BRADENTON – It was a day of sadness and celebration Oct. 17 as West Manatee Fire Rescue’s staff said goodbye to retiring Chief Tom Sousa and welcomed new Chief Ben Rigney in a combined retirement and change of command ceremony held at Station 1.
As Sousa passed the ceremonial pike to Rigney, officially passing command of the fire district to his successor, several well-wishers stepped up to the podium to honor both men, including former WMFR Chief Andy Price, WMFR board Chair David Bishop and East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Ben Rigney celebrates his first few moments as the district’s leader with his father, retired North River Fire District Chief Johnny Rigney and his brother, Johnny Rigney Jr. with the Sarasota County Fire Department. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Two of the most poignant moments of the evening were when Rigney’s grandfather, Hugh Holmes, pinned the chief’s badge on his grandson and when, after Sousa gave his final comments as chief, a ceremonial radio call went out announcing his official retirement from the district.
Hugh Holmes pins the chief’s badge on his grandson, new WMFR Chief Ben Rigney. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Price, as the guest speaker for the event, said that he was honored to be included in the ceremony, having known both Sousa and Rigney as well as worked with them for many years. Price retired from WMFR in May 2015.
Once the change of command was completed, Bishop kicked off Sousa’s retirement celebration by thanking Sousa for his 13 years of service to WMFR and recognizing the accomplishments of his 43-year career in the fire service. He ended his comments with a top five list of options for Sousa to explore in his retirement: travel, become an Uber driver, paragliding, become a school crossing guard and, number one, become a professional bicycle helmet model. Sousa’s likeness can be seen modeling a helmet on the side of WMFR’s bicycle rodeo trailer.
Retiring Chief Tom Sousa accepts the golden axe from WMFR board Chair David Bishop in honor of his 43 years of service to not only the district but also to the fire service. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Bishop presented Sousa with a plaque and a golden fire axe on behalf of the district and board recognizing his service to WMFR. Whitehurst, speaking on behalf of the local fire chief’s association, presented Sousa with a certificate and token of appreciation for his work.
Whitehurst said that there are two colors used to recognize those retiring from the fire service based on their years in the service. Because of Sousa’s many years of service, Whitehurst said a white ribbon was added to the colors as a third tier for 30 years or more of service.
Sousa also was presented with a folded American flag.
The dual ceremony ended with Sousa’s final comments, thanking his family for their years of support, and a radio announcement, officially marking his retirement from the fire service. A reception was held afterward with food provided by Mission BBQ.
BRADENTON – Aug. 20 was a celebration of life at West Manatee Fire Rescue’s board meeting as district leaders handed out three sets of Phoenix Awards to first responders.
The district gives out Phoenix Awards to first responders with the district who respond to a medical call where the patient doesn’t have a heartbeat either on arrival or at any point during the call, the patient is revived and is eventually discharged from the hospital. In August, Battalion Chief Ryan Moore presented responders from three separate calls with Phoenix Awards.
“These are my favorite awards to give because they’re truly life-changing for the people we respond to,” Moore said.
The first call involved an April call to a Mangrove Point residence where a female patient was found unresponsive. The crew, Lt. Chad Brunner, firefighter John Balzer and firefighter Tyler McDonald, gave the patient CPR until an EMS crew arrived to take over patient care. The patient was able to be discharged from Blake Medical Center in Bradenton.
Firefighter Andrew Powers receives a Phoenix Award Aug. 20 from Battalion Chief Ryan Moore for his work to revive a drowning victim who survived and was discharged from the hospital. – Kristin Swain | Sun
The second call was in response to a drowning on June 3 on Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. The responding crew included Lt. Darren Vollmer, firefighter Mike Petrosino, firefighter Jared Apple, firefighter/paramedic Adam Bagget and firefighter/paramedic Andrew Powers. Upon arrival, crew members saw bystanders giving CPR to an unresponsive male patient on the beach. Crew members took over CPR and advanced life support care. The patient recovered and was discharged from Blake.
The third call involved a male patient who went into cardiac arrest at O’Shucks Raw Bar and Grill in Cortez on June 4. Lt. Jay Johnson, Lt. Chad Brunner and firefighter Tyler McDonald responded to the call. Upon arrival, the first responders said it appeared the patient was having a seizure and wasn’t breathing well on his own. During the call, his heart stopped beating.
The patient, a resident of Anna Maria Island, Robert Philippi, was present at the Aug. 20 board meeting when the awards were given out. He said he was having dinner with his family when he had a heart attack.
“Obviously the night was a rollercoaster ride for everyone involved,” he said. “I’d never had a moment of ill health in my life, nor was I expecting a heart attack that night, but I was very fortunate in where I was that I had some expert bystanders around who helped with CPR until the team arrived. And from there I have very little recall, so everything I have is what people have told me that went on, but there’s no question that without the expert support and care that I received from the fire service, from the EMS crew that arrived there and actually from all the staff at Blake hospital because it required 10 resuscitations to get me stabilized over the course of about a five hour period. Unbelievably, I was discharged from the hospital two days later.”
