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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 23, 2002
SPRING HILL -- Gene Panozzo has formally filed to seek re-election to the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District Commission.
Panozzo, who is serving his 10th year on the board, with three as its chairman, is the first to file for one of two at-large openings on the five-member board. Chairman Bob Kanner is running for County Commission in November and will not seek re-election to the fire board.
Panozzo, 63, of 6297 Airmont Drive said part of the reason he decided to run again was to keep the department running smoothly.
Last year, a series of controversies erupted involving former Chief Mike Morgan, culminating in November with his forced retirement by a unanimous board vote. The commission then replaced Morgan with longtime assistant chief J.J. Morrison, who has sparked no public controversy in nearly six months at the helm.
Panozzo said improved morale is a trend he hopes to help foster and he pointed to his 16 years as a firefighter in Chicago as giving him special insight for helping run the district.
"There's too often in this department, the blame is passed out too readily," he said, adding later of his fellow commissioners: "Some of these guys take themselves a little too seriously."
Panozzo, whose wife, Dana, works for the district as an inspector, has received support in the past from the rank and file. Plainspoken and frequently impatient with what he regards as micromanaging by other commissioners, Panozzo is known for his get-to-the-point style.
"When you look back in the record when I was chair, I don't think we had a meeting that lasted more than an hour," he said. "We hire a chief to run this department. As long as things are running smoothly, we should have no big deal going on here."
Panozzo said he is proud to have helped convert all four of the district's fire engines to advanced life support engines, meaning they can act as ambulances.
Before serving as a firefighter, Panozzo worked for Shell Oil and Fireman's Fund Insurance. He also owned a painting business for three years while working as a firefighter.
Panozzo has been on disability since 1980. While fighting a fire in 1979, he fell through the second floor of a building to the basement, breaking his back. He moved to Spring Hill in 1980.
-- This report includes information from Times files.