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In the three-year span Greg Benson served as the fire chief for the city of Port Arthur he received no disciplinary complaints.

In addition, there were no complaints made against Benson during his tenure as fire chief in relation to Acadian Ambulance.

The tie between Benson and Acadian spills over from last year when the fire department’s medical group made recommendations to improve emergency services by having more than one service. Acadian, who was the sole provider for the city 17 years, and City Ambulance Service, made proposals to the City Council. For a brief period of time both services were working in the city, then Acadian pulled out, citing a number of reasons, mainly that a multi-provider system was not viable for the community.

Port Arthur Newsmedia filed two separate Freedom of Information Act requests with the city regarding any formal complaints against Benson.

Benson was terminated from his position April 25 without reason, he said. He cites cronyism by City Manager Ron Burton and the “good old boy system” as part of the reason he was let go.

Benson said in mid-May he received a separation document from the city but believed the language included was incorrect. He received a revised document May 1 and was given 21 days to submit the paperwork.

On Monday, Burton said the city had not received the document as of Friday.

Prior to Tuesday’s council meeting, Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie said he believed Benson’s status was unchanged.

With Benson’s termination, Deputy Fire Chief Robert Havens was appointed to serve as interim chief. He did so for a short time, then stepped down due to health reasons.

This led City Manager Ron Burton to appoint Captain Antonio Mitchell in that position.

On Monday came yet another change up as Havens returned to work as interim chief, according to Bartie.

A third FOIA was filed by Port Arthur Newsmedia requesting a “copy of the formal complaint made by a representative of City Ambulance Service regarding the authorization of Acadian Ambulance Service by (then) Interim Fire Chief Robert Havens to facilitate an inter-facility transport for a patient out of a Port Arthur hospital.”

The complaint was filed via email from Andre Ruby, vice president of City Ambulance, dated April 12.

The formal complaint states Havens gave Acadian Ambulance authorization to facilitate an inter-facility transport for a patient out of the Medical Center of Southeast Texas.

At that time Acadian did not have a permit to operate in the city of Port Arthur.

Ruby goes on to say according to city ordinances, authorization for such services can only be granted by the fire chief in the event of an emergency.

“This unauthorized action not only raises concerns regarding compliance with local regulations but also poses potential risks to public safety,” Ruby said. “It is imperative that proper procedures are followed to ensure the delivery of safe and effective emergency medical services within our community.”