LEWES, Del. - Just weeks after top leadership at the Lewes Fire Department publicly called for his resignation, former Fire Chief Bill Buckaloo has been reinstated into the department, according to multiple sources who spoke with CoastTV News.
The decision was announced to members during a department meeting Monday night. Sources say the announcement, made by Fire Department President Wally Evans, was met with shock and confusion from members who had believed Buckaloo was removed from the department for two years following a vote by the board last month.
“You could hear a pin drop in the room,” one source said of the meeting.
According to multiple sources, Buckaloo now has his keys to the fire department back.
Multiple sources tell CoastTV the controversy surrounding Buckaloo is directly impacting the amount of money going to the fire department from donors, saying the fund drive is down $27,000 from where it was at this time last year. At the same time, one source says the department is handling a 23% increase in fire calls and a 45% increase in ambulance calls.
Two Year Removal
On Sept. 10, CoastTV obtained the email sent to fire department members stating that in an emergency board meeting, the board voted to remove Buckaloo from the department rolls for two years. However, Evans now claims that email was unauthorized and referred to it as “fake news” during a phone conversation on Tuesday with CoastTV.
Sources say Buckaloo is now cleared to answer fire calls once again, with his 60-day suspension complete.
Call for Resignation
The reinstatement comes after a Sept. 5 press conference where Evans, alongside current Fire Chief Robert Stephens, publicly called for Buckaloo’s resignation.
“Should Mr. Buckaloo resign? In my opinion, for the best interest of the Lewes Fire Department, it would be good for Mr. Buckaloo to resign,” Evans said at the time.
When asked Tuesday whether he still believes Buckaloo should resign, Evans declined to answer.
Evans told CoastTV the department had already completed a disciplinary process related to Buckaloo. Efforts to contact Buckaloo for comment were unsuccessful as of Tuesday evening.
Background
This all comes after CoastTV confirmed that Buckaloo said the n-word while off duty at the Irish Eyes restaurant in July. Prior to that, while Buckaloo was serving his fifth term as fire chief, he was involved in two other public incidents. In 2018, he was arrested by Lewes police for disorderly conduct after urinating off a dock. In 2020, while serving as assistant chief, Buckaloo was suspended for a Facebook post that included a slur aimed at a drag performer following a show in Rehoboth Beach. The post was later deleted and Buckaloo issued a public apology.
