Last modified: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:06 AM EDT North Attleboro Fire Chief Peter Lamb is on voluntary paid leave as the fire commission investigates complaints about the chief's management style. Leave for NA chief BY AMY DeMELIA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF NORTH ATTLEBORO - Fire Chief Peter Lamb is on voluntary paid leave as the fire commission investigates complaints about the chief's management style and other problems leveled by firefighters in a series of letters to town hall. Lamb volunteered to take the leave of absence Tuesday during a closed-door meeting with the commission, and it was accepted, commission Chairwoman Valerie Hickey said. Hickey said the fire commission is taking the complaints seriously and is investigating issues raised in the firefighter letters. "It's not a comfortable situation. We're aware of the issues, and we're working to get to the bottom of them," she said. "Right now, we're investigating the concerns raised and we're looking at setting up a meeting to discuss them. "We're going to move as quickly as we can to try and get this resolved by following the proper procedures." Hickey declined to go into specifics about issues raised in the complaint letters, which were delivered to town hall in recent weeks. The fire commission will hold another meeting within the next 10 days to review the matter, she said. Lamb said Tuesday that five letters had been received. While he declined to go into specifics about the letters, he said the complaints focused on his managerial style and operational issues within the department. Lamb also said there was "heightened tension" in the department because of several recent developments, including a change in the way staffing is handled for the town's second ambulance, which was moved from the Allen Avenue Fire Station and the Kelley Boulevard Fire Station. In addition, he said a proposal to require annual physicals for firefighters has been met with resistance. The layoff of three firefighters because of the town's tight budget has also created discord in the department, he said. Lamb did not return a phone call requesting comment on Wednesday.