“I’m just extraordinarily grateful to everyone involved,” Philippi said.
Firefighter Tyler McDonald receives the first of two Phoenix Awards Aug. 20. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Moore also read an excerpt from a letter written by McDonald praising the actions of Lt. Johnson.
“When Chief Sousa announced his goals to enhance the service of West Manatee Fire Rescue by providing advanced life support, we all knew this was going to be a challenge. Among other hurdles, one of the largest would be staffing our engines with paramedics rather than EMTs. Lt. Johnson was one of the first to offer his time and energy, go to school and be one of the missing pieces of the puzzle. As you know, Lt. Johnson completed paramedic school and has been a charge medic with us for nearly a year,” Moore read.
“On this particular cardiac arrest, I saw everything in a different way. Once the EKG monitor was attached to the patient, I watched a colleague who I’ve worked beside since the beginning of my career, read the squiggly lines on the monitor and immediately identify the abnormal rhythm that the patient’s heart was in and announce without hesitation that we needed to shock this patient. At this moment, this call seared an everlasting memory in my brain.
“As you know, with most cardiac arrests, even the ones that turn out to be saves, it’s only a hopeful ride to the hospital while the patient is still unconscious. This is the first time I have ever seen a cardiac arrest play out like a Hollywood movie where the patient jolts back to life and begins talking to us.”
“How unbelievably rewarding to see the dead come back to life,” Moore continued, reading from McDonald’s letter. “I’m extremely pleased to write this letter on the successful efforts that day and want to ensure that Lt. Johnson is recognized for the time and energy he has spent in order to use his skills as a paramedic and to have played a very large part in saving this man’s life.
“The advanced life support program that was started at West Manatee is an obvious success. I am proud to work with people like Lt. Johnson who always take initiative and have a passion and commitment to be the best they can be in this profession.”
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue’s soon-to-be Chief Ben Rigney’s employment contract is approved and ready to go into effect when current Chief Tom Sousa retires from the fire service in October.
WMFR’s board of commissioners voted unanimously June 18 to accept the terms of the contract negotiated by board Chair David Bishop. Once the vote was taken, Sousa and the five fire commissioners each took a turn congratulating Rigney on his promotion and the acceptance of the contract.
The contract is for five years and requires Rigney to reside in the district for the entirety of the term. The fire chief position is the only one with WMFR that carries a residency requirement. Until October, Rigney will continue in his current position as battalion chief.
Bishop said that during negotiations he also argued for the chief’s salary to be raised somewhat to come up to current standards and bring it more in line with other Florida fire districts. He said he tried to negotiate a raise for Sousa during his three years as chief, but that Sousa refused.
“When you have talent, you pay for talent, and you have high expectations for results,” Bishop said.
Rigney, a career WMFR firefighter, was selected by commissioners in March to succeed Sousa. He was the only candidate to emerge from a three-month internal selection process and received recommendations not only from commissioners but also from his fellow firefighters.
The candidate selection committee was headed by Commissioner Larry Jennis, who gave Rigney a positive recommendation during the March meeting.
In addition to taking on the mantle of fire chief, Rigney also will be undertaking a two-year training program to achieve the top certification for a fire service officer with the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program. Rigney said the program, previously a four-year endeavor, is undergoing some restructuring and that he hopes to start sometime in the next year. He was accepted in the program in mid-2018.
BRADENTON – When Chief Tom Sousa retires from the district in October, West Manatee Fire Rescue will have a new chief in Battalion Chief Ben Rigney.
When Sousa announced his early retirement from the district, board members decided to open the position first to internal candidates before considering allowing non-district employees to apply. Out of that first round of searching, one internal candidate emerged – Battalion Chief Ben Rigney. During a March 19 meeting, commissioners voted unanimously in favor of appointing Rigney as Sousa’s successor as fire chief, contingent upon contract negotiations with board Chair David Bishop. The terms of the contract will be brought before the board at a future meeting.
Commissioner Larry Jennis, who headed the selection committee, recommended the board do away with the final phase of the application process, presenting a short oral presentation to the board. Jennis said that with Rigney having already presented to the board numerous times there was no reason to ask him to do it again, something his fellow commissioners agreed with.
Rigney’s appointment to the fire chief position will be effective upon Sousa’s retirement, expected Oct. 17.
Commissioner Randy Cooper said he feels that Rigney is well qualified for the position and has good ideas to move the district forward in the future. “I’m looking forward to working with him,” he said.
“I think he’ll make a fine chief,” Commissioner George Harris said.
“I’m very pleased with the candidate,” Commissioner Al Robinson said.
For his part, Sousa said he’s very pleased with the choice of Rigney as his successor. “The district’s in great hands so everything’s going to work out great,” he said.
“I’m very excited,” Rigney said of the opportunity to be WMFR’s chief. “I’m very excited to work with the district and to further the goals of the missions of the department.”
