An independent investigation into “personnel matters” within the Plainville Volunteer Fire Department found the fire company had split into factions at odds with each other, including a so-called “Cancer Crew” of firefighters who were perpetually at odds with management for years, according to documents obtained by Inside Investigator through a Freedom of Information request.

The investigation by Pullman & Comley was launched in 2024 following a series of complaints lodged by firefighters against Plainville Fire Chief Thomas Moschini, Sr., essentially accusing him of bullying, intimidation, favoritism, and creating a hostile work environment over the course of several years, including accusations that he physically manhandled one firefighter and placed another in an unnecessarily dangerous situation.

“I feel that Chief Moschini continues to contribute to a hostile work environment as he is degrading and belittling,” one firefighter wrote. “I also feel that he is retaliating against me because of who I am and issues that he has with other people that he has considered the ‘Cancer Crew’ in this department.”

According to the investigation, the term “Cancer Crew” emerged under the previous chief’s tenure to refer to a group within the fire company who had become “increasingly outspoken in their disagreements” with the chief and management, creating “feelings of disagreement,” and “a high level of animosity.”

In another complaint, a firefighter who cut down a Christmas tree with his son and posted a picture of it to Facebook was harassed by Moschini and other firefighters because he had not purchased a Christmas tree from the fire company – one of the fire company’s annual fundraising events.

“In this post there were over 100 comments and many of these comments were very offensive and discriminating against me,” the complaint states. “These comments began with the chief making a comment about me as I did not purchase one from the [Fire Department]. [Fire chief] Tommy liked many of the negative comments, other members of the FD made nasty comments and which were liked by Tommy Moschini and Doug Doughty posted a picture of a mentally challenged GIF photo that he stated was me.”

Plainville does not have a full-time fire department, according to the investigation. Rather, the Plainville Fire Company is a private organization of volunteer firefighters with its own rules and bylaws housed in a town-owned fire station. The fire company is contracted by the Town of Plainville and the firefighters essentially become town employees when responding to calls, so whether and how the town can intervene in fire company personnel matters can depend on whether these incidents took place during an emergency response. 

Interestingly, according to the investigation, there is no actual contract between the Town and the Plainville Fire Company: “Although the Company and the Town operate as if this contract has been signed by them, there is in fact no written contract,” the investigator wrote.

The independent investigation was requested by Plainville’s Human Resources Department in February of 2024, and involved interviews with multiple witnesses, fire company members and management, as well as documents, emails, and written statements. 

The investigation – which substituted single letters for individuals’ names – found the fire company had essentially fractured into four groups who were largely at odds with each other, had differing perceptions of events, and grievances dating back years making any determination of what happened in any situation difficult.

According to the report, while one group largely wanted to avoid any drama, the remaining groups alleged hostile work environments, favoritism, and discrimination by management, and that some members would influence others to file complaints, in “tit for tat” exchanges, and the in-fighting had caused the company to lose good firefighters.

The divisiveness and management’s conduct during emergency calls had at least one member “who had no obvious support for either” group to avoid calls due to “condescending, abusive and unprofessional tones over the radio and in person,” according to the report.

That member went on to describe officer elections as popularity contests that aren’t based on training or experience; that management is “completely unprofessional, and that “Management A” refuses to call for mutual aid from other towns and threatens disciplinary action if other members do so.

“The Plainville Fire Department needs to have a major change,” the firefighter wrote in a document provided to the investigator. “I realize this letter will probably cause me to lose friends and have a mark next to my name, [but] I cannot keep going with blinders on. I do not want any of the great men and women at the fire house to get hurt or killed because I didn’t say something.”

The investigator did find evidence that management influenced firefighters to either lie or alter their recollection of events to the town manager, including an incident during an emergency response at a UHAUL facility in July of 2022 when “Management A” grabbed a firefighter by the collar and shoved him up against a truck while yelling at him. 

Prior to an interview about this incident with the town manager, Management A called the firefighter and attempted to influence what he would say. While Management A denied this claim, the investigator determined “it is reasonable to conclude that there is evidence that Management A did attempt to influence,” what would be said. 

According to the investigator, the firefighter left out some details of the incident in his meeting with the town manager — including the phone call — and was thanked by Management A afterward.

That same firefighter was then not disciplined by management when he engaged in a physical altercation at the firehouse. Meanwhile, the firefighter who lodged the complaint over Moschini’s Christmas tree comments was given a “Level 2 Reprimand” in 2021 “for his having engaged in a verbal altercation at a local restaurant, notwithstanding evidence that he did not engage in such conduct.” 

Through witness interviews, the investigator found members of the fire company largely consider its code of conduct “a joke,” that is used selectively, and that Management A is “abusive toward others,” is “unnecessarily insulting,” and “believes he is ‘untouchable.’”

However, the investigator also found issues with the “Cancer Crew.” Namely, the investigator believes they would try to undermine management no matter who was in charge, but that there is “much support for them at times and Group 3 and Management A do not appear to understand that.”

The investigation also references other investigations conducted by the Town, including one in which an officer allegedly falsified records to show a firefighter attended more calls than he actually did; “This resulted in Management A and others being placed on paid administrative leave, pending the Town’s investigation of the allegations.” 

“The Town also concluded in December 2022 that he has in fact engaged in hostile behaviors and it does not appear that Management A fully completed everything he was supposed to do in response to those findings,” the investigator wrote.

Plainville Town Manager Michael T. Paulhus indicated that no one in the fire company has been disciplined based on the report but said the Town Council has appointed a sub-committee “to specifically review the report and determined what recommendations to make to the entire Council regarding any action to take for past conduct and what should be done moving forward.”

The Plainville Town Council voted unanimously to reappoint Moschini for another two-year term, according to the January 6, 2025 meeting minutes. Moschini received a stipend of $8,424 in 2024.

Paulhus would not comment on how many investigations have been launched into the fire company by the town over the last several years – despite those investigations being referenced in the report – and would not comment on whether Moschini was placed on leave during the independent investigation by Pullman & Comley.

The investigator refrained from issuing any recommendations based on his finding but did offer his opinion that dismissing either the “Cancer Crew” or “Management A” would likely not solve the issues within the fire company. 

He also noted that while there appear to be personal divisions within the company, the firefighters still reported “they would trust anyone else in the Department if they had to enter a dangerous situation with them.”

“The Town is going to do a thorough review and looks forward to the work of the sub-committee,” Paulhus said.

Moschini did not respond to request for comment.

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