NewsChannel 15 has learned Howe Springs Fire District Chief Shannon Smith has been fired from the department.
District board member Earl Liner says the board terminated Smith Wednesday for failure to follow operating procedure and guidelines.
Last month, Smith was placed on administrative leave with pay while the State Law Enforcement Division investigated an allegation of funds missing from the department, according to Liner.
He can't say how much money is missing, but we're told it could be thousands of dollars.
The investigation is ongoing.
Smith has served as Howe Springs Fire Chief since 2005.
Liner says the board is in the process of trying to determine who they will hire to lead the department.
According to the Howe Springs Fire District website, it covers approximately 175 square miles in Florence County.
Howe Springs is dispatched to just fewer than 1000 calls a year with more than half being medical related.