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners had a full agenda for their February board meeting.
The group met Feb. 19 at the administration building to discuss the future of the fire district.
Retirement and succession
With Chief Tom Sousa retiring from the district in October, the search is on for a new fire chief. Opening the position up first to internal candidates, only one emerged – Battalion Chief Ben Rigney.
Commissioner Larry Jennis, who’s heading the panel to find qualified candidates, said that he was very impressed with Rigney and his credentials, advising his fellow board members to allow him to move forward in the selection process. The next hurdle is for Rigney to have an interview with each board member.
“He’s exceptionally well qualified to be fire chief,” Jennis said, adding that when he spoke to the district’s firefighters Rigney also received glowing recommendations.
After the individual interviews, commissioners will decide whether or not to open the position up to outside candidates.
Administration merger
In light of Sousa’s retirement and the imminent sale of the district’s administration building to the Oasis Middle School, Commissioner George Harris suggested his fellow commissioners consider a different option – merging administration services with nearby Southern Manatee Fire Rescue. If this happened, the firefighters, stations and board would all remain West Manatee Fire Rescue but the administrative staff would be merged with Southern Manatee’s and that district’s chief would also serve as WMFR’s chief.
Because the two fire districts do not share a border, they could not completely merge into one district without Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue also agreeing to merge.
The idea received mixed reviews from commissioners with Jennis and Commissioner Al Robinson both agreeing that since WMFR has a small administrative staff that works well they don’t see a benefit or a need to the merger. Commissioners voted 3 to 2, with Jennis and Robinson dissenting, to allow Harris to enter into exploratory talks with Southern Manatee.
Cortez Fire Station
Harris said he’d received word from Cortezian Mary Fulford Green that the old Cortez Fire Station is vacant. He added that Green asked if the district would be interested in helping to create a fire services museum at the site. Commissioner David Bishop asked Sousa and Harris to do more research on the project, potentially reaching out to other county fire districts to see if there is any interest in creating a museum, and bring the information back to the March meeting.
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said the crowd assembled for the Council of Governments meeting was the largest she’s ever seen.
The reason for that crowd was one agenda item, the possibility of merging all the county’s fire districts into one, an item brought to the table by Manatee County Commissioner Betsy Benac.
“I have no pre-determined agenda,” Benac said, opening the conversation.
With the population and construction growth over the past few years and with what’s expected to come in the future, Benac said she wants to make sure the fire districts still feel that individually they’re up to the task of meeting the safety needs of residents, visitors and businesses.
Representatives from eight of the county’s 10 fire districts were on hand for the discussion – North River, Parrish, Cedar Hammock, Southern Manatee, East Manatee, West Manatee, Myakka City and Trailer Estates Fire Control District. Bradenton Fire Department and Longboat Key Fire Rescue also are located in Manatee County.
“We’re a very popular place for people to come,” Benac said. “The number one priority in the county is public safety.”
She added that in talks with representatives from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and EMS workers she’s gotten the impression that keeping up with the growth is becoming an issue and a strain on resources, including creating a quality of life issue for rescue workers, who regularly work 24-hour shifts. Benac said she wanted to hear from the fire district representatives whether there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Though taxpayer monies go to fund the fire districts, she said the districts are possibly the part of government that people know the least about; they just expect rescue workers to arrive on-scene quickly when needed. One of her goals with the discussion, Benac said, is that she wants to increase communication between the county and the fire districts and increase the communication from the fire districts to the public.
Fire districts often work together through memorandums of understanding and mutual aid agreements, some of which will be before county commissioners during their first February meeting for informational purposes.
Talking about a merger
Though a merger was on the agenda, county leadership cannot force the fire districts to merge and Benac said she has no plans to add fire department administration to the already difficult task of county officials. She cited two feasibility studies, one from 1980 and another from 1992, that both discussed the possibility of a Manatee County-helmed single fire district. The benefit of a single district, she said, would be standardization of training, service and communication, something she feels the individual districts have accomplished on their own.
Each of Manatee County’s fire districts is an independent district. Residents of each district pay a tax or assessment, depending on the district and its policies, that appears on TRIM (Truth in Millage) notices received in the fall. Districts are responsible for their own oversight, management and the services they provide to residents. Each fire district was created using enabling legislation from the Florida state government and, in order to merge, the districts would have to share a border, they both must agree, pay for an independent feasibility study, and get the approval of the majority of residents in each affected district before a merge can happen.
The topic of a merger came up in 2018 when WMFR Commissioner George Harris broached the subject during that board’s meeting. With Chief Tom Sousa retiring in October and the district in the process of selling its administration building, Harris said he felt it was the perfect time to consider merging with the neighboring Cedar Hammock Fire District and Southern Manatee Fire District, which shares a border with Cedar Hammock but not WMFR. Southern Manatee commissioners stated during a meeting that they were not inclined to consider a merger at that time. Talks between WMFR and Cedar Hammock leadership fizzled out at the point of obtaining the feasibility study. After the Jan. 29 meeting, WMFR Commissioner Randy Cooper said the district’s leadership is still open to discussing a merger.
