michael Fox sent a detailed letter to the council requesting retroactive consulting-style compensation of 1880 for former firefighter and officer MJ Zappa for documented project work between 2021 and 2024. The letter itemizes 94 hours of work on EMR course instruction, CPR refreshers, OEC simulation planning, and SOP/handbook development at a proposed 20 per hour, and notes that this would be paid from the existing MLFD operating budget with no additional funds requested. While the payment itself is a one-time internal matter, the letter emphasizes that Zappa’s work was "project-based, expert-led, and high priority" and that traditional volunteer-firefighter relief association benefits did not adequately compensate such contributions. This signal suggests the department values external expert-led training and SOP development and may be open to future paid consulting engagements for medical training, simulation design, and policy development. Vendors providing EMS/fire training, policy writing, and exercise design can position themselves as ongoing partners to fill the gap left by Zappa’s departure.

MLFD leadership stresses that this is an "extraordinary" situation and not a precedent for routinely...