CLINTON - As a volunteer firefighter for the city of Clinton, Aaron Kammeyer isn't used to getting applause for serving the department. | Clinton fire chief officially sworn in

He has been thanked many times during the hundreds of calls over his 4½ years on the squad, but Wednesday night was the first - and likely last - time he received an ovation as a firefighter.

He received it for quitting the department.

A group of about two dozen Clinton residents gathered Wednesday night at the fire station to protest the controversial installation of Shawn Milton as the city's new fire chief, and they applauded as Kammeyer dropped off his equipment and letter of resignation.

"It's not easy to quit," Kammeyer said. "This is part of your life. The decision was made last week to bring in Shawn, but we really need someone in there who can bring us back together."

Fellow firefighters Ken Holt and Daryn Black also quit Wednesday.

Prior to the resignations of Kammeyer, Black and Holt, the squad was down to 24 members. Fully staffed, the department would have 42 members.

Clinton Mayor Ed Wollet said he has been in contact with area fire departments and has been assured help will be available if needed.

Shawn Milton, son of Public Health and Safety Commissioner Jerry Milton, was approved as chief in a 3-2 City Council vote last week. The chief's appointment is on an interim, part-time basis that will come up for renewal May 1.

Ceremony a surprise

Shawn Milton said the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday came as a surprise even to him, and firefighters said they learned of it from news reports.

"We were expecting him to be sworn in at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday," Holt said. "I don't know why it had to be such a secret."

The chief took office a day after a two-hour City Council meeting in which several firefighters aired their concerns about the father nominating the son for a position the father would oversee.

Jerry Milton said the decision was made to swear in the chief early so the department would have a chief in case there were any fire calls.

Shawn Milton replaced Jeff Pearl who died in November. At that time, Shawn Milton was appointed assistant chief along with his brother-in-law, Brian Armstrong, who resigned from the squad immediately after the vote last week.

"Even if we were to try and give him a chance, the swearing-in situation was a sign that things are probably going to get a lot worse," Kammeyer said. "The fact (is) that it was kept a secret from the department, and if they are going to start that, then I don't think things will change at all."