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Firefighters protest Whitfield hiring

   January 20, 2009

This letter is from the Escambia County Professional Firefighters Union to the Escambia County Commission:

This letter is in opposition to the recent appointment process of Chief Robbie Whitfield to the position of Deputy Chief. Robbie Whitfield did not go through a reasonable hiring process to properly assess his qualifications against the other applicants. A professional interview process for the Deputy Chief’s position would ensure the department is getting the most qualified applicants.

On Wednesday, January 14th, the position of Deputy Chief was reported to be filled by Robbie Whitfield although the actual job posting was not closed until midnight of January 15th. The appointment of Chief Whitfield was initiated at the County Commissioners annual planning retreat on Tuesday, January 13th. This decision was referenced in an internal memo from Chief Perkins dated Tuesday, January 14, “Yesterday, at a retreat/planning session, the Board of County Commissioners provided clear direction to the County Administrator that Robbie Whitfield should be permanently moved into the position of Deputy Fire Chief”. A fair hiring process can not take place when the position is decided by the County Commissioners acting as the Human Resources Department. This decision was substantiated by an article on PNJ.com stating that Robbie Whitfield “will be made Deputy Chief”. The PNJ.com article was posted as early as 7:30AM on Wednesday, January 14th and it was referencing completed business conducted at the Commissioners planning retreat.

The lack of professionalism, along with