What happens next
While a county-wide merge into one fire district is unlikely at this point, some representatives from the Manatee County fire districts present during the meeting expressed their intent to keep county leadership and the public more informed in the future.
East Manatee Fire Commissioner Garry Lawson agreed that he wants better communication, suggesting a monthly meeting between the districts and a county representative or a regular newsletter to keep all parties informed about the district’s activities.
Chief Brian Gorski from Southern Manatee said the communication among districts is happening, but he feels the weakness might be in getting the information out to the public.
Chief Stacey Bailey of the Parrish Fire District said he feels the fire districts “represent Manatee County in an efficient manner. Our services are second to none.”
Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh applauded the fire district representatives and the work done to keep the public safe. She said in her experience the fire districts all work well together and support each other’s efforts. About a merger, she said, “The fire districts should decide. It’s up to them. Each fire district knows their district better than the others, better than the commission.”
“The bottom line is our top priority is public safety. These districts have figured it out,” she added. “I think we need to leave well enough alone. If one thing in our government is working, it’s our fire districts.”
Baugh encouraged her fellow commissioners to visit the fire departments in their districts, take a tour of the facilities and remain engaged to get a better understanding of how the fire service works.
“I’m very proud of the fire districts,” she said. “You guys just rock.”
BRADENTON – Firefighters and staff with West Manatee Fire Rescue had a lot to celebrate Jan. 15 during the district’s annual awards ceremony held at the administration building.
Awards were given in recognition of meritorious service and years of service to the district, along with the Firefighter of the Year and Officer of the Year awards.
Honored for years of service were Firefighter Cameron Fraizer who’s been with WMFR for five years, Firefighter Jerrod Apple and Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski for 10 years of service, Firefighters Brian Gaskill and William “Buddy” Bowen for 15 years and Firefighter Nathan Berbom for 20 years of service. Apple and Berbom were not present during the awards ceremony.
Captain-turned-Battalion Chief Ryan Moore’s family was on hand for his promotion. His wife and children came up to assist Moore in pinning on his new badge and celebrating his promotion.
Administrative Battalion Chief Ben Rigney, Battalion Chief Rich Losek and Firefighter Alex Flores were honored for their deployment to the Florida Panhandle with one of the district’s advanced life support fire engines as a part of a Hurricane Michael response team. The group was part of one of five strike teams from Manatee County and the only ALS engine in the group. Rigney served as leader of all five Manatee County teams during the more than one week of deployment. The strike teams were deployed to Port St. Joe and Marianna.
The next awards were the Firefighter of the Year and Officer of the Year awards chosen by a vote of the district’s firefighters. Chief Tom Sousa said this year was an anomaly being the first year that the district handed out two Firefighter of the Year awards, one to Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Powers and another to Firefighter Josh Adkins. While he said it’s usually one firefighter who stands out among the rest over the course of the year, both Adkins and Powers received the same number of votes. Sousa said he “sees a bright future going forward” for both men.
The Officer of the Year award went to Battalion Chief Rich Losek for the second year in a row. Losek received a standing ovation from the attending firefighters for his work with the district. He is set to retire from the fire service in March.
Ending the evening’s festivities was the award of the gavel to 2018 board chairman Larry Jennis in honor of his first year as chair of the fire commission.
Officer of the Year, Battalion Chief Rich Losek, and Firefighter of the Year Josh Adkins strike a pose with Adkins’s wife. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski accepts accolades from Chief Tom Sousa on his 10 years with the fire department. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa congratulates Administrative Battalion Chief Ben Rigney for his leadership as the leader of five strike teams deployed from Manatee County to assist with Hurricane Michael cleanup in the Florida Panhandle. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa honors Battalion Chief Rich Losek as Officer of the Year for the second year in a row. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Newly promoted Battalion Chief Ryan Moore takes a moment to celebrate with his family during the awards ceremony. - Kristin Swain | Sun
WMFR Commissioner Larry Jennis receives the gavel in honor of his service as the 2018 board chair. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter Cameron Fraizer accepts an award from Chief Tom Sousa for five years of service with the district. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter Brian Gaskill accepts an award honoring his 15 years with the district. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Chief Tom Sousa presents Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Powers with the Firefighter of the Year award. This is the first year WMFR has awarded two firefighters with one of the district’s top honors. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Battalion Chief Rich Losek presents Firefighter Josh Adkins with the Firefighter of the Year award. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Firefighter William “Buddy” Bowen receives an award for 15 years of service with West Manatee Fire Rescue from Chief Tom Sousa. - Kristin Swain | Sun
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – This past year brought a lot of changes to the three Island cities as well as to some other organizations. Let’s take a look back at what happened in 2018 at The Center of Anna Maria Island and West Manatee Fire Rescue District.
