Former Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland was allegedly forced to retire or face firing because he directed changes to a mayday report to make the department look better. He is currently running for mayor of Frisco.
According to public record documents that detail an outside investigation, obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Piland allegedly altered official documents to benefit his position
The investigation, by Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C., a Grapevine-based firm, claims to have evidence that Piland directed staff to either remove information or change language in mayday documents, which are required when an injury occurs during emergencies.
Local Profile has not verified the report but did attempt to contact Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. Local Profile also reached out to the city of Frisco, the Frisco Fire Department and Piland, but did not receive a response prior to publishing.
According to the investigation, a mayday report was requested by Piland after a firefighter fell through a roof during a Frisco apartment fire that lasted more than 36 hours during an ice storm in February 2021. The firefighter was one of four injured during the incident known as the Circa Fire.
Some of the changes allegedly to the mayday report that put Piland in a better light include language added to the availability of an initial rapid intervention team (IRIT), a designated crew that serves as a stand-by rescue team of any missing, trapped, injured or unaccounted for firefighters. The initial mayday report also said that for 36 hours prior to the fire, Frisco firefighters were operating “with minimal opportunities for rest due to exponentially high call volume” and that the department was operating with resources almost to the breaking point.”
The report also did not include that Captain Beck fell through the floor to his chest and that other firefighters placed themselves at personal risk to rescue him.
The investigation carried out for the report included interviewing 42 witnesses. Moreover, documents, photographs, audio and video files were analyzed and the investigation report notes that Piland had a conflict of interest and should not have been involved in the mayday report process, because his decisions were being reviewed and critiqued.
However, in a response letter obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Piland claims the allegations were “outrageous and without evidence.” He said, “I was placed under a gag order not to discuss it, effectively impeding good city government attempts to implement the mayday report’s lessons.”
A settlement stated that Piland would be paid a lump sum of one year’s pay and accrued leave up to 1,200 hours. The agreement also stated he would not apply for employment with the city, absent a specific written agreement with the city manager. However, Piland is running for mayor in this year’s election.
City Manager Wes Pierson stated a new fire department leader was needed and, according to documents, communicated such to Piland on Sept. 7, 2022. That day, Piland was placed on administrative leave. The city of Frisco announced Piland’s retirement on Sept. 14, 2022, and said he was pursuing new career opportunities.
“Based upon the information available to me, in my judgment, I do not believe Mark is the person that can effectively resolve the trust and other issues that exist in the department,” Pierson reportedly wrote. “Accordingly, I believe it is time for a change in leadership in the fire department.”
“In September of 2022, Chief Piland chose to retire because his vision for the Frisco Fire Department did not align with Mr. Pierson’s vision, as city manager,” Piland’s attorney Christopher Ayres told The Dallas Morning News. “Mr. Pierson accepted chief’s retirement, even expressing ‘appreciation’ and gratitude for chief’s ‘contribution’ in his near decade of service to the city. Any suggestion to the contrary, including that chief Piland was fired for misconduct or otherwise, is not accurate.”
Pierson also cited an additional outside investigation that found Piland violated a breach of confidentiality. The investigation report said that Piland's meeting with Cheney was not a usual meeting in the scope of business and not a situation where the investigation came up by mistake or was accidental. Piland allegedly talked about the investigation, according to the report, “knowingly and with intent.”
“The purpose of the meeting, initiated by chief Piland was to discuss the investigation,” the investigation report stated. “Piland improperly asked Mayor Cheney to keep the conversation confidential. Despite the directives, Mark met with Mayor Jeff Cheney on June 3, 2022, and during the meeting raised issues with the motivation for the investigation, the subject of the investigation and whether the investigation should even be occurring.”
But Piland told investigators he only sat in on one meeting and had little association with changes to the report. But Assistant Chief Cameron Kraemer told investigators that Piland had input on several sections of the report.
Piland signed a settlement agreement with the city, which asked him to submit his resignation on Sept. 14, effective Sept. 21, according to public records.