Belleair in shock after Bluffs fires fire chief

Joseph Pidala, who ran fire services for both cities under one roof, retains command of Belleair firefighters. But he's not allowed in the firehouse.

By DEBORAH O'NEIL, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 21, 2001

BELLEAIR BLUFFS -- For more than a year Fire Chief Joseph Pidala commanded the consolidated fire departments of Belleair and Belleair Bluffs under one roof in an arrangement meant to save money for both towns.

This week, the future of the department was unexpectedly thrown into question when Belleair Bluffs fired Pidala and banned him from the Bluffs-owned firehouse, where Pidala still remains the fire chief over three Belleair firefighters.

In addition, the Bluffs on Tuesday notified Belleair that it will terminate the fire service agreement between the cities in a year.

The firing and contract cancellation shocked Belleair officials and left them with questions.

"We are stunned -- uniformly, universally stunned," said Belleair Mayor George Mariani. "It is just one stunning episode after another."

Belleair Bluffs Mayor Chris Arbutine said the changes follow the city's desire to have an autonomous fire department in which the firefighters answer to one city. Pidala, he said, was not right for the job.

"If you have a department with low morale and a divisive structure, you have to fix that," Arbutine said. "This will ensure the integrity and long-term longevity of the department."

Reached at home Thursday, Pidala said he will do his administrative work at Belleair Town Hall for now. He said he was given no reason for his firing and said it was "petty, almost childish" of Bluffs officials to say he cannot return to the firehouse.

"I'm a little disappointed because I'm really proud of the job I do," Pidala said. "I think it's something personal the mayor has. I'm not exactly sure where he's coming from."

Belleair Bluffs will pay Pidala for about 200 hours of comp time he has accrued, Arbutine said. But the mayor said he does not want Pidala to return to the fire station on Indian Rocks Road because he thinks Belleair is "trying to control our city through the fire department."

Belleair officials say the Bluffs violated the fire service agreement when they fired Pidala without discussing the matter with Belleair. They plan to challenge in court both the firing and the Bluffs' decision to prohibit Pidala from being at the fire station, Mariani said.

"To the best of my knowledge there has been no complaints received on the fire department's performance or complaints about Joe Pidala," Mariani said. "He is our chief still, and he has a right to enter the firehouse, and Arbutine can't keep him out."

Under the existing arrangement, the two departments share resources, personnel and a firehouse. Three of the firefighters work for Belleair and the other six work for the Bluffs. The equipment is comingled, right down to the recliners in the firehouse. Two came from Belleair and two from the Bluffs.

Belleair Bluffs paid Pidala $36,000 annually to be its 30-hour a week chief and Belleair pays him $16,000 annually for 15 hours.

Arbutine said he wanted to terminate the contract because it isn't working.

"Right now Belleair feels they have a right to direct the department in any direction they want to go, and we feel this is our department," Arbutine said. "It's our fire station. It's our firetruck. We really feel we are the workhorse in this agreement."

But Belleair officials say the arrangement has been mutually beneficial. Belleair Town Manager Steve Cottrell said although it has not been ideal, "I don't think it's especially broken."

"He doesn't care much about our partnership," Cottrell said of Arbutine.

Cottrell and Mariani both questioned Arbutine's motivation.

"There is some hidden agenda Mr. Arbutine has that's not apparent to anyone," Mariani said.

Arbutine said he was troubled when a consultant recently came up with more than 90 recommendations for improving the department. Among the findings was that Belleair should be paying $120,000 more toward the department's $750,000 budget and the Bluffs should pay $43,000 less.

"Belleair has not been paying their fare share," Arbutine said.

But Belleair officials say Arbutine manipulated the study after the first draft showed Belleair Bluffs also should be paying more to the fire department's budget. "He changed the numbers to suit himself," Cottrell said.

Belleair Bluffs has requested that the city of Largo's Fire Department provide temporary administrative oversight.

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