Read the report on Florida FD’s timeout. Minneola Fire Department stand down after dispute was “probably unnecessary”.
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Minneola Fire Department from city website.
Previous coverage here and here
I am sure many of you recall the “timeout” given to the Minneola Fire Department on April 15 after City Manager Sam Oppelaar found people weren’t playing well together. Firegeezer Bill Schumm brought the story to my attention (Bill’s original entry) and various fire service websites and blogs gave the 48-hour stand down story big play.
The report is now out looking at whether this whole thing was handled properly. Here’s how Central Florida News summarizes the report:
The report states there were less dramatic options to handle what started as a dispute between three firefighters during medical calls.
The report highlights several recommendations for the city council to consider, including limiting the authority of the city manager to shut down departments, as well as improving city policies for how to handle grievances.
Here is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of the report:
The actions of City Manager Sam Oppelaar in ordering the “stand down” appear to have been taken in good faith based on his perception that the department needed a”cooling off” period. We found nothing to suggest any improper motive or action by the City Manager, nor did we find evidence of any misfeasance or malfeasance on his part. That said, it is our opinion that the City Manager’s “stand down” order, under the circumstances, was an extraordinary and probably unnecessary measure. We found no precedent in Florida for ordering a “stand down” on an emergency services departmental level, and we believe that there were less drastic alternatives available to the City Manager to deal with the issues that led to his order. We recommend that department wide “stand down” orders – especially for fire and emergency personnel –be employed only in the most extreme and exigent circumstances, if ever, and with prior consultation with the Mayor and City Attorney whenever possible.
The stand down order came after tension during two EMS calls where the lieutenant of the engine company and the paramedic had some issues and words. All of that is detailed in the report.
I do feel obligated to bring to your attention one sentence in the report that could very well be the key to the problems between Lt. Steven Sette and Firefighter/Paramedic Josh Smith. It’s on page 6:
Sette also questioned Smith’s decision to start the IV before incubating the patient.
Well, can you blame them for having a battle and then a timeout when one provider apparently wants to sit on the patient? This is either the key to this dispute, or quite possibly the report writers might want to learn a little about the basics of emergency medical care or work on their proof-reading. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
