ST. PETERSBURG — A third-party management evaluation of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Department found that it could treat women and minorities better, hire a more diverse workforce and ensure promotions are accessible to everyone — concerns previously reported by the Tampa Bay Times about former Fire Chief James Large’s leadership.
City Council members requested the study in 2023 after comments from an anonymous city employee survey accused Large of creating a hostile work environment for women and minority employees. Seven active firefighters told the Times Large made made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks, acted inappropriately toward women and did not take seriously minority recruitment and promotion efforts or concerns of Black firefighters. One woman alleged she was mistreated by Large after suffering a miscarriage.
Council members received a presentation on the evaluation results Thursday from Matrix Consulting Group and new Fire Chief Keith Watts, who said the findings gave him a roadmap for improving workplace conditions. He is looking at a restructuring and reorganization of the department.
“As it pertains to the culture and trust and transparency, that’s going to take some time,” Watts said. “I’ve been exposed to some of that and there are ways to change that.”
Watts, formerly a division chief in the department, was tapped into the role months after Large retired, ending a 50-year career in St. Petersburg. Mayor Ken Welch had placed Large on administrative leave following the employee survey results but later reinstated him after finding “no direct evidence” of the allegations made against Large.
Months later, a photo of Large holding a coffee mug that read “Go ahead, call HR” posted to social media by his daughter led to Large’s retirement at Welch’s behest.
The management evaluation, the first since 1988, reviewed the department’s operational efficiency, staffing needs, organizational structure, diversity issues and customer service. It highlighted what the department is doing well, what needs improvement and made recommendations.
Representatives with St. Petersburg Association of Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 747, were in the audience for the presentation. In a statement, union President Richard Pauley thanked the City Council for authorizing the management study and supporting its findings.
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“The Union has been advocating for improvements in many of the identified areas since the 1990s, and it is gratifying to have an independent third party validate the Union’s concerns,” Pauley said. “We look forward to working with Chief Watts to address these issues and move St Petersburg Fire Rescue forward after two decades of stagnation.”
The management evaluation included an anonymous employee survey, which had a 53% response rate and reflected the department’s overall demographics.
The report noted that many employees feel they cannot report incidents of bias or discrimination without fear of retaliation. It recommended that the department foster a more collaborative and inclusive culture and address the issues of bias, discrimination, or harassment in the workplace generally.
Respondents to the survey tended to agree that the Fire Department and the city take allegations seriously. While 78% said they had not experienced discrimination, 36% of the Black respondents and 21% of the Hispanic respondents indicated they had.
As for gender, 84% of the female respondents said they witnessed gender discrimination.
While most respondents felt they understood the requirements for promotion, “many feel that race/ethnicity and gender identity are factors in the promotional process,” the report said.
About 57% of the respondents who identified as white or Hispanic or Latino stated that race and ethnicity is a factor in the promotional process. The report found that about 52% of those identifying as Black respondents stated that race and ethnicity is a factor in that process.
The consulting group recommended hiring a recruitment officer to develop and use strategies to engage underrepresented employee groups. It also recommended incorporating diversity and equity training to improve awareness.
The survey found that about 49% of the line-level employees are unsatisfied with the level of transparency, and 52% of the line-level employees do not feel there is adequate trust between the line-level employees and management. About 60% of the management group felt there isn’t adequate trust between the management team members.
Members of the council said they had faith in Watts to set the department on the right path. Council member Lisset Hanewicz suggested conducting another survey in the future to see if trust and transparency are still issues. Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders said she didn’t see anything that wasn’t doable.
Council member Brandi Gabbard had called for a change in leadership in 2023 with a letter that said Large treated her with “disrespect, bullying, and attempts at intimidation.”
Because of her own personal experiences with Large, she said she believed survey responses that said he created an environment hostile to women, Black and LGBTQ employees. She said those members should continue to feel that their voices are heard, and the work to make them comfortable expressing desires and concerns shouldn’t stop with the management evaluation.
“It’s very obvious that it’s a very new day in St. Petersburg,” Gabbard said.
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