Fern Creek Fire & EMS has disciplined its HR director and a senior major after an internal investigation found the two failed to disclose a workplace relationship that officials say could have created perceptions of favoritism and damaged trust within the department. HR Director Jennifer Crawford received a 24-hour unpaid suspension, while Major Eric Brown received a 48-hour unpaid suspension, and both were issued letters of reprimand and performance expectation plans.
The investigation began after Brown's wife alerted Fern Creek Fire & EMS staff and sent 20 screenshots of text messages she said were exchanged between Crawford and Brown, according to WDRB. The messages, dated May 18 to May 22, 2026, appeared to show conversations between Crawford and Brown, and the station reports that at least one participant was on duty during some of the exchanges. Brown's wife also messaged Crawford three times as part of the fallout, though the outlet reports she has said she and Brown are not getting divorced.
What the Investigation Found
Fern Creek Fire & EMS instituted an internal investigation after the tip, ultimately determining that Crawford and Brown violated employee policies by failing to report their relationship. The district found that the two had admitted to conversations about being in a relationship, though both denied any intimate or sexual relationship, whether inside or outside of work hours, per the same reporting. Crawford told investigators she believed Brown and his wife were separated and pursuing a divorce, while Brown said he and Crawford had only hugged at work — an account that conflicts with his wife's characterization of the situation, according to the station's report.
Crawford began communicating with Brown in April 2026, the investigation found. Board Chairman Henry Ott, who announced the discipline, said both Crawford and Brown are high-ranking supervisors, and that the relationship could create the appearance of favoritism, raise conflict-of-interest concerns, and undermine organizational trust and credibility. Ott said the employees were punished and immediately served their punishment, and Crawford declined to comment further on the incident while Brown has not responded to the outlet's request for comment.
Brown's Board Seat and What Comes Next
Brown has since resigned from his seat on the Fern Creek Fire & EMS Board of Trustees, a position he held as a board member. The article also cites Kentucky Revised Statutes Section 75.031, with a link to the Legislative Research Commission.
Captain TJ Sauer won the resulting election to fill Brown's vacated trustee seat, but the appointment is not yet final. Both the mayor and Metro Council must approve Sauer's appointment before he can officially join the board, per WDRB's reporting. The article also links to the district's membership-application PDF.
A Department Still Adjusting to New Leadership
The discipline involves department leaders. Ott is identified as board chairman in the WDRB report.
Fern Creek Fire & EMS operates in southeastern Jefferson County, while the article does not specify its population, area, station count, ranking, merger history, or headquarters address. Brown is a major in the department.
Brown has served in a supervisory role within the department. It remains unclear how the department plans to restructure HR reporting lines going forward to prevent similar conflicts of interest involving senior supervisors and human resources oversight.
