The Manchester Fire Department building at 37 Readfield Road. Jessica Lowell/Kennebec Journal file

MANCHESTER — The town’s fire chief has been placed on paid administrative leave after he was charged in June for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement official.

Manchester Fire Chief Francis R. Wozniak Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal file

Francis R. Wozniak, 42, was issued a summons by the Hallowell Police Department last month on charges of falsely pretending to be a public servant and engaging in conduct in that capacity with the intent to deceive, following an investigation that police say began in February.

Wozniak is on paid leave until his Aug. 5 court date and will continue to receive his $56,000 salary while on leave, according to Town Manager Debora Southiere.

Southiere said the Manchester Board of Selectmen held a special executive session June 28 to discuss the personnel issue.

The town also plans to open its own investigation on the matter, Southiere said, but she could not disclose the main reason for the investigation.

“We haven’t started discussion yet, but we are talking about doing our own investigation,” she said.

Hallowell police said late last month that Wozniak told several people he was a “constable,” and represented himself as a constable to get a service that is only available to law enforcement when he sought to have a light bar, including blue flashing lights, installed on a municipal pickup truck he drove.

A training coordinator from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, responding to a Freedom of Access Act request sent by the Kennebec Journal last week, confirmed that there are no records for Wozniak ever attending the Vassalboro-based academy, which is required for Maine officers.

James Lyman, the training coordinator, said anyone acting in law enforcement in Maine would have to attend either the academy’s Law Enforcement Pre-Service Training Program or the Full Time Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. The academy also requires confirmation from the agency that a person is registered as a law enforcement officer.

Southiere, the town manager, said a further discussion on Wozniak’s leave will take place after his court date to make a determination on his future in Manchester.

Southiere said in June that the town was aware Wozniak had the light bar put on his truck, but that it also included red and white lights used by fire departments and rescue vehicles.

She confirmed Friday that Wozniak has returned the keys to his town-issued vehicle, which remains parked at the Manchester fire station.

Wozniak started full-time in town as fire chief in 2019.

In 2020, he was arrested on a charge of drunken driving in Portland and pleaded guilty.

He is one of five full-time employees in Manchester and was slated to receive a 5% salary increase, approved by voters at the annual town meeting in June, but his administrative leave predated the new salary’s effective date of July 1.

The town manager said all town employees received a raise of up to 5%, based on how long the employee has worked with the town and their job performance.

In Maine, constables are special police offices appointed by a municipality that require general law enforcement training.