PENSACOLA, Fla. — Two Pensacola fire chiefs were officially terminated Tuesday after a report detailing numerous instances of poor judgment and leadership was released.
Interim Chief Matt Schmitt and former Deputy Chief Joe Glover were fired after being on leave for over three months. The 138-page report documents a dozen instances in which the chiefs demonstrated poor management and leadership.
“Tough choices are bound to bring criticism, but it’s my responsibility,” Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward told the News Journal. “I think after you read the report and the way they managed the office you just lose confidence.”
In regard to failing to convene an interview panel while hiring a round of new firefighters, the report indicated that, “Schmitt and Glover believed incorrectly they were capable of handling the hiring process without an interview panel and without any guidance from HR. They both used poor judgment to conduct the hiring process in a manner they both agreed had not been done before.”
Other findings in the report include failing to properly request an increase in pay for battalion chiefs, improperly storing donations and unjustly retaliating against a lower-ranking firefighter.
Acting Interim Chief David Allen has been named fire chief.
Read the full report below.