LINCOLN – A local firefighter claims he was assaulted by Town Manager Glenn Aho while Aho reprimanded him for not wearing proper gear during a fire earlier this week.

The case is being investigated by the Penobscot County district attorney’s office.

Bobby Powers, a full-time firefighter, said the incident occurred Monday morning at the town’s transfer station. He said firefighters were on scene while the town burned a pile of wood scrap.

Powers said he was spraying water onto the woodpile to keep the embers down. “I was in the wrong,” he said. “I did not have any protective clothing on. I didn’t have my turn out gear on.”

Powers said Fire Chief Bill Lee told him to put his bunker boots and helmet on. He said he went to the tanker, got out his bunker pants and put them on. He said he reached into the side compartment of the tanker and got a brush coat – a lightweight jacket used for fighting wood fires – put it on and buttoned it up.

“I reached back into the cab, grabbed my helmet put it on and shut the door,” Powers said. “When I turned around the manager was right in my face and he grabbed right a hold of me,” he said. Powers said Aho grabbed him by the coat collar right under his chin with one hand.

“He looked right at me and said ‘if I ever catch you without your turn out gear on again so help me God,”‘ Powers said. “He let go of me and threw the fire chief’s gear at me and said ‘you tell Bill to put this on.'”

Powers said he had no conversation with Aho, but turned around and went to the back of the tanker, set the chief’s stuff down, took the nozzle from the chief and told him “the manager said to put your gear on.”

Powers said Aho’s action was inappropriate. “My chief had already corrected the problem,” he said. “Yes, I admit I was in the wrong, but my boss corrected me already. There was no need for Aho to take that kind of action. There is a chain of command to be followed and Aho bypassed the chain of command. He went too far.”

The firefighter said he contacted union officials to file a complaint and then went to the Lincoln Police Department.

Police Chief Richard Mayo said Powers filed a report that the town manager had assaulted him on Aug. 19. Mayo said the report was filed with Officer Marc Egan at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Egan referred the case to Mayo.

“Where this involves a town employee and the town manager, I thought it best to ask the District Attorney to investigate this case in order to remain as objective as possible,” Mayo said.

Aho said he became involved because of his concern for employee safety and the town’s liability with an out-of-control burn.

“I certainly don’t agree with his alleged claim,” Aho said. The town manager said he was acting in the capacity of his responsibility as the town’s personnel director.

Aho said an investigation is under way and said he was confident about the outcome. He declined to comment further because of the pending investigation.