JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a practical joke with racial overtones went public late last year, Jacksonville Fire Station 18 was investigated by police to see who posted an altered image of a firefighter with the caption "Jingle Bomb." An internal investigation into claims that it was a hostile work environment resulted in many of the firefighters assigned to the station transferred or disciplined.
Now there are more complaints after a document on the first investigation was posted on that same firehouse computer.
A firefighter emailed News4Jax screen shots of the Office of Equal Opportunity investigation -- including the names of those who filed the initial complaint -- which showed up on the computer. Firefighters felt that information was confidential.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue Division Chief Kurtis Wilson said Thursday that the document posted on the computer is public. He even supplied News4Jax with a copy. It does list complaints and suggest some solutions, such as hold the officers and chief assigned to the station accountable for the station's atmosphere and recommend a cease-and-desist order be issued to discontinue any form of taunting to the staff until further correction and resolution can be made.
Wilson said he is considering implementing some of the recommendations.
Recently retried Rescue Chief Ivan Mote spoke on behalf of the current firefighters who did not one to speak publicly. He said when he used to conduct these type of investigations for JFRD, "The primary purpose of the procedures (was) to keep it secure."
Mote said what really needs to happen is to make changes, so people feel no threat to come forward with problems.
"I think the biggest concern is creating an intimidating work environment where, in the future ... people would be afraid to step forward to speak about what actually took place," Mote said.
The president of the firefighter's union, Randy Wyse, said people have a right to know who has filed complaints.