Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

UMATILLA, Fla. — City Manager Glenn Irby said he plans to fire suspended Fire Chief Richard Shirk for sharing pictures of a fatal accident that included an image of a female victim's exposed breast.

In a Dec. 12 report, Umatilla police Chief Doug Foster said that Shirk showed a lack of concern for the victim and embarrassed the Umatilla Fire Department when he e-mailed a picture of the 26-year-old woman to fire departments in Mount Dora, Eustis and Leesburg. The woman died after the early November crash.

Shirk, hired as Umatilla fire chief in October, did not immediately return phone calls.

According to Foster's report, Shirk said he intended to use the photographs for training.

Irby directed Foster to conduct the investigation after Jim Judge, executive director of Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services, filed a complaint Nov. 29 regarding Shirk's actions.

Judge wrote that Shirk told him he did not review the pictures before sending them and apologized after realizing the potential legal and emotional consequences of his actions. He filed the complaint after learning Shirk did not fully disclose to Irby details of the images and how he distributed them.

"To be quite frank, I haven't talked to anyone who hasn't been appalled by this entire situation," Irby said. "Absolutely appalled."

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