MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A county commissioner is feeling the heat after being accused of insensitivity from firefighters during a meeting earlier this month about a new firefighter training facility.
WPTV.com reported that Lt. Todd Tucker posted a 4 1/2 minute video Monday night on his union’s Facebook page, criticizing Commissioner Ed Fielding.
“He’s in a position to vote on very important public safety issues and those things just crossed the line,” said Lt. Tucker, the Vice President of IAFF Local 2959.
According to the report, Fielding is heard on the video saying, “We’re not Chicago with 50-100 stories. I mean great day what have we got four stories? You can throw a rope up there and climb the wall with that.”
“It scares us to know there’s a guy in a position of power who thinks that about what we do. Because if you translate that all the way down, it means we’re not going to have the equipment we need because he doesn’t think we need it,” said Lt. Tucker.
WPTV reported that Fielding told them Tuesday that he does value firefighter safety and suggested to Fire-Rescue the use of Indian River State College’s training complex for free rather than build a new facility.
“That’s 45 minutes away. I don’t want to take fire trucks that far out of the county,” said Martin County Fire-Rescue Chief Joe Ferrara.