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06/16/2017 12:00 AMWorking under a cloud since May 2 when the Old Saybrook Police Department executed search warrants as part of an investigation, Donn Dobson of Madison, as of Friday, June 16 will no longer work as a fire marshal in Middlesex County. His resignation has led to the suspension of an ongoing investigation into possible time sheet fraud conducted by the Old Saybrook Police Department (OSPD).
“After an administrative and then criminal investigation of Old Saybrook Fire Marshal Donn Dobson, Mr. Dobson has agreed to resign his post with the Town of Old Saybrook,” said First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr.
According to the OSPD, its criminal investigation of Dobson has been suspended following an agreement reached between Dobson and the Middlesex County State’s Attorney’s Office. The agreement includes Dobson’s voluntary resignation of employment with the towns of Old Saybrook, where he was the town’s full-time fire marshal, and Westbrook, where he worked part-time; restitution; and his preclusion of working as a fire marshal in Middlesex County.
In a press release, the OSPD said that Dobson “was the sole subject of the criminal investigation which concerned issues of time sheets submitted to various municipalities.
“The Department wishes to thank the towns of Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Madison, and Branford, the Madison Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, and the Middlesex County State’s Attorney Office for their cooperation and assistance with this complex criminal investigation,” the press release states.
Dobson had worked full-time for the Town of Old Saybrook as the town’s fire marshal since 1998. Since March 2016, he also worked part-time as deputy fire marshal for the Town of Westbrook.
As town fire marshal, Dobson was responsible for reviewing construction plans to ensure they comply with fire and life safety codes, inspecting projects under construction, issuing blasting permits, investigating fires, and preparing investigation reports. He was also responsible for performing fire code compliance inspections of public facilities such as a schools, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, hotels and inns, and similar spaces. The frequency for those routine inspections is set by the State Fire Marshal.
Dobson was first certified as a fire marshal in 1997 and in 1998, he joined the staff of the Town of Old Saybrook as town fire marshal. He has held several leadership posts in state-wide fire marshal organizations including serving in 2001 on the Board of Directors of the State Fire Marshals Association and in 2004, as an appointed member of the State’s Fire Prevention Code Advisory Committee. In November 2009, Dobson was elected president of the Connecticut chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.
In a statement issued by his attorney H. Brian Dumeer, Dobson "maintains no criminal conduct occurred, however, he regrets administrative errors that lead to minor time keeping mistakes.
"Mr. Dobson cooperated and complied with the investigation at all times and has reached an agreement with the Middlesex County State's Attorney Office in order to amicably resolve this matter with the municipalities," the release states, adding, "Mr. Dobson wishes to thank the many professionals he has had the pleasure of working with in his 18-plus years serving as the fire marshal for the towns of Old Saybrook and Westbrook."