MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Safety-Service Director Joel Daniels announced Friday morning that Fire Capt. Mike Treisch resigned from his position with the Mount Vernon Fire Department. Daniels accepted the resignation late yesterday afternoon.
According to Daniels, Treisch said he was “leaving to remove any further distractions.”
“I thanked Mike for his years of service to the city and wished him well in the future,” Daniels wrote in an email to Knox Pages.
Treisch, who was suspended by the city in December for inappropriate conduct, had a few more days of his 45-day suspension left before he was supposed to return to duty.
The incident Treisch was suspended for occurred on Nov. 25, 2017, and was reported to Fire Chief Chad Christopher on Nov. 30. Capt. Joe Spurgeon advised Christopher that Treisch “purposely physically exposed his anus to [the victim] while in the common area (dayroom) of the firehouse,” according to a report obtained by Knox Pages through a public records request. The victim also reported to Spurgeon that he saw Treisch “physically grind his crotch on a chair in a lewd gesture.”
According to Spurgeon’s preliminary investigation, the victim stated this was not the first time Treisch committed an incident of that nature in front of him.
Christopher informed Daniels of the incident on Dec. 1 and made a disciplinary recommendation a day later, which included an oral reprimand without loss of pay. Daniels, however, believed a suspension would better suit as punishment. The suspension was to occur from Dec. 22, 2017, to Feb. 8, 2018.
Officials with the City of Mount Vernon released a statement on Jan. 12 in response to Treisch’s conduct and the subsequent investigation.
“The conduct was clearly inappropriate and the City moved to promptly address the conduct and issue discipline,” the statement read. “This was an isolated incident. Everyone involved regrets the incident occurred. Administration and all employees have learned the importance of appropriate conduct within the Department.”
This was not Treisch’s first reprimand as a member of the Mount Vernon Fire Department. Daniels gave him a Last Chance Agreement on Feb. 6, 2004, after Treisch admitted to engaging in off-duty misconduct that resulted in him being charged with public indecency. Though Daniels believed Treisch’s actions warranted a pre-disciplinary hearing, the fact that Treisch was forthright concerning the situation and was taking positive steps to correct his behaviors played in his favor. Daniels offered to forgo the pre-disciplinary hearing so long as Treisch signed a Last Chance Agreement, which stated that he would complete court-ordered programs or enroll in counseling if the court did not order him to do so.
Treisch began his career with the Mount Vernon Fire Department in 2001. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2009 and then to Captain in 2014.
