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Fire chief dismisses 2 of his managers

The new chief and the city manager say performance was an issue with the veterans, who had good reviews. The union says changes were expected.

By SHANNON TAN
Published March 22, 2005

LARGO - Two weeks after taking over as Largo's new fire chief, Jeff Bullock fired two top veteran officials, saying he's trying to "build a unified team."

David King, a division chief since 1996, was hired by Largo Fire Rescue in 1978. David Morrin, a district chief in charge of emergency management and special operations, had been with the department since 1980.

"I've been there 27 years, I've had excellent evaluations and an excellent record," King said Monday. "I'm in shock and I've done nothing wrong."

King said that after Bullock fired him Thursday, he was told to leave immediately through the back door. King took several pictures of his family and was given a ride home by the deputy police chief.

"It's humiliating to me to be terminated this way after 23 years of dedicated service," said Morrin, who was also asked to leave through the back door.

Bullock refused to say what had triggered the firings, which were done before a restructuring that will be presented to the City Commission April 5.

"There have been discussions with these employees on work performance issues," said Bullock, who fired them on Thursday.

He declined to give details. "I won't talk about personnel issues," he said. "I'm not going to discuss what they did or did not do."

A review of both men's personnel files for the past five years found no reprimands or disciplinary actions. King earned $75,108 while Morrin made $68,635.

Bullock's most recent evaluation of King showed that he met or exceeded expectations in all areas. And Bullock wrote in Morrin's evaluation last year that "his willingness to meet the organization's needs is an example of loyalty and support for all employees to follow."

City Manager Steven Stanton said he directed Bullock to create a management team that would respond to public safety needs in a post-Sept. 11 environment.

"The Fire Department right now is a very good department," Stanton said. "Just being good is not good enough anymore."

The firings are related to the department's performance, Stanton said. "(Bullock) needs to have a command group that can get the department to the next level."

"I was told that our management styles differ and I couldn't agree more," Morrin said.

Largo Fire Rescue is now left with two division chiefs and four district chiefs. Bullock would not say whether the two vacan t positions would be filled and said that could be part of the upcoming reorganization.

After the firings, Bullock and his command staff visited the fire stations over the weekend to answer questions.

"It is frightening," Bullock said. "This doesn't happen every day."

He also issued a memo to the department. "I have been evaluating the department in its entirety, from its operational procedures, to emergency deployment objectives, to the effectiveness and proficiency of the line and command staff," he wrote.

Union president Wayne Stokke said firefighters weren't too surprised by the terminations.

"For the most part, some changes were expected," he said.

King and Morrin were given 30-day severance agreements to bridge the period before their pension benefits kick in, Stanton said. Neither man was a member of the firefighters' union.

Other changes have taken place since Bullock took the reins March 1.

The department's only deputy chief, Tom Tarulli, retired March 15. The new deputy chief will need to focus on emergency management, Bullock said. Bullock, a division chief and a district chief will select the new deputy chief internally.

--Shannon Tan can be reached at shtan@sptimes.com or 445-4174.

[Last modified March 22, 2005, 01:21:16]