Firefighters still angered by two Clearwater firings
Published October 31, 2003
After 23 years in the Fire Department, it all comes to a dead halt.
Pete Huffman retired from the Pinellas Park Fire Department after 17 years to take a position in the Clearwater Fire Department as the assistant training chief in 1997. In June 2000 he was promoted to assistant chief of operations. On Oct. 13, 2003, it ended.
Pete was awarded firefighter of the year twice while he was at Pinellas Park. He taught emergency rescue all over the country with a company out of Baton Rouge. The favorite class he conducted was at the New York Fire Department, Rescue Company 1. He had the opportunity to go on calls and bond with the guys while training them. The impact of Sept. 11, 2001, was devastating; most of the guys he trained were gone in the twin towers. Pete was also the commander of the Pinellas County Technical Rescue Team. Next to his wife and son, his work was his life. He gave his all.
His time at the Clearwater Fire Department was very productive. He trained his people while in the training division, something that Pete is very knowledgeable in. While assistant chief of operations, he spent a year as part of the citywide leadership program.
During a two-year span, he made several trips to Wisconsin to have fire apparatus made to his specifications. Now the department has the best of the best to operate with. This while still doing his other duties: budgets, running calls, filling in at stations when needed.
As of Oct. 13, all that was overlooked for who knows what reason, and the devastation was huge. Before 5 p.m., Pete started to receive phone calls from the Fire Department. The firefighters all were as devastated as he, but the calls of support still kept coming in. Firefighters from Tampa, Bradenton, St. Petersburg - even calls of support from firefighters who had retired. The calls were emotional, angry and supportive. We have never experienced that on a personal level. Pete was always the one to support others. Everywhere we went, he would run into someone else and it was the same: the look of devastation, the hugs, then the tears of emotion, ending with the anger.
Both Pete Huffman and Gordon Yaudes were dismissed from their lifelong careers for doing their job and doing it better than anyone in administration. Where's the heart? When is someone in the city of Clearwater going to realize what good-hearted people they have in their Fire Department?
These men and women need support, they need to be appreciated and recognized for what they do best: saving lives and property. They have a very special heart. They're willing to put their lives on the line for someone else.
All the emotional, caring support they have shown this past week has helped deal with the fact that Pete's integrity has been questioned. From the heart, a deep thank you to all who called and wrote.
-- Marcy Huffman, wife of Pete Huffman,Clearwater
Time has come to settle dispute between firefighters and city
Why can't the city of Clearwater settle the problems with our firefighters? We need good fire protection and EMS workers. We need them more than we need the new bridge - more than we ever needed the roundabout. I would not want to face one day without our Fire Department and EMS personnel. Come on, Clearwater commissioners, let's take care of important business.
-- Marilyn Termeer, Clearwater
[Last modified October 31, 2003, 04:28:07]
