By Bonnie Culverhouse

Doyline Fire District 3 still has a fire department and the assistant chief received a second chance during a meeting Tuesday of the Fire District Board.

Tyler Strickland was facing termination for documented policy violations by the commission, however, in the end board members voted to suspend him for 90 days.

During comments, other volunteers indicated if Strickland was terminated, they would resign.

Strickland, who is a volunteer, reportedly committed violations of speeding when responding to calls and posting his opinions on social media.

“In December, you were reported by police radar as traveling 110 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone,” said commissioner Gary Loftin. He also cited an incident where Strickland was observed traveling at a high rate of speed on Highway 164 – a distance of 1.5 miles in less than 60 seconds. Speed was calculated by Commissioner Glen Long as approximately 98 mph in a 55-mph zone.

In January, Strickland reportedly posted on his personal Facebook page his “disdain for local police stopping he and other department members for speeding” … and included “#dummys.”

According to Fire District 3 bylaws, this act falls under Defamation of Persons or Organization Policy 1013.1.

While responding to comments on this post, Strickland wrote “our policy states we can only go over 10 mph. In most cases we do, but I’m sorry I do use discretion. If a child is not breathing the petal to the medal (sic).”

Commissioners agreed that even though they have addressed these issues with Strickland several times, using their progressive discipline policy was the best way to handle it.

Following the meeting, Strickland said he was ready to accept the suspension and use it as a learning experience.

“I’ll take anything that wasn’t termination,” he said. “Now nobody has to suffer. I don’t want nobody to be without protection.”