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Cutler remains North Okaloosa Fire District chief for now

Written by archive on September 26, 2012. Posted in local, News.

CRESTVIEW — After nearly three hours, the North Okaloosa Fire District Commission decided on Thursday night to table discussion of removing Fire Chief Ed Cutler until next month’s meeting.

The decision came after public input and much discussion among board members during the commission’s monthly meeting at the Bob Sikes airport fire station.

All five commissioners were present at the meeting, along with Cutler and Deputy Chief Danny Worrells. Cutler’s supporters, many employees within the department, filled the room.

Crestview resident and former department commissioner Gene Wright raised the topic of Cutler’s record, mentioning an incident when a firefighter’s gun accidentally discharged in the firehouse.

Sgt. Richard Noiseux of the Okaloosa County airport police, wrote the report and said the firefighter brought a permitted weapon to the station, and was showing it to another staff member when it accidentally went off into a nearby wooded area. Accounts varied on when the accident occurred, but Noiseux estimated it was late summer or early fall in 2011. No one was hurt.

Wright told the board that he didn't believe Cutler covered up the incident. However, he was concerned that Cutler didn't report the incident to the board.

"The commissioners must now realize that Ed has a very different opinion (of) what's important, noteworthy and reportable than they do," Wright said, adding that Cutler should face that decision’s consequences. Wright told Cutler that he "would go into a fire with him," but his error in judgment warranted firing.

Philip Kent, who said he has been involved with the department for years and has known Cutler, for some time, even before he was chief, defended the fire chief.

"This happened a year ago," he said. "What possible purpose does this serve? If you want to fire Chief Cutler for that, then you do not have my respect. In my opinion, this is bogus."

Several agreed.

Commissioner Sam Anderson was also in favor of keeping Cutler.

"I'm totally and completely opposed to the removal Chief Cutler," Anderson said. "He has done an excellent job."

Anderson — who said the gun-discharge incident wasn’t enough to cost the chief his job — said Cutler received a verbal reprimand incident.

"The thing was that it happened and the chief did not make the board or at least the chairman aware that it had happened," Chairman Franklin Sauls said. "That was disappointing."

Still, Sauls agreed the incident wasn't enough to warrant Cutler’s removal.

That night, Cutler asked the board if he could give a statement, which the board allowed.

"Mr. Chairman, my rights have been infringed upon, have been violated," he said, adding he planned to hire an attorney and sue the board. He then read from a prepared statement. In the statement, Cutler said he had not broken any law and that his rights as a firefighter have been violated. He also accused some of the board members for violating Florida's Sunshine Law, which regulates elected officials’ discussions on issues they will vote on. It aims to prevent private discussions on public matters.

"There is no reason for the charges that have been brought against me in public," Cutler said. "When charges were brought up by one commissioner, with no explanation, and then another commissioner seconds the motion …. that is very suspicious."

Cutler explained that he thought information illegally was being exchanged outside the board, and expressed that he wanted Sauls to launch an investigation into the matter.

"The board and the firefighters have been at odds," Cutler said. "We need to get back on the same page with the right commissioners to works towards the same goal."

Both sides agreed that they would work on communication with each other.

"We came to agreement with the chief and the board, 5-0." Commissioner Craig Shaw said. "I think were on the right track."

Although the vote was scheduled for early in the meeting, commissioners held the item until the end of the meeting after seeing the night's attendance.

The meeting covered in-house department business, including volunteer training and updates on fueling and the district's Insurance Service Office rating.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Cutler remains North Okaloosa Fire District chief for now

Council denies fire department allocation

Written by archive on September 26, 2012. Posted in local, News.

CRESTVIEW—A request for a budget reallocation by Fire Chief Joe Traylor to achieve his department’s top priority budget request was rebuffed by the city council at its Monday evening meeting. The fire department hoped to convert a part-time dispatcher into a full-time position to provide more adequate staffing.

Explaining the necessity of the position, Traylor described the sequence of events that leads to his department’s response to an emergency, beginning with a citizen’s call for help that is answered by a dispatcher at the Woodruff Avenue main fire station.

“This position is one of the key elements in starting that chain of events,” Traylor said. “That’s why my staff determined this is a priority.”

Traylor stressed that he was not asking for additional funds.

“What I’m asking is to take the money within the fire department budget that was approved to reallocate it based on the priorities that we submitted to the budget process back in June, and defer the lower priorities,” Traylor said. “The number one priority was to take our part-time dispatcher full time.”

Traylor said the fire department’s dispatch staff is “limping along” because it is understaffed, with trained firefighters sometimes having to fill in as dispatchers when a shortage occurs.

“We have certified people waiting to move into position,” Traylor said. “This position has a history of turnover. It’s not about the individual; it’s about the position. We have six people covering 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are more hours than there are people. Somebody ends up working overtime or we pull a firefighter in.”

Councilman Charles Baugh Jr., saying he was playing devil’s advocate, questioned why, among budget reallocations Traylor proposed, he would defer buying new sets of protective gear.

“I don’t feel comfortable taking clothing and equipment from the firefighters,” Baugh said.

“I find it incredible that you think I would put any firefighter at risk by not providing protective clothing,” Traylor responded. “We bought protective clothing last year and we did the year before….At no point did we not have anybody who didn’t have good, certified clothing.”

“Chief, I respect your judgment,” Councilwoman Robyn Helt said. “I just wonder why you didn’t raise this in the budget hearing when we were scrambling to find money under any rock, nook or cranny.”

Traylor said the dispatcher position was clearly indicated as his department’s top priority in a June 4 letter submitted to the council and city clerk. When it wasn’t funded during the budget process, he and his staff began finding a way to locate the money within the budget that was allocated to the fire department.

By eliminating some communications equipment, the uniform allocation, and firefighter physicals, which are already covered under each fireman’s city-provided health insurance, and estimated fuel savings under a cooperative purchase agreement with the county, Traylor and his staff found $27,000 to fund the position.

“Once we attained a balanced budget, we didn’t ‘find’ money, we reallocated,” Traylor said. “Our priorities changed. I haven’t changed the budget.”

Councilman Tim Grandberry moved to approve Traylor’s adjusted budget, but for lack of a second, the motion died.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Council denies fire department allocation