‘We have some issues’: Upper Captiva fire commissioners address resignations, current cadre

UPPER CAPTIVA, Florida. Upper Captiva’s fire commissioners are working to avoid what one of them calls the March 1 “disaster”. This comes after 40 firefighters and chiefs resigned back in December.

During a meeting of commissioners on Friday, chairman Duncan Rosen said that many of them explained the reason for leaving due to being unable to work with another commissioner, Bill Fry.

“But some of the current ones — be it the accountant, lawyer, and firefighters — are having big problems working with Mr. Fry,” Rosen said.

Other executives have previously stated that Fox 4 funding and the failed referendum were also among the reasons for the resignation. The mass exodus forced the commissioners to act quickly when it came to staffing. At one point, they only had two per shift at a time.

PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Answers to the question why the fire chief and dozens of firefighters left the Upper Captiva Fire Department.

“We have a stable environment. I am very proud that we have more than 25 people plus 7 or 8 new employees,” Rosen said. “Now we have some problems.”

Half of the retired firefighters have returned. However, current deputy chief Brian Dubrasky said the problem is that they cannot stay after March 1st.

“I don’t think we should sugarcoat the public that will come on March 1, we have a disaster on our hands,” Commissioner Michael Filipczak said.

A disaster, he says, there will be no command structure, as the fire chief, deputy chief and department head have already left or left.

Commissioner Van Hammond is on a committee looking for a new chief.

“So far we have had eight applicants or 8 people who have expressed interest in the position of chief,” he said.

Rosen says that without a deputy chief, they won’t yet have an acting chief, unless he has the authority to appoint one.

“If I can’t name this interim chief, we might get in trouble,” he said.

The commissioners said they would consider appointing someone at a special meeting on 10 February.

Another big problem: the failed referendum. Voters shot him 36 to 28 in November. The money in it partially supports the area using property taxes. The previous referendum, which is held every 10 years, expires in September 2024.

Fry, the commission’s treasurer, outlined in the report why he thought the voters had said no.

“I think there are other people who are still spreading misinformation,” Fry said.

In the report, he claims that some of the false information includes referendum-based revenue cuts, which he says are untrue. He also said that it also contained incorrect vocabulary.

However, Filipchak says the problem is not just the voters.

“I believe that this first budget proposal was the reason for the collapse of this fire station,” he said.

Back in November, it was proposed to get rid of the position of assistant chief.

Fox 4 will be updated on this evolving story as we approach March 1st.