The Center of AMI
The Center of Anna Maria Island started 2018 on a positive note as the organization’s flagging finances rebounded and have continued to grow over the year. The Center’s board hopes to end the 2018-19 fiscal year in June 2019 as the second consecutive positive year for the nonprofit.
Membership numbers at the Center have also continued to grow over previous years, ending the 2018 calendar year well over 2017 numbers. Board Chair David Zaccagnino said the positive outcome was due in part to the organization’s ongoing partnership with Brenda Canning’s Island Fitness, which moved into the second-floor fitness center in 2017.
New Center Executive Director Chris Culhane takes to the field with his family. – Submitted | Center
The Center said goodbye to Executive Director Kristen Lessig and hello to new Executive Director Chris Culhane in February. Culhane, a long-time Center attendee and employee, quickly earned the respect of the community and Center employees, guiding the nonprofit to a positive outcome in the first half of its 2018-19 fiscal year.
WMFR
West Manatee Fire Rescue began the year and ended it the same way in its commissioners’ quest to sell the oversized administration building on Third Avenue West in Bradenton for a smaller office setting – without completing the planned sale to The Oasis Middle School. Regulatory hurdles and a slow financing process pushed the closing date back three times, with the date now set for summer 2019.
With the imminent sale of the administration building and future retirement of Chief Tom Sousa, Commissioner George Harris broached the subject of merging with two neighboring fire districts in June 2018. The idea of the merger with Cedar Hammock Fire District and Southern Manatee Fire District didn’t garner much interest from Cedar Hammock’s commissioners and none with Southern Manatee’s commissioners. Though the idea is still floating around with WMFR commissioners, no action has been taken.
The district launched its long-awaited Advanced Life Support service at its Holmes Beach Station 3 in October followed by Station 2 on Cortez Road. The service allows firefighters to perform all the medical treatments that EMS workers can without transport capabilities. Plans are underway to launch the service at all three WMFR stations.
Chief Tom Sousa announced his plans to retire early from his post in October 2019. Previously, Sousa was contracted to remain with the district through 2021. The new year begins the search for a new fire chief.
BRADENTON BEACH – West Manatee Fire Rescue (WMFR) Fire Chief Tom Sousa wants Bradenton Beach voters to know the fire district does not endorse city commission candidates.
However, the Suncoast Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Local 2546 labor union that represents WMFR firefighters and paramedics does endorse candidates, including Bradenton Beach candidates Marilyn Maro and Ralph Cole. The union support is provided through its Firefighters & Paramedics for Public Safety political action committee (PAC).
Sousa and Fire Marshall Jim Davis recently became aware of campaign materials expressing firefighters’ support for Maro and Cole. Sousa visited Mayor John Chappie on Thursday, Oct. 18, to clarify the district’s position on political endorsements. Later that day, Sousa spoke with The Sun.
Sousa was contacted by another candidate who claimed to have received a flyer saying the West Manatee Fire Rescue District was supporting Bradenton Beach commission candidates. The claim proved untrue, but there are references to West Manatee firefighters and local firefighters.
“It doesn’t say West Manatee Fire Rescue District. We have policies that prohibit our firefighters from using our name, equipment, uniform or any insignia that says West Manatee Fire Rescue District in any kind of political campaign,” Sousa said.
“Our employees may get involved individually, and that’s a personal choice, but the West Manatee Fire Rescue District and the district commissioners do not get actively involved in political campaigns or endorse candidates. We’re neutral,” Sousa said.
When asked about his visit with Chappie, Sousa said, “I wanted to convey to him that there is no relationship between the district and the property formerly known as Bradenton Beach Volunteer Fire Station,” which is owned by Bradenton Beach Fire Lodge Inc.
The old Bradenton Beach fire station. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The 2001 merger of West Side Fire Rescue and Anna Maria Fire Rescue produced the West Manatee Fire Rescue District and the construction of a new fire station on Cortez Road. Increased certification requirements for volunteer firefighters alleviated the need for the building to remain a volunteer fire station.
At the time of the merger, the fire hall had long been owned by West Manatee Fire & Rescue Volunteers Inc. That association still owns the fire hall and the property but in 2017 changed its name to Bradenton Beach Fire Lodge Inc., at the request of Sousa, to avoid confusion with the West Manatee Fire Rescue District. As volunteers, WMFR firefighters continue to care for and use the station for other purposes.
Union support
In August, the Venice-based union PAC that represents a dozen fire districts contributed $1,000 each to Maro and Cole’s campaigns.
In 2017, the PAC donated $1,000 to Chappie’s successful campaign to unseat Mayor Bill Shearon. Shearon’s life partner, Tjet Martin, and his friend, John Metz, now seek the commission seats held by Maro and Cole.
The PAC also recently spent $584 on a mailer that encouraged voters to support Cole and Maro and said, “West Manatee Firefighters know how important it is to have a voice in our community.”
A door hanger/flyer distributed by Maro and her supporters said, “Join your local firefighters who support Marilyn Maro” and included a disclaimer stating Maro paid for it.
