02/09/2022
Public Notice Raising Awareness
I have been involved with the firedept since Oct. 2020. Our firedept needs support, from our city, who receives $68,000 a year 4 payments from the County on a quarterly basis. We have requested preventive maintence on our trucks informing our city commission it is necessary, since trucks were having to be Jumpstarted due to batteries not charging and even pushed out of scenes since transmission wasn't shifting properly and no maintenance had been approved in previous years. We have requested equipment needed to keep our vols, safe, since our donation from La Feria firedept has allowed our vols, to have protective gear in compliance thanks to firemarshal and Chief who donated to our dept. 4 new bunkers were approved thru city commission and are being used by our active volunteers. We submit purchase order request to city secretary who keeps saying our city consultant/mgr hasn't approved them. Just got one po approved for 2 batteries saving the city $400 on both batteries only to find out when arriving at vendor after 3 mths our application has not even been submitted to vendor, since Oct. after we drove to get application n later to get tax exempt form in our personal vehicle and process not done, after 7 follow ups with city secretary. It takes over 9mths to get any parts approved even as small as wipers over a year to get them approved. I know the Fire dept is being neglected by our city commission. We have dealt with a former city alderman while still in office belittle, degrade, yell at, insult, disrespect, our former Chief Meme for 45 mins over the phone unaware 3 of us were on a conference call. Upset over decision making, not being advised of every action taken, or being advised of every call we were toned out to or be included in our dispatch app. Telling us to refrain and tell our members to stop from posting anything or letting anyone know of the things we were dealing with. Even having our former Firechief Danny Theys around the firehouse, since according to him and city atty "it was not a good look" on the dept. Since "he worked on making change" in the dept. We had to file a grievance a city employee/ sclboard member yelling verbally abusing,demanding physical altercation from 4 week operated (knee replacement)firefighter Tim Theys 61 year old and Administrative Chief 60 year old and myself trying to have breakfast at local restaurant during elections to be confronted, yelled at, our personal space violated, physically in our face and yet no action taken by scl board even after filing a grievance. Thankful city took action and transferred him to public works where he refused to take job and quit. We have dealt with pd having a verbal confrontation even unclipping holster while in a discussion with our vols, right after a firecall as if we are a threat. To later have those volunteers resign as a result.. We deserve to be treated with respect, we deserve to have access to the much needed funding that is provided by the taxpayers who pay for fire service and county collects on a yearly basis for and distributes money to firedepts. Our former city manager being placed on the agenda defending the firedept vols, to allow us to get waters for our dept. And owned up to what he said. He took 2 weeks of adminstrative leave with no pay and reigned 1st Wed of that 1st week because he was defending the firedept against 2 alderman who didn't want us to get waters. ENOUGH is ENOUGH members have been consistent, in serving our community when being called upon. Taking time away from their families to help others in need, 24 hrs a day 7days a week to not be allowed to get even a gift card for Xmas as in the previous year thru recruitement and retention because 1 alderman finally showed up to a city meeting after 11 mos of no meetings and he was against vols receiving gift card as a result no gift card was allowed. We have been told that we have support from our city, it has been all talk and no action. We have requested a computer, a phone and a printer to prepare our monthly county reports for our firemarshals office. Same reports that pd Chief was paid a stipend from Aug 2020 till June 2021 until we requested he be Removed from the Firedept since no services were being rendered, or reports in proper format were being prepared, and confrontation with fd vols had occurred, unethical abusing his authority. I advised city comission at city meeting it is theft and fraud yet no action was taken. He kepted his pay and no action was taken for him to return payment of 10 mos he recieved without preparing and turning in reports. We have to wait weeks for our fd vols to get paid because their is no communication at city hall, still waiting on fd checks another week.. We have to wait months for a city meeting due to lack of quorum, yet for TML conference emergency meeting.. to approve funding for elected officials families, pd chief and city secretary and their families have rented rooms, and brag on social media their expensive meals, eating steaks for 3days at the island that was approved but city commission. Yet, wipers and fd necessities can wait months..Enough neglect and discrimination to our fire dept members and their families. It is not ok for police Chief in uniform to go out of his jurisdiction and demand our Excursion be returned while our Administrative Chief was fighting for his life w covid at the hospital and his son being threatened to be arrested for having vehicle parked in their home. Same Excursion that our Adminstrative Chief of over 34 years of service has driven and our school Donated exclusively to the firedept. We have provided the minutes of that meeting to city secretary months ago yet city consultant/mgr claims he hasn't received it. Because an alderman decided pd needs to pick up vehicle to sell it and purchase something else or to be used by another dept. Which in reality water works already has a fd vehicle that was donated to the fd by emergency services and instead city commission gave it to public works in the past. What have we done as a dept..We made it our agenda to vote former alderman out, we have applied for grants $17,000 and have serviced our equipment even putting our old trucks back in service and hearing it later at city meeting by pd Chief since they were on his list to go to auction yet no advertising or approval by board had been placed. We are not allowing our assets to be sold of they belong to the firedept and have saved property and a lot of homes in the past. We have to work with what we have, it is a blessing to our community, and our volunteers, since once we leave city limits we have no fire hydrants that tanker is a lifesaver giving us water support. We have a lawsuit we are dealing with from our city because the property our location is at plus next 2 building including city hall location and old head start building was donated to the firedept by the American Legion who proposed $1.00 for 99 years with the condition it was for the fire dept and now the city sues fd association to take over ownership of the property. It is unjust to do such an act we will not allow mismanagement of funds to continue, abuse of authority, neglect to continue. We stand firm knowing the God we serve will not fail, if he is for us who can be against us. We have the right people with good intentions to serve our citizens and continue to protect our county contract. Get involved make a difference don't allow this to continue we have a zero tolerance in our firedept. We will not be treated inhumane, disrespected or denied of much needed maintenance for our equipment and protective gear for our volunteers. We need to be safe and protected to keep us safe and return to our families. Thank u county for enforcement on our city 100% funding must be used for fireservice and emergency response with our new contract in Sept.2021..we must see it thru and enforce it. 🙏
I can be reached at (956) 656-8910 if you have any questions In regards to my post. I HAVE PROOF FOR ALL OF IT NOT JUST SAYING IT..we have elections coming up we need support in our depts, not put money in peoples pocket. Let's put a stop to corruption, mismanagement, theft it is necessary as we all have a job to do we must work together for a better Santa Rosa pd, fd, and the city we represent.
