The Truth of Justice vs Pierce Board of Commissioners, Part 1 The final year of my job with Pierce County was riddled with turmoil, harassment, and job security threats. It all began August 2011 when the County Manager, Paul Christian, would not allow me to get the brakes fixed on our new ambulance. I had to go above him and get the commissioners to vote in a meeting to approve me getting the brakes fixed. However, Paul attempted to make me use a mechanic we had never used before, who worked out of his house and did not even have a building to perform the work in, instead of using the local dealership who always has worked on our ambulances. I did not feel that this was the safest move and finally got it fixed at the dealership. Around August 2011, a fire truck was wrecked in Brantley County. I filed a claim with the insurance so repairs could be made. Once the insurance check came in I met with Paul. He would not approve the repairs to the truck. I met with Commissioners Neal Bennett and Carl Boyette and finally got the pump repaired, but when I met with Paul to get body work done I was not allowed. After some time, Mr. Herman Moore & Kevin Moore of the fire station met with Chairman Mitch Bowen and discussed this issue. Within an hour, Paul contacted them and approved to get the body work repaired. Next, Paul Christian, County Manager, first suggested privatizing the EMS by the end of the year in a Rotary Club meeting in September 2011. He had not spoken with me about privatizing, nor questioned me about how I thought it would affect EMS operations for the county. When I was made aware of his plan to privatize, I freely spoke about how negatively it would impact citizens and the EMS operations. He later confirmed to The Blackshear Times about trying to privatize the EMS in an article in October 2011. He also admitted to the paper when discussing later in November about the audit that he was going to have done that he should not have handled the situation how he did concerning privatization (The Blackshear Times 11/30/11). Since the idea of privatizing fell through for Christian when citizens let their voices be heard about how they felt concerning the idea, he next pushed for an assessment team from the State EMS office to come down and audit how effectively Pierce EMS was operating. This was approved by the Board of Commissioners in Nov 2011. In their findings, the State EMS team stated: “EMS staff and other emergency service agency personnel expressed support for and confidence in the EMS Director.” (Pierce County EMS Assessment p. 4) “Inasmuch as EMS has consistently underspent its budget in each year covered in this report, it would behoove county management to focus attention on areas of the budget where excess spending has occurred.” (Pierce County EMS Assessment p. 12) “The existing level of coordination between EMS and Fire-Rescue services is high. Any effort to privatize EMS must consider, address and deliver the same or higher level of coordination in order to preserve the public safety response capacity now in place.” (Pierce County EMS Assessment p. 14) “A reputable outside firm is currently being used to handle billing and collecting operations for the EMS. With the specialized nature of this aspect of operations and with changing policies regarding Medicare and Medicaid, it is likely that this is the best option for Pierce County EMS.” Pierce County EMS Assessment p. 52) Commissioners stated in the November 2011 meeting that they would “conduct a similar evaluation of operations in all departments in time” (The Blackshear Times 11/30/11). To date, there has been no mention of when these would be done. At the end of 2011, Paul met with me and stated they were cleaning up at County Farm and understood some old fire trucks were out there. He wanted to surplus them out or move them. I explained the tank belonged to GA Forestry and the trucks belonged to the individual fire depts. I met with the Fire Chiefs and they agreed to surplus the trucks and put the money into the Hacklebarney account to pay for items needed for training and other matters. The equipment did not belong to the county but I still advised Paul that we would sell the equipment. I also advised Neal Bennett of this. We found a buyer and sold 2 trucks and 2 trailers. It was found out in January 2012 that the Road Superintendent and County Manager sold an old excavator to the Road Superintendent’s brother without bidding it out. The excavator was working when they drive it onto the trailer. The Board raised the question about this and then blame was tried to be thrown on me for selling the fire equipment without bidding it out. They claimed there was no policy on surplus. I knew that all county surplus equipment had to be bid as that had been the practice ever since I had worked there. The equipment I sold was not county property and therefore did not have to be bid out. I was able to prove this at the county meeting. The Road Superintendent and County Manager only got a verbal reprimand for not bidding out the excavator as required. In January 2012, I was notified that the supervisors would be put back on the trucks and that I had to cut three positions in EMS. This was to take place immediately even though the board had not voted to do so yet. He also suggested that an employee with cancer should be one of the three people let go. I believed that to be discrimination and would not agree to it. This is documented with the attached deposition of Edward Cady. However, I did cut the three positions and place the supervisors back on the trucks as I was ordered. In February 2012, I had a meeting with Neal Bennett, Carl Boyette, & Paul Christian. Paul stated that when the new budget took place I would be over EMS only and Leonard Roberts would be over 911, Fire, & EMA. A few days later Leonard advised me he was getting $7500 to be over Fire & EMA. He was already receiving $2500 which was the same as I always did just for EMA. I never was paid a penny to do Fire. I was promised money in 2005 when I took over Fire & EMA but never received it. However, numerous citizens attended the Board of Commissioners meeting on 2/14/12 and let their opinions be known concerning what a negative impact taking away those departments from me would have on Pierce County. At the end of meeting, the BOC chose not to keep me running EMS, Fire, & EMA and to leave me over my departments until the final report came in from the State EMS team (BOC Minutes 2/14/12). Yet, the County Manager would not stand for that. He continued to undermine me by giving data from my departments over to a private vendor, Derek Mallard with Okefenokee EMS. He also had Mr. Mallard come to BOC meetings to speak on Pierce EMS topics without ever consulting me as Director. One such topic was in June 2012 concerning a new ambulance that I had gotten a grant awarded to the county for (BOC Minutes 6/19/12). The commissioners voted against my advice and went with Paul Christian’s advice concerning the purchase of a remounted ambulance instead of a new one with the grant I got awarded. The price for a new ambulance was $132,000, but that included supplying a stretcher that cost around $13,000. So, the actual price was only around $120,000. The price James Spivey, as acting Director, ended up paying for the remounted ambulance that will only have half the life value as the new one was $94,583 (The Blackshear Times 10/10/12). Therefore, they only saved about $25,000 and got half the ambulance value that they should have. James Spivey, Interim Director of EMS, stated they were saving $50,000 (The Blackshear Times 10/10/12) As can be seen, I struggled mightily during my last year as Director to ensure EMS services did not falter. What I have detailed only skims the surface of the harassment I endured by speaking my mind against privatization and ensuring emergency services stayed a top priority in Pierce County. I fought through being undermined, did my best to maintain the high level of emergency services provided to Pierce Co. citizens, and had the support of the community in doing so. However, it came down to one man ruling the county and falsely claiming things about me that led to my suspension and firing, and subsequent lawsuit I was forced to file against the county I love. Paul Christian ran the county, and continues to do so, through fear, intimidation, and lies. The worst part is that the commissioners we elected have allowed this to occur.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:17:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015