$1,000.00 Extra Payments for First Responders---to INCLUDE the Volunteer Firefighters

If we are giving $1000.00 in extra pay/stipends to first responders, I want to insure that we are taking care of ALL first responders, and not overlooking the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters!

Over the last month, Governor DeSantis has cris-crossed the state handing out $1,000.00 bonus checks to first responders.  He came to Escambia County and personally handed out the checks to sheriff's deputies.

Our paid firefighters were given checks as well.

As were the EMT's and Paramedics.

But then it was "stated" (by whom I have not been told yet) that "the volunteer firefighters don't get the money..."  But wait:  Aren't volunteer firmen considered first responders, too?  We have volunteer firemen running calls every day in Escambia County (and a lot of other places as well.  Gulf Breeze is a 100% volunteer fire department--are they not getting these checks?  What about all the rural volunteer fire departments throughout the panhandle---their service doesn't count?)

Well, this isn't right.  I must simply assume it was just an oversight on the part of the governor's staff.  Or someone.  But anyway, it doesn't matter.  Because we can fix it locally.😁

After all, the money for all these bonuses is coming out of the same pot from the federal government, from the American Rescue Plan.  And just to reiterate--volunteer firemen are first responders, too.

So if I can get two more votes on Thursday---we will fix this oversight locally and ensure ALL first responders get a check!

It's Like Doing a Rain Dance, Then Complaining About a Lack of Umbrellas When it Starts Pouring.....

When you pray for rain it is good to have a solid umbrella....

County and IAFF bargaining continues tomorrow.

Meanwhile, there are significant issues that still need to be addressed in the fire union contract.  I am hopeful our bargaining team can carry the board's proposals tomorrow and an agreement can be reached.

At least that is the hope.

But in listening to the last 10 minutes of the most recent session with the IAFF--it appears their  positions are very intransigent.  I hope this changes.

Continuing shots at commissioners have not stopped or changed, though.  Through selective releases of certain information on social media, via proxies sympathetic to the union,  and the union itself---- information and data that are misleading, inaccurate, or flat out fiction pour out.

For Example:  the false social media posts related to a tragic fire resulting in the death of a citizen were weaponized and launched onto the internet by the union.  This rightfully led to disciplinary action against those union leaders that did this but would not admit their culpability.  Good.  That tragic death was absolutely NOT about a lack of resources as the union falsely claimed.  That was a straight-up, bald-faced lie.  Sickeningly, it had the appearance of an attempt at utilization of a tragedy to further union negotiations for higher wages.  Disgustingly unprofessional.

I was contacted by that victim's family in that instance and they were not happy about that post.  Believe that.

At a breakfast I enjoyed this past Saturday with a current county employee and former volunteer firefighter in West Pensacola, he recounted that his own experience as a multi-year volunteer was bittersweet.  "I enjoyed doing it for many years, but we were never treated fairly, we were not allowed to ride along to fire calls, and we were given only menial tasks to do in the firehouse.  Most of us left because we were treated horribly, like second-class citizens."  

A current volunteer (one of the few remaining) summed it up succinctly "This can be fixed with minimal cost. Just need to put people with vision in these positions and let them build it up and get us all to working together. Volunteers and career can Co exist but we need to begin with solid volunteer leadership to start with. And it can grow if given the chance. Cuts down their overtime and increases services to the citizens at minimal cost. But you gotta start with solid volunteer leaders.

Right now they [IAFF Union] control ECFR every aspect of it and that is not working. District Chiefs with a little backbone for the volunteers is what we need right now. If you noticed recently that station one now has no volunteers and they are trying to achieve that at all stations. I myself have almost thrown in the

Letter(s) to the File Part II: Policy Violation Results in Letters of Counseling

The firefighter's union supported Joe Biden, and the local affiliate has supported various candidates as well.  But campaign activities must not happen on government time nor can campaign events occur on government property...

This is America--and we enjoy many more freedoms than most any other country in the world.  Freedom of speech, assembly, and the freedom to support political campaigns during election season are three very important ones.

The national paid firefighters union supported Joe Biden for president.  They love him.  They endorsed him early, often, and enthusiastically--they even have a dedicated website about their loyal support for Biden.  Great--go get em tiger!

Locally, their affiliate supports and endorses candidates as well.  

