Hillsborough County Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 2294

MEDIA ALERT
For Immediate Release

For more information contact

Derrik Ryan, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters President
(813) 714-0068

Tampa (July 27, 2018)

The media has been extensively reporting on a medical call that four
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) employees responded to at 3:04 a.m. on July
4, 2018. Clearly we understand this is a very sensitive and emotional circumstance that
has placed a heavy burden on the surviving members of the family. As the reporting has
continued, though, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters has serious concerns about the
manner in which the specifics of this medical call are being portrayed. The media
reporting on the events on July 4, 2018 appear to be vacillating between a few different
narratives that are in themselves contradictory.
Hillsborough County Fire Fighters would like the record to reflect the following:
the employee’s discipline packets contain statements and accountings, from both
Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) deputies and Ms. Black, detailing it was the
‘deputies’ that brought up the issue of ambulance transportation and the concern over
money, not the HCFR employees. Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill
further echoed this issue of fact during a press conference earlier this week; upon
arrival of HCFR units to the scene, HCSO deputies stated to the HCFR employees the
calling party only desired to have assistance with helping Ms. Calloway down three
flights of stairs. Despite this communication, HCFR employees still approached the
incident as any other and entered into the residence with medical equipment from
Rescue 43; HCFR’s mission is simple, employee’s respond to and mitigate any type of
emergency or non-emergency situation upon a citizen’s request, as opposed to the
narrative being portrayed by some media outlets of the employees shirking their
Hillsborough County Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 2294

responsibilities of patient care; finally, and notably, the ambulance that responded to
Ms. Calloway’s residence, Rescue 43, is quartered at a hospital - Florida Hospital
Tampa, located at Bruce B. Downs and Fletcher Avenue. Bearing that in mind, the
notion of these HCFR Employees refusing to transport Ms. Calloway to a hospital has
absolutely no merit, especially when Rescue 43 was returning to a hospital independent
of the situation.
As previously reported, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters is conducting its own
review of the documents and statements presented to the employees in their discipline
packets. Hillsborough County Fire Fighters is also considering additional statements
from the employees and other material information that clearly was not considered by
Hillsborough County Human Resources prior to making the decision to suspend the
employees and levy charges against them. Hillsborough County Fire Fighters have yet
to encounter a past circumstance where Hillsborough County officials have fast tracked
any similar matter as they have done in this case. Our belief is Hillsborough County
officials hastily reacted in this instant matter in an effort to get ahead of this issue and
thus did so in a slapdash fashion.
On July 24, 2018, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters requested a two-week stay
of the July 31, 2018 employee discipline meeting to afford the employees ample
opportunity to prepare for it. Hillsborough County officials have since issued a
correspondence denying the four employees this practical request. Hillsborough County
Fire Fighters felt the request was just, reasonable and necessary in nature and feels the
denial will impede the employee’s ability to adequately and sufficiently prepare for their
discipline meeting. Further objections will be filed with the presiding officer and the
Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.
The Hillsborough County Fire Fighters are committed to supporting the
employees through this process with the intent of ensuring it is being conducted justly
and fairly in that Hillsborough County officials do not over step or steamroll these
employees rights.