Former Fire Chief Scott Bullard defended himself. His wife and others supported him. The firefighters union president strongly spoke out against the him.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla — A fiery debate over the recent departure of St. Johns County’s top fire official ignited Tuesday in a very public forum.
In a rare move, Former Fire Chief Scott Bullard spoke before the county commission, defending himself and asking to return to the fire department.
Bullard told commissioners and the room full of people, “I’m speaking because I refuse to be intimidated.”
Bullard has said he did not resign, but instead, was outed.
“For whatever reason, there was an orchestrated plan to remove me from the position,” he said.
Bullard told First Coast News the reason he spoke to the commission was two-fold. He wants to revert to his previous role as a battalion chief, and “I need to speak up for myself in my defense.”
A handful of people spoke in support Bullard during the public hearing section of the meeting, including Barry Dunn with the St. Johns County Fire Rescue Department. “Of all the recent administrative reassignments and removals, you got rid of the best one,” Dunn told commissioners.
Bullard’s wife also spoke publicly to commissioners. “We may be fighting to get my husband’s job back as battalion chief, but you will never meet a better-suited person to be a fire chief of St. Johns County,” Amanda Bullard said.
For the first time, the St. Johns County Firefighters union leader spoke publicly about Bullard’s departure, saying it was needed.
St. Johns County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association President David Steven told commissioners, “He (Bullard) is not a victim here.”
Stevens said Bullard rejected workers’ request for uniforms made of safer materials.
“We sent him an official notification,” Stevens told commissioners, “saying, ‘get these people out of these dangerous uniforms.’ He sent us an official response, and that was that he would not do it.”
Stevens also said Bullard brushed off employee mental health concerns. “He pulled out the schedules of our firefighter who were known to suffer from PTSD and mental health, and he proclaimed this is all propaganda.”
Bullard told First Coast News after the public comments, “The allegations being made against me are not true.”
Did Bullard’s plan to take his case to the county commissioners work?
He said, “Time will tell.”
Bullard has filed a grievance with the county. He said one of the deadlines for a response is Wednesday.