In 2016 they supported a commission candidate that came in a distant, disappointing third place, not even in the running.  But even that candidate in that race did much better than the one commission candidate IAFF supported in 2020 who also, very disappointingly, came in an even more distant 3rd place finish-garnering just 22% of the votes in that race.  Nearly 8 of 10 voters voted against that

Discipline Delivered Part II: Local Fire Union Secretary's Conduct Rebuked and Consequences Delivered

 As I work to put together the public records requested of me by the local paid firefighter's union, I have come across disciplinary documents that are public records according to the county attorney.  As I stated in part I--I'm certain these documents would have remained in a file cabinet or on a server somewhere and never never been made publicly available had it not been for this public records request.  But the request has been made, and it will be costly and time consuming and all the responsive records will be gathered, reproduced, and turned over to the fire union's lawyer.  Lots, if not all of them, will be published on this blog as well after they are paid for by the union's lawyer.   This particular discipline, indicated in the three pages below, is in response to an official complaint made by Escambia EMS in response to a disgusting, despicable, and low-class post made on the local fire union's Facebook page.  The language in the discipline narrative is scorching--and I am told the suspension without pay has already been applied to this particular employee as a result of this incident--although I'm also told this employee is actively appealing this discipline.  Read the discipline documents here, below:

In addition to this information, this particular file also has the transcript of the county's staff questioning this employee about the Facebook post that was the subject of the investigation.  I am astonished at the answers given in this questioning--which more than likely led to the administration of discipline on this individual by staff.  Read the transcript here, below, and while you do-perhaps ask yourself what you would do if this was an employee of yours and was answering you this way as you conducted an investigation?.....

Discipline Delivered Part I: Scathing, Scorching Narrative Accompanies Union President's Discipline Document

 WOW!  This narrative is scathing, cutting, and scorching.  It is really quite unbelieveable.  It's also a public record.  And it probably would have remained in a file somewhere, never seeing the light of day.

But now, because a South Florida lawyer has made an extensive records request of me, obviously on behalf of a local union official, this public record is coming out.  And there are more coming.

This record is about discipline for conduct that is extremely concerning.  The conduct at issue got my attention when I heard about it.  But more importantly--it resulted in other county employees speaking out-demanding an investigation!  see below:

And after EMS complained, and others, an investigation was conducted.  Here is an excerpt, below, from the discipline that was administered as a result of the investigation request(s).  (Note:  so far as I have been told, these allegations and these discipline recommendations listed below have been appealed by this particular employee.  Nevertheless--this is a public record.)  And these folks want the public records so here, below, is part 1.  And it is a scorcher, the read of the narrative.  Ouch!  (As I pointed out to a recent poster on a different blog post--chat sites, facebook, blogs, and other social media critiques are one thing--but this discipline narrative is real world, written by an employee's supervisor!  Wow!)

Fire Union Lawyer's Public Records Request of Me will be Time Consuming..

Some folks deridingly refer to public records requests as "fishing expeditions."  I just think they are a part of the job and a part of the law.   And some such requests do require an inordinate amount of time to complete--as will be the case with this one that has recently been made of me...if a "fishing expedition" is what this is, I hope they remember to never bring bananas on the boat........its bad luck.

The public records law is one I take very seriously.  It is part of an important system of checks and balances that applies to all of Florida's agencies, departments, offices,  and elected officials.

Over the course of my 15 years as a locally-elected public official, I have fulfilled dozens of these.  No problem, no worries.   I finished a large one in 2018 at the request of the sheriff's office--it was huge and filled an entire box--hundreds of pages.  I got it done within 30 days.  I finish them quickly, and I answer them completely.  As a matter of fact I just finished one up last week and turned in the documents, it was a rather quick one to complete.  Some are easy and I turn them around immediately where it is practical to do so. (e.g. one email, or one specific document requested).

But now comes a rather extensive one from a law firm out of Fort Myers Florida, pictured below. 

This one appears to be at the behest of our local paid firefighter's union.  

But why this request, and why now?

--The union is more than likely still simmering over the fact that they worked so hard to get my opponent elected in the race for county commissioner last summer--yet the guy they backed got vaporized--he finished a distant 3rd place--not even close to being in the running. Even with their endorsement, even with their members holding signs and writing checks and dressing up in costumes on the side of the road waving at cars....  Didn't matter, didn't help, he got smoked.  

--Perhaps a few of them are still sore because I posted every employee of the county's salary online---to include all the firefighters? (many making $70K, $80K, $90K yearly--many making six figures.)    

--They might be angry because a campaign rule and county policy was broken by some personnel that would not fess up-- and a campaign sign was brought onto county property-- in a fire station--leading to a letter of reprimand for some senior fire staff.  

--We're in the process of bargaining a new contract with the union locally--maybe they are mad about that (but why?)?  

--Maybe they're mad because I've said HELL NO to raising the fire MSBU on taxpayers

--They're probably mad because I blew the whistle on the way good, hard--working volunteers were being treated poorly and run out of fire houses. And I demanded an investigation.

--A few are mad because after this despicable post was made on the union's facebook page FALSELY claiming a "lack of resources" at a recent fire was what caused a civilian casualty--there was actually some consequences meted out by administration.  

That post on the facebook site was reprehensible, unprofessional, and disgusting.  Most importantly--it was a lie.  I got the actual fire incident report and we had one unit on scene within two minutes, and several others within four minutes.  We ended up with 7 or 8 trucks and 69 personnel on that scene in a very quick timeframe.  So