Fire official resigns from department

Employee announces intention to leave in wake of scandals involving chiefs' conference, cell phone bill

Web posted September 1, 2000

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By Johnny Edwards
Staff Writer

OTHER STORIES: • Fire chief nears OK for Washington job • Chief answers questions • Capital supports fire chief • Few addresses allegations • Augustans back Few in capital • Agents confiscate fire records • Fire official resigns from department • Few pays $642 bill for calls • Officials' phone bills top $1,000 • Mayor is unsettled by debts • Chiefs group covers late bill • Chiefs' bill goes unpaid • Ex-fire chief bids farewell to Augusta • Group hits media for Few squabble • Fire chief reports to grand jury • Few faces final vote by D.C. council • Few accepts D.C. job

Fire department public information officer Katrice Bryant - who came under fire recently for her handling of a fire chiefs' banquet and a colossal cell phone bill - announced her resignation Thursday.

Richmond County Human Resources Manager Robby Burns said Ms. Bryant phoned him Thursday and said she had accepted another job. She did not say where she was going, and his office has not received her resignation letter, he said.

``The department called and said the paperwork is on the way,'' Mr. Burns said.

Ms. Bryant, 27, was hired by ex-Chief Ronnie Few in fall 1997.

Her job entailed writing grant proposals, acting as liaison between administrators and firefighters, writing a quarterly newsletter, overseeing special projects and acting as the department's media spokeswoman.

She did not return phone calls or pages from The Augusta Chronicle on Thursday.

Chief Few left Augusta in July for Washington, where he was hired as acting fire chief and is awaiting confirmation by the city council. Before resigning, he and Ms. Bryant helped organize the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs Conference held in Augusta from May 30 through June 4.

The conference ended in the red by at least $23,000, and Augusta's two acting fire chiefs have been trying to sort out the finances.

Since January, taxpayers have paid more than $2,300 for calls from Ms. Bryant's city-issued cellular phone. Many of the calls were personal.

She has reimbursed the city for a portion of that.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or jedwards92@hotmail.com.