Local 1377 President Ryan Sapp stated the St. Lucie County Fire District wrongly terminated and suspended the five members for their involvement in incidents that occurred in March and September 2024. These incidents did not involve any hazing, Sapp stated in a letter obtained by WPTV. Sapp pointed to the Fort Pierce Police Department's report, which he said described the situation, in part, as found coworkers entertaining each other.
The union's position is that all five were wrongly found to be in violation of fire district policies and disciplined without just cause. Sapp also noted that members involved in the incidents were treated differently during the investigative and disciplinary processes, with some receiving no discipline at all.
The union raised concerns about the outside law firm the fire district hired to conduct its investigation, Allen, Norton & Blue. Local 1377 and its legal counsel said the investigation was not conducted in an impartial or unbiased manner. The nature of the questions asked, as well as the way in which they were asked or not asked, reflects a predetermined conclusion rather than an objective fact-finding process, Sapp stated in the letter.
Sapp noted that the same firm that conducted the investigation has since been hired by the fire district to represent it at arbitration. Local 1377 has demanded arbitration for all five members and remains willing to negotiate a resolution that would avoid the costs of arbitration. Sapp said Fire Chief Jeff Lee has not offered any concessions or proposed resolutions.