WESTBROOK – James Gammon, a Westbrook firefighter put on leave in June after he was arrested and charged with the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, made an initial court appearance on Aug. 17.

Gammon, 46, was not allowed to own a gun after being convicted in 1983 of the robbery of a Maine Mall restaurant a year earlier. Westbrook police arrested him on June 25 after they said they found guns in his home on Methodist Road.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Madigan, the prosecutor in the case, said the purpose of Gammon’s appearance on Aug. 17 in Cumberland County Criminal Court was to establish bail, which was set at $500.

Madigan said a dispositional conference regarding Gammon’s case has been set for Nov. 18. Madigan said such conferences are scheduled before a judge to see if cases can be brought to resolution before a trial.

Gammon’s current employment status with the city is not clear. After he was arrested, the city initially put the full-time, professional firefighter on paid leave pending an investigation.

But City Administrator Jerre Bryant said last month that Gammon was on longer on the city’s payroll as of July 23. Bryant has declined to comment further regarding Gammon.

He and other city officials previously have said they were surprised to learn that Gammon was hired by the city in the 1990s after he revealed on his application that he had a felony conviction. His hiring took place before current city administrators were on the job.

Gammon was one of three Westbrook firefighters put on administrative leave in June for alleged misconduct outside of work.

One firefighter, Richard Dorr, 38, of Westbrook was fired by Mayor Colleen Hilton late last month.

Dorr, a call company captain who was staying at Gammon’s home, was arrested in June. He faced a charge of domestic violence criminal threatening against his wife and also a charge of obstructing report of a crime.

However, the domestic violence charge against Dorr has since been dropped and his lawyer said he expects the second charge also will be dismissed.

But a civil complaint by his wife was still pending. On July 23, a judge granted that protection from abuse order against Dorr. That is the date the mayor fired Dorr, who had worked for the city since 1990.

The third firefighter the city also put on leave in June was James Harbaugh, 39, of Portland, a call company captain. On June 8, a woman who works with his wife filed a protection from harassment order against Harbaugh saying he had threatened her over the phone.

Harbaugh resigned July 12. He had worked for the city since 1999.

The action the city took against the three firefighters came as the city was seeking to repair the image of the fire department, which has been grappling with charges of sexual harassment made by two female firefighters in 2008.

Harbaugh was one of seven firefighters disciplined in December 2008 following an investigation into those charges. He received a two-week suspension.