As Minnesota confronts a series of high-profile fraud investigations and Minneapolis faces renewed questions following Police Chief Brian O’Hara’s resignation, multiple Minneapolis firefighters contacted Alpha News with concerns about the handling of taxpayer dollars inside the Minneapolis Fire Department.
The firefighters have alleged unethical practices involving a firefighter married to the department’s interim chief.
Internal scheduling records and public meeting records reviewed by Alpha News show veteran Fire Motor Operator Charles Rucker received paid 24-hour duty exemptions on multiple occasions in 2025 to attend meetings as a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board commissioner, a separately compensated elected position.
Charles Rucker is married to Interim Fire Chief Melanie Rucker, who was appointed to lead the department following the retirement of former Chief Bryan Tyner.
During the period in question, Melanie Rucker served as deputy chief and assistant chief of personnel, overseeing the division responsible for scheduling and leave matters, according to firefighters who spoke to Alpha News. They say this created an obvious conflict of interest.
Multiple Minneapolis firefighters who spoke to Alpha News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation said the records reflect a broader pattern of favoritism and inconsistent treatment within the department that they say has damaged morale among rank-and-file firefighters.
“Fraud is running rampant in the Minneapolis Fire Department while the people in charge are either looking the other way or directly benefiting from it,” one firefighter alleged when talking to Alpha News.
Records show paid duty exemptions
According to the firefighters and scheduling records reviewed by Alpha News, Fire Motor Operator Charles Rucker, who appears to earn approximately $117,700 annually before overtime, received paid 24-hour duty exemptions on at least six occasions in 2025 so that he could attend Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board meetings in his role as an elected commissioner, a position that pays about $18,000 annually.
Fire Department records show Rucker was assigned the payroll code “OFC,” which firefighters say means “Off Through the City,” on at least six dates in 2025. Several entries contain the notations “Park,” “PB” or “PBM” — referring to Park Board meetings — as well as “Terry,” which the firefighters say refers to Assistant Chief Michael Terry.
According to multiple firefighters, Terry reported directly to Melanie Rucker during the period in question and had a longstanding friendship with Charles Rucker.
Firefighters told Alpha News the OFC code is intended for official Fire Department business, such as training or inspecting a fire rig at another department, while allowing an employee to remain on full pay — and not to attend meetings as part of another compensated public position.
“While being paid under the OFC code, Rucker was simultaneously collecting a salary from the Park Board to attend Park Board meetings,” one firefighter said, calling it “double-dipping.”
Firefighters said the arrangement also required the department to pay two Fire Motor Operators for the same 24-hour shift: Rucker and another firefighter assigned to cover his duties.
“Those [Park Board] meetings typically begin at 5 p.m. and last only a few hours. There is no reason Rucker could not have worked his MFD shift until he needed to leave for the Park Board meeting and then returned to his Fire Department shift after the meeting ended,” one firefighter said, adding that Rucker could have used vacation time for the meetings.
City attorney: Fire Department was not required to pay Rucker
After Alpha News contacted Rucker for comment, an attorney representing the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board responded on his behalf. The attorney confirmed that Rucker serves as both a Minneapolis firefighter and a Park Board commissioner.
“They are two distinct jobs with two distinct employers,” the attorney said. “While the duties of a firefighter are critical to the city, so are the duties of a Park Commissioner.”
As a park commissioner, Rucker has recently drawn public attention for voting to close the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park following claims that the site contains Dakota burial remains.
The attorney also stated that Rucker’s attendance at Park Board meetings was authorized under Minnesota law and had been approved by then Fire Chief Bryan Tyner. The attorney forwarded a letter he wrote in November 2024 to Rucker outlining state law.
In it, the attorney said the Fire Department must permit Rucker to take time off to attend meetings but acknowledged that the Fire Department was not required to pay Rucker when he missed his shift to attend those meetings, writing that he “may or may not receive pay,” depending on the arrangements with the city.
The arrangements allowing Rucker to receive Fire Department pay while attending meetings for another compensated public office were in place while his wife, Melanie Rucker, served in senior personnel leadership roles overseeing the department’s scheduling and leave functions, the firefighters said.
“There was an obvious conflict,” one firefighter told Alpha News. “She was overseeing personnel while her husband was receiving these assignments.”
Alpha News has also learned that Rucker has been on paid PTSD leave from the Minneapolis Fire Department since January 2026, according to the firefighters and scheduling records.
Since going on leave, Rucker has remained active in other public leadership roles.
Public records show he has attended Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board meetings while continuing to receive compensation as an elected commissioner.
He also serves as president of the Minneapolis African American Professional Firefighters Association, according to media reports.
Questions about department leadership
Former Minneapolis Fire Department Health and Safety Coordinator Meg Zopelis painted a troubling picture of the department’s leadership in a resignation letter obtained by Alpha News.
Alpha News reviewed a timestamped copy of the emailed letter that Zopelis sent to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on June 20, 2024.
In the letter, Zopelis described the Fire Department as a “toxic, hostile work environment with huge double-standards,” alleging that senior leaders were allowed to operate without accountability while she faced retaliation or was ignored. She wrote that repeated ethics complaints failed to result in meaningful action and said the department’s leadership culture had eroded employee trust.
Zopelis identified Melanie Rucker, former Fire Chief Bryan Tyner, and Deputy Chief Michael Terry as members of the department’s leadership team during the period she described.
A new chief on the horizon
In May, Mayor Jacob Frey nominated Dr. Reginald Freeman, a veteran fire chief whose experience includes leading departments in Oakland, California, and Hartford, Connecticut, to become Minneapolis’ next permanent fire chief.
If confirmed by the City Council, Freeman would replace Interim Chief Melanie Rucker.
On Saturday, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 82, which represents about 450 sworn Minneapolis firefighters, publicly urged the Minneapolis City Council to confirm Freeman’s nomination.
In a letter to council members, Local 82 President Mark Lakosky described Freeman as “a highly respected leader with outstanding credentials and an impeccable reputation both professionally and personally.”
Lakosky wrote that rejecting Freeman “would be an egregious error” and said the department “has lacked respected leadership for far too long.”
The union also blasted a recent KSTP report about a lawsuit involving the Hartford, Connecticut, Fire Department during Freeman’s tenure, noting that Freeman was not even named as a defendant and arguing the allegations had nothing to do with him and should not be used to derail his nomination.
Lakosky further suggested the timing of the KSTP report — which aired the day before Freeman was scheduled to meet with Minneapolis City Council members ahead of the confirmation vote — indicated it was intended to undermine his nomination.
He said it appeared to be “the handiwork of people who feel threatened by the prospect of Chief Freeman becoming the next Chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department.”
City responds
Alpha News reached out to Mayor Frey’s office about Zopelis’ letter. A spokesperson initially said the mayor had no record of receiving Zopelis’ letter and therefore could not comment on its contents. After Alpha News provided a timestamped email showing the letter had been sent to the mayor, the mayor’s office said it wasn’t sent to the mayor’s “official email,” couldn’t be located in the inbox for the email address it was sent to, and declined to comment.
Alpha News also reached out to the City of Minneapolis and the Fire Department for this story. The city said the questions in Alpha News’ first inquiry could only be answered through a data request. The Fire Department provided a statement in response to a second inquiry.
“I have observed Interim Chief Melanie Rucker to lead with integrity and professionalism. She continues to have my full confidence as she serves in this role until a new fire chief is appointed,” Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette said. “If any firefighter has concerns, I encourage them to bring them forward. Complaints can be reported through Human Resources or directly to my office. They will be taken seriously and reviewed through the appropriate process.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
