Will Sebastian, Indian River County spat lead to city running fire, paramedic unit? | Laurence Reisman

Is the city of Sebastian prepared to create its own fire department and paramedic unit?

That could be the future if city and county officials don't sit down together and resolve issues related to fire inspections.

Sebastian hasn't been satisfied with Indian River County's fire marshal service for years, according to Joe Griffin, Sebastian's city manager. He lashed out at the county last week on Bob Soos’ WTTB Local News Magazine, then with me.

“They haven’t been taking care of business for a very, very long time,” the heated Griffin, who will retire May 9, said of the county’s Emergency Services District. “And they’ve all known about this.”

Delays in reviewing development plans, “institutional arrogance” and treating north county developers like “red-headed stepchildren” are among the reasons Sebastian City Council in March voted to have its own fire marshal review building plans to ensure they meet the state’s fire code.

Griffin said problems have occurred for more than five years, before Fellsmere, which had similar issues with the county, hired a contractor for fire marshal service. A meeting several weeks ago between city and county staff failed to bring the two sides together.

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Griffin was uncharacteristically blunt in his attack on county fire management. 

“There must be something going on in the (emergency management) department,” Griffin said, linking poor service and lies it’s been told with what he calls “Tiregate," the reported theft of about $300,000 in tires by Brian Burkeen, recently retired assistant emergency management chief.

Griffin didn't even mention several other controversies raised by the firefighters union under Fire Chief John King, including sick buildings, PTSD coverage, old equipment and turnover.

But Griffin doesn’t think things will get any better under Tad Stone, former director of public safety for Seminole County, who will run the county’s $37 million EMS operation when King retires April 30.

“This guy is just another John King lackey, and this stuff is not going to change,” Griffin said of Stone, who Griffin thinks was handpicked by King even if the county did advertise the job extensively. County records show there were 29 applications, including 13 sent to County Administrator Jason Brown for possible interviews.

I’m a little more optimistic. But the lighter fluid some county commissioners and Griffin have been throwing on the dispute doesn't help matters.

Griffin said he was offended at Commissioner Peter O’Bryan's suggestion the city wants its own fire marshal to get around the fire code.

“Our guys are following the fire code,” O’Bryan said at the April 3 commission meeting, adding county officials interpret the code conservatively with an eye toward safety for the public and firefighters who might have to respond.

That may upset Sebastian developers and lead to claims the county is not customer-friendly, but it’s the law, O’Bryan added.

Part of the disconnect between Sebastian and the county stems from a 2017 hotel renovation in the city. County firefighters responded several times to false alarms at the hotel, Brown said. When they got there, they found major renovations caused fire walls to be compromised. 

Sebastian officials stopped the renovations. The county fire marshal, to the dismay of the property owner, required engineering plans showing how the fire wall would be repaired.

Issues like this and Stone’s recent claim Sebastian has asked for help on inspections, which Griffin denied, has led to a massive lack of trust on both sides.

MORE: How did assistant fire chief pull off alleged theft of $300,000 in tires?

Last week, O’Bryan and Commissioner Bob Solari said the commission should not have allowed Fellsmere to create its own fire marshal. In hindsight, they said, the county's longtime, unified system of one agency doing pre-plan review, inspections and firefighting was not only more economical, but safer.

They’re right, when residents in the south county are served as well as those in the north county.

Griffin said the solution may be an independent fire district, such as the one in St. Lucie County, whose board is made up of appointees from the county and municipalities.

That seems like additional bureaucracy, but if the county can’t fix what’s wrong in upper management of emergency services, it may be the only alternative.

In the 1980s, the county had multiple fire districts and volunteer firefighter corps. Things today are far more professional. County taxpayers have been willing to pay for professionalism, something they should expect whether they live in Oslo, Roseland, Vero Beach or Fellsmere.

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Last week, commissioners voted to send a letter to Sebastian City Council explaining they wanted a unified system, one that would satisfy Sebastian’s concerns.

I’ve got a better idea: The two boards should meet in the open, face to face. Let everyone discuss the issue. Meet additional times if necessary.

Even the thought of a dispute that would lead to the inefficiency of Sebastian creating its own fire and paramedic units is crazy. Work these issues out, now.

This column reflects the opinion of Laurence Reisman. Contact him via email at larry.reisman@tcpalm.com, phone at 772-978-2223, Facebook.com/larryreisman or Twitter @LaurenceReisman.