"It's not over," said the now former Gardner Volunteer Fire Department chief, Randy Wilkey, Monday about the conflict between the department and the trustees of the Gardner Fire Protection District.

As of last fall, the department is no longer under contract for services with the district and Wilkey is no longer chief. Wilkey said, however, he and the firefighters from the department that stand firmly behind him and still recognize him as their chief are not giving up yet.

"We do believe, in the end, either through the next court date or in the appellate process that the ruling will be overturned," Wilkey said.