Yellow campaign signs paid for by the candidates have appeared that say, “Your Local Fire Fighters support Maro” or “Your Local Fire Fighters support Cole.”
Firefighters have also been walking the neighborhoods in support of Maro and Cole.
When contacted, Local 2546 President Merv Kennell said no taxpayer funds or WMFR resources are used for political campaigns, but firefighters can engage in political activities on their own time.
“All four candidates were invited to interview. It’s my understanding the ones endorsed were the ones who showed up. They were interviewed by the representatives of the membership. They decided to go with those two candidates because they were supportive of the issue that matters to those guys, and that is the property rights,” Kennell said.
For some, the 2001 merger raised questions about the ownership of the hall and Kennell was asked if the endorsements are related to the past desires of Shearon and others to acquire the hall as city property.
“I’d heard there had been prior attempts at getting that property. It’s important that the people getting elected understand and respect those private property rights,” Kennell said.
Local union rep
Buddy Bowen is the local union rep for WMFR firefighters. He said all but four of the district’s 34 or 35 firefighters are Local 2546 members. He also said the fire chief and chief officers cannot be union members.
“We’re employees of the fire department, we’re union members and as association members, we’re also property owners in Bradenton Beach and we feel that we have a stake in the community,” Bowen said.
“Marilyn and Ralph were the only ones that responded to my phone calls. We interviewed them specifically about private property rights in Bradenton Beach. We hope to keep that property and that building for local community events and charity events,” Bowen said.
The statewide Florida Professional Firefighters association also donated $500 each to Maro and Cole’s campaigns.
BRADENTON – Manatee County first responders don’t only answer the call of duty locally, they also answer when other people need their help, including those affected by Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Tom Sousa said that when the call came in for assistance in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm, five strike teams of firefighters and emergency medical service workers from region six, stretching from Manatee to Collier County, assembled including 25 fire engines with around 100 firefighters and five ambulance teams with 25 ambulances and about 50 medical personnel.
Sousa said the region’s six strike teams assembled first in Tallahassee before traveling to Marianna, Fla., where they helped to clear debris, treat injuries using the WMFR advanced life support engine, distribute supplies and run emergency calls with local first responders.
He said the team, including firefighters from WMFR, Longboat Key, Cedar Hammock, Southern Manatee, the City of Bradenton, East Manatee and North River fire districts, was redeployed Oct. 15 to Port St. Joe and Port St. Joe Beach to provide hurricane recovery assistance.
WMFR Battalion Chief Ben Rigney served as the leader for an engine strike team of five engines and around 30 personnel. The City of Bradenton Urban Search and Rescue team also responded, sending six personnel to the region along with Manatee County EMS workers.
Sousa said the teams were expected to return home after nearly two weeks in the region early this week.
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue personnel took a little time off from the serious business of keeping the community safe to throw a family-friendly block party.
The district’s 2018 open house festivities took place Oct. 13 at Station 1 on 67th Street in Bradenton. This year’s community gathering was so big that it reached from the fire station to the end of the block and brought out hundreds of families to meet their local first responders, take a tour of the fire station, play games and enjoy lunch.
Old Glory flies gracefully over the open house at the end of the towering ladder. – Kristin Swain | Sun
On hand for this year’s event were representatives from Domino’s Pizza store 5038 providing pizza, Winn-Dixie store 2404 serving up hot dogs and hamburgers with firefighters and snow cones were served from the Kona Ice Truck.
Artists from Childlike Productions handed out balloon animals and painted faces. Members of the Manatee High School Keys and Canes club also donated their time by lending firefighters a helping hand wherever needed, and Holmes Beach Police Officers helped provide crowd and traffic control.
WMFR commissioners, firefighters and even Chief Tom Sousa took turns in the dunk tank where some firefighters gave a helping hand to younger ball throwers. Another popular attraction was the bounce house with a line rivaling that for the dunk tank.
WMFR Commissioner Randy Cooper takes his turn in the dunk tank. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Children also lined up to don firefighter gear and compete on an obstacle course. Firefighters helped families through the Southern Manatee Fire District safe house and took attendees on tours of the district’s rescue equipment including the fire boat and ladder truck and allowed children to take a seat in one fire truck.
The free event drew large crowds and featured on-site music and live broadcasts from AMI Radio.
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners are giving Commissioner George Harris the green light to reach out to leaders at two other Manatee County fire districts to see if there’s any interest in merging.
Talks about a merge began in May with a comment by Harris, saying that with the district readying to sell its administration building and Chief Tom Sousa considering retirement in three years, now is the time to talk about merging with another district. At the June meeting, Harris said, as chair, he’d approached the commission board chairs at both Cedar Hammock and Southern Manatee to see if there is any interest in a merger between the three fire districts. He said both chairs were willing to discuss the idea with their boards.
