Testimony Archive

I’ve been around boats most of my life, and I know when someone is bluffing their way through it. Dan was operating one of our boats recklessly, pretending he had things under control. He ended up hitting a wing dam, and just like that, the impeller was shot. We had to be towed in — not by another rescue unit, but by a civilian in a fishing boat. That should tell you something.

Afterward, I recommended a local shop I trust — one that’s reliable and affordable. They’ve done great work in the past. I figured, given how little funding KVEC has, we should be smart with our spending. Dan immediately snapped back, saying he was taking it to B&H Marine — no explanation, no discussion. I let it go at the time, assuming maybe he had a good deal worked out with them.

Weeks went by. Way too long for a simple impeller replacement. When the boat finally came back, I saw the receipt on the desk — $2,500. For an impeller? I’ve worked on that engine myself, and I know that job shouldn’t cost more than a fraction of that. So I asked Dan about it. He got up in my face, shouting that it was none of my business. But I’m a member of this team, and how KVEC’s money is spent is absolutely my business.

Then he threatened me. Told me to keep quiet or I’d be kicked off the team and blacklisted from coming back. Said the engine had to be replaced. But I checked — it’s the same one. I know that engine like the back of my hand.

I can’t say for sure what’s going on behind the scenes, but it doesn’t sit right with me. It looks like he’s funneling money to friends and possibly pocketing some of it back. That’s what money laundering looks like. And in an organization that runs on community donations and trust? That’s unforgivable.

While I was a member of KVEC, Dan became chief. We had originally held a vote, and he didn’t win — but he didn’t accept that. Instead, he went to Gabe Rose, the Keokuk Fire Chief, and secured the position outside the vote. Later, when major internal issues began to surface under Dan’s leadership, he told us to lie to the public — to say everything was fine when it wasn’t. That didn’t sit right with me. I stayed as long as I could, hoping to help fix things. But eventually, Dan started accusing me of lying about working my job — when I actually was working. Like every volunteer, my full-time job comes first. On my last day, he told me I had to choose: KVEC or my real job. That’s not how volunteers are supposed to be treated.

Let me be perfectly clear: I joined KVEC to serve this community, to be a part of something meaningful, and to make a difference. But under Dan Tillman’s command, things began to deteriorate rapidly. Morale plummeted, policies became unpredictable, and trust among the team was eroded. Volunteers were treated like disposable labor — unless they were part of Dan’s inner circle.

When concerns were raised internally, we were brushed off. When I asked questions, I was met with hostility. When I tried to help make things better, I was pushed to the sidelines. But what disturbed me most was being instructed to deceive the public. That’s not leadership. That’s not integrity. And that’s certainly not the kind of transparency any emergency response organization should be built on.

Dan’s need to control everything extended beyond operations — it reached into people’s livelihoods and personal lives. I was expected to prioritize KVEC over my actual career, despite being a volunteer. When I refused to give up my job — the job that pays my bills and lets me earn a living— I was shown the door. That kind of ultimatum doesn’t belong in any professional setting, let alone one built on volunteer service.

I didn’t want to leave. I believed in the mission. But it became painfully obvious that under Dan’s leadership, the mission had changed. It was no longer about community or service — it was about ego, power, and control.

To those still involved, or who are thinking about volunteering: I hope you speak up. I hope you never have to experience the pressure, manipulation, and disrespect that many of us faced. And to the community: you deserve better. You deserve to know the truth about what’s happening behind the doors of the organization meant to protect you.

I’m sharing this because silence only helps the ones who are doing wrong. We can’t fix what’s broken if we pretend it isn’t. KVEC can be great again — but not without accountability, not without new leadership, and not without truth.