North Liberty fire chief says he's sorry for email criticizing department

The chief of North Liberty's fire department has said in email to firefighters and city officials that the department has gone downhill and he worries that some volunteers have been turning off pagers and not responding to calls.

Chief Eric Vandewater told the Iowa City Press-Citizen that he regrets sending the email. He says it had been prepared in frustration and wasn't intended to be made public. The newspaper had obtained a copy of the email.

Vandewater says there's been no decline in the department's response to emergencies and says the email was aimed at motivating some volunteers.

The chief says in the email that he's noticed a change in his department that has resulted in its being referred to by some officials as the "North Liberty No Responders."