At WMFR, Harris’ fellow commissioners agreed to have the discussion but not to put forward any funds for an independently-conducted feasibility study that would be required by the state before a merger could take place. In addition to the study, each district would have to hold public hearings, publish a plan for how the merger would work and enter into a joint resolution with the other merging fire districts. The final decision would be up to voters. If at any point during the process there was opposition from one district or its voters to the merger, the process would likely end.
Commissioner David Bishop wished Harris good luck on his quest, noting that WMFR had previously considered merging with the neighboring Cedar Hammock district in 2010 and had rejected the idea.
“You’ve got a lot of hurdles to tackle,” he said to Harris.
Before the feasibility study, each board has to determine how or if the merger would be beneficial to their district and employees. Harris said items to consider include if the merger would improve the level of service in one or all of the three fire districts, if there would be no increased cost to taxpayers and if the merger terms would be agreeable to each district’s firefighters union. Commissioner Larry Jennis said he believes mergers like this often are done to cut overhead and administration costs, something that’s already been accomplished at WMFR.
“How much could we expect to gain in that area?” he asked.
Harris said he would expect cost savings to appear over time. The trick, he said, would be to avoid an increase in short-term costs.
Another issue with the merger proposed by Harris is that mergers of special districts are only allowed if the two share a border. While WMFR does share an eastern border with Cedar Hammock, of the two, only Cedar Hammock shares a border with Southern Manatee. In order to bring Southern Manatee into the mix, Cedar Hammock’s leadership would have to agree to the merger with WMFR.
At their June meeting, Southern Manatee commissioners were less than enthusiastic about the idea.
Southern Manatee Commissioner Daniel Center said he didn’t understand why a merger with a district not bordering its own was even a discussion at this point. In addition to believing the merger talks are premature, he said he’s unsure what a district as large as Southern Manatee would gain from merging with Cedar Hammock and West Manatee.
Commissioner Melanie Marken agreed that she felt the talks were premature and felt that it put undue stress on district employees who might be concerned about their positions if a merger were to take place.
Without an agreement to a merger from Cedar Hammock leadership, Southern Manatee commissioners agreed it was “a conversation about nothing” for their district at this point.
HOLMES BEACH – A fire at the West Coast Surf Shop on April 15 turned staff members Kaitlin Kee, Anna Rehorn and Benjamin Webb from store clerks into heroes when they not only got themselves out of the burning building but also evacuated an estimated 30 patrons.
During the May 22 city commission meeting, Holmes Beach city leaders, along with police Chief Bill Tokajer and members of the West Manatee Fire Rescue district recognized the three for their bravery and quick thinking during the emergency situation.
“Because of their efforts they saved lives,” Tokajer said.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Tom Sousa congratulates the staff of West Coast Surf Shop on their bravery in evacuating the store during a fire emergency. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Fire Marshall Jim Davis, reading from Kee’s statement to officials on the day of the fire, said the smoke, believed to be caused by a faulty transformer on a neon light in a window, was first reported to staff by a customer. Upon investigation, the staff of three called 911 and evacuated the building as flames began and smoke started filling the shop. The staff and patrons were not injured. The upstairs apartment was not inhabited at the time of the fire.
“If not for them, it would’ve definitely been a different story,” Davis said.
Once on the scene, it took firefighters about two minutes to fully extinguish the fire. Damage was sustained to the shop’s exterior, the store and the shop’s inventory, which had just been restocked. Damage was estimated at $250,000.
The West Coast Surf Shop is the oldest surf shop on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Owners Jim and Ronee Brady are currently in the process of making repairs to the shop with the hope of reopening in about six months.
BRADENTON – Fire assessment rates are going up in West Manatee Fire Rescue’s District for the coming fiscal year. The 2 percent increase, which passed commissioners with a 3-2 vote, averages out to less than $5 per year for most residential homeowners in the district.
When commissioners entered the public hearing to set the district’s rate for the 2018-19 fiscal year, they had two options on the table. The first option proposed by Chief Tom Sousa and district administrative staff was a zero percent increase in rates with $1.5 million being pulled from reserves to fund capital projects. More than $1 million of that amount was saved by the district in reserves and earmarked for special projects, such as replacing aging air packs for firefighters and purchasing new gear.
Sousa said he anticipates the district’s operating expenses to increase 2.9 percent over the next two years and, with the district in a bargaining year with the firefighter’s union, the possibility is there for employee expenses also to rise.
The district’s SAFER grant, which is currently covering the cost of three firefighter positions, expires this fall, though Sousa said he will be reapplying for the grant. With costs to the district expected to rise, under the zero percent increase this coming fiscal year, Sousa said the next one, 2019-20, could see a 4 percent increase to district property owners.
The second option, the one commissioners voted to adopt, is an incremental increase of 2 percent in 2018-19 and a potential 2 percent increase in 2019-20.
“We’re not committing to next year yet; we’re just showing you what it could be,” Sousa said to commissioners.
“If we don’t need this money in the current budget year, I’m not in favor of collecting it,” Commissioner George Harris said. Harris and fellow Commissioner Al Robinson voted against the 2 percent increase.
