Pinellas Park's city manager says he was not going to fire Ken Cramer, but Cramer says his job was in jeopardy.
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published April 4, 2004
PINELLAS PARK - Ken Cramer will retire at year's end after more than a quarter-century as the city's fire chief.
Cramer said he always planned to leave Dec. 31 but that City Manager Mike Gustafson made it known he wanted different leadership for the Fire Department.
Rumors that Gustafson might fire Cramer have swirled around Pinellas Park for weeks. Some residents have called the City Council to lobby for the chief. A couple of council members in turn called the city manager to find out what was happening.
Gustafson denied that he wanted to fire Cramer.
"I heard that rumor a lot, but I heard it a lot of different ways," Gustafson said Thursday. "No, I was not firing Ken Cramer."
On Friday, Cramer agreed that Gustafson "did not specifically say he was going to fire me. He just made it very plain that he was going to move me out of the Fire Department. He said he was going to talk to the city's labor attorney about what he could do about "getting rid of a 26-year fire chief."'
Cramer declined to comment further.
Gustafson denied making such a statement but conceded he had said some things that could have contributed to the confusion and rumors.
He said he had told Cramer he would talk with the city's labor attorney about an internal investigation into Fire Department hiring practices and that the conversation would include the chief's role in the "uncertainties" that were found in the department's selection process.
The informal inquiry found, among other things, that Cramer had left blank some scores on interview forms. Cramer, according to the city's report, was unsure whether he meant an applicant had scored a zero on that item or that he just was distracted. The report also cited inconsistent rankings made by members of the interview team.
The city has since reopened the job hunt for seven new firefighters.
"I'm dealing with the "oops' in the hiring process," Gustafson said. "Ken Cramer was never in danger of being fired over the "oops' in the hiring process."
Gustafson said he has reassured council members that he would not fire Cramer or any other department head without first talking with them.
Gustafson said he was unaware of any other problems in the Fire Department, but the buzz has gone beyond the chief.
Why was Mary Ann Salch, Cramer's budget officer, in tears after a meeting with Gustafson?
Will Deputy Fire Chief Steve McCarthy, long groomed by Cramer to lead the department, be passed over?
Salch declined to comment Friday. Gustafson agreed that Salch was upset after one meeting but said he didn't remember the conversation.
As for Cramer's replacement, Gustafson said he will conduct a statewide search and hopes to have that individual begin work in October so Cramer can share his experience with the new chief. A committee of Cramer, police Chief Dorene Thomas and former council member Chuck Williams will rank the applicants and make a recommendation.
McCarthy is welcome to apply, Gustafson said. McCarthy was off Friday and could not be reached for comment.
Cramer, 65, came up through the ranks at the Largo Fire Department. Pinellas Park hired him as fire chief July 12, 1978. When he retires on the last day of the year, he will have given the city "26 years, six months and 18 days, not that I'm counting," Cramer said. His current annual salary is $99,548.80.
Cramer is the second-longest-tenured fire chief in Pinellas County. Only Safety Harbor's William J. Stout has served longer (27 years). Cramer said that fewer than six Florida chiefs have held their positions that long.
Cramer plans to continue the woodworking he does for the craft business he operates with his wife, Judy, and to continue caring for their youngest grandson.
