Polk County’s firefighter union sent out a press release: the press release says that the Polk County’s fire department Halloween weekend sent out newly hired firefighters who have yet to complete required training and went on the say that a firetruck that was one firefighter short due to staffing issues.
But Polk County Fire Chief Robert Weech said that the union claims are “untrue and misleading.”
In Weech’s email it states:
“All new hires are state-certified, have attended a minimum standards class consisting of 398 hours, and have satisfied all our firefighter orientation requirements,” he said. “Having newly hired, fully vested, fully certified firefighters who have completed orientation and closely supervised by a seasoned captain aligns with best-practice models and is often the practice by other fire agencies.”
According to Weech, Since Aug. 30, Polk Fire Rescue had 17 resignations for various reasons.
At that same time, Weech said, the county has hired 39 additional members. Another 27 were added on Oct. 1, and an additional 20 are slated to start Monday. Click here
“Major downgrades in service were experienced over the weekend,” the release by the Polk County Professional Firefighter union says. “While you and your family were enjoying the Halloween weekend, Polk County Fire Rescue experienced major staffing shortages that resulted in a reduction of service being provided to the citizens and visitors of Polk County.”
Polk County Manager Bill Beasley declined to comment on the union’s press release.