“It seems to me that this is very risky to not have any increase this year and have an unknown increase next year,” Commissioner Randy Cooper said.
Commissioner David Bishop said he voted in the previous year against raising rates, believing the district would get the funds it needed from pending grant applications, and was disappointed when those funds never materialized. He worried that voting against any type of rate increase this year could put the district in a bad financial position the following year.
The 2 percent increase represents about $138,000 in additional funds to the district through the fire assessment.
Commissioner Larry Jennis said he feels if the district didn’t raise the rate and suffered unforeseen expenses it could place a serious financial burden on the district and taxpayers in the next year.
“We have expenses we know are rising,” he said.
Administration building
With the sale of the district’s administration building to The Oasis School still pending without a closing date set, commissioners discussed what to do with the almost $700,000 in funds estimated to come into the district. There was some discussion of earmarking the funds for a new administration building or using them to pay for the district’s rented office space, rather than dumping them into a general fund. The sale of the building is expected to close no later than July 5.
Commissioners will be hosting a facilities workshop prior to their June 19 meeting to discuss the possibilities of renting and purchasing a new administration space.
Lease talks are still ongoing with nearby Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, where district leaders plan to temporarily house administrative staff while decisions about a permanent home are made. Sousa said the lease for office space at the church property will become effective on the date of closing for the administration building sale.
Dissolving the district
With the sale of the administration building and Sousa’s contract with the district renewed for only three years, Harris suggested commissioners consider looking at any available options to merge WMFR with another local fire district.
“I think this is something we need to consider,” he said, adding that it’s difficult to replace a fire chief. With the chief potentially retiring in three years and the district’s administration building gone, he said it puts WMFR in an excellent merger position.
BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners didn’t get quite what they bargained for when Attorney Jim Dye appeared before them to discuss the district’s practice of offering exemptions to assessments for some property owners.
While the district has historically offered assessment exemptions to all people and organizations allowed tax exemptions, Dye said an opinion from the Florida Attorney General to the North River Fire District on the matter says the fire districts don’t have the right to grant exemptions. Dye said his interpretation of the opinion given by the Attorney General is that the only exemptions to assessments allowed are those for government-owned properties used for government purposes that are not leased. Otherwise, the district could face legal action if some property owners are charged the fire assessment fee and others are not.
Historically, the district has given an exemption to everyone who would be exempted from ad valorem taxes – churches and parsonages, public schools, parks and recreation areas, colleges, hospitals, the disabled and disabled veterans of the armed services. Chief Tom Sousa said the exemptions affect about 200 properties in the district, amounting to around $76,000 in assessments. And now that commissioners know there’s a problem, the practice of granting exemptions can’t continue without legislative change at the local and state levels.
“The desire to do this is coming from a good place,” Dye said. “The risk is an audit if the district is found operating outside its scope of authority or ending in a lawsuit because someone gets a break they shouldn’t have and someone else feels they were unfairly assessed.”
He added that it’s unlikely but possible that continuing the practice without legislative change could open commissioners up to personal liability since it’s on the record they received a legal opinion on the matter. For someone who had the assessment exemption and lost it to take the district to court, Dye said, would place the property owner in a legally indefensible position because of the Attorney General’s opinion. He suggested sending a letter to all affected property owners explaining why the exemptions would no longer be granted.
“We just need to fix it,” Commissioner David Bishop said. “I don’t want to be doing something that I feel is wrong. We need to fix it through the Legislature, not just blindly send people a tax bill.”
“It’s a legislative fix,” Dye said. He reminded commissioners that it’s the state Legislature that created and governs special districts, including what powers their leaders have.
To make the exemptions legal, district commissioners need to do two things. The first is to change the district’s enabling act, which currently states assessments are set by board resolution but does not mention exemptions. A line would have to be added to allow for the exemptions even though exemptions are addressed in the assessment resolution. The second is to petition lawmakers in Tallahassee to change the legislation governing special districts to allow for exemptions. With deadlines looming for commissioners to set this year’s tax roll with the Manatee County Tax Assessor’s Office and set an assessment rate, some people who have never gotten a bill from the district for services may get one this year on their property tax statement.
“I think our hands are tied this first year,” Commissioner Randy Cooper said.
Bishop said that while he understands the necessity of the situation, it still doesn’t feel right to him.
“If we collected by ad valorem these people would be exempt,” he said. “We can’t put our heads in the sand. I think we have no choice now at this point than to assess these people.”
Commissioners rallied around Dye’s suggestion of writing a letter to each affected property owner explaining the situation and how the district is attempting to fix it.
“It needs to be a carefully worded letter to help them understand that we have no choice,” Commissioner George Harris said.
Commissioners voted unanimously for Dye to come back to them with suggested language to change the district’s enabling act and to present for discussion to state legislative delegates.
While the district cannot encourage affected property owners to lobby for change with the state legislature, Bishop and Harris both said they hope property owners will support the district in its move for legislative change.
