Council members question new JFRD district chief positions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City Council members are asking if some recent promotions in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department were designed to win a political endorsement.

On Tuesday, News4Jax reported on 12 new district or department chiefs created at JFRD even though the department was threatening to close fire stations last summer because there was no money in the budget.

Now, about a month away from a city election, with high-valued endorsements for the fire union on the line, some council members question the timing of the new positions.

The Jacksonville Association of Firefighters and the JFRD deny that politics played a part in promotions made in the last two weeks, but Mayor Alvin Brown isn't saying anything about it.

Council members are saying plenty.

"I ask the same question: Is there a timing attached to this? Is there, maybe, an endorsement forthcoming?" asked Councilman Bill Gulliford.

The head of the City Council Finance Committee asked why didn't the fire department come to him and explain what they were doing before promoting a dozen lieutenants or captains to chiefs.

"Interesting timing; very interesting timing," Clark said. "I am more concerned that a fire chief would resign himself back, demote himself as a result of what that action was. That sends up a big red flag for me."

Clark is referring to former Operations Chief Kurtis Wilson, who resigned as chief and returned to the field on Jan. 30. Clark said Wilson stepped down because he did not agree with what was happening in the department and the possibilities of a political endorsement.

Wilson and he had no comment, but his resignation letter thanked the mayor for the opportunity to lead as a division chief.

Council member Lori Boyer said she went to bat for the fire department during budget hearings and got the department extra vehicles and more money because the fire department is vital to the city. But she's questioning this move and hints that members of the department might have been lying when they appeared before the council during budget talks.

"Which is troubling to me because that indicates ... some level of misrepresentation in the budget process," Boyer said.

JFRD Chief Marty Senterfitt said the idea of creating 12 new chief-level positions in the department were for safety reasons. These chiefs replace positions that were cut in 2011 and will make sure firefighters are following proper procedures when tackling a fire.

Senterfitt said the hires were his, not the mayor's. The money to pay the new chiefs would come from savings the department would see in fewer workman compensation claims.

The mayor's office had no comment on the new JFRD positions. The candidates challenging Brown's reelection did react.

Bill Bishop said timing of these promotions are questionable; a spokesman for Lenny Curry says time will tell if union bosses have traded their endorsement for Brown for taxpayer-funded chief positions; Omega Allen say if the fire department says the positions are needed, then she does not question it.

The fire union is voting Wednesday and Thursday on its endorsements in the city election. News4Jax was told Alvin Brown was the only candidate for mayor on the union's ballot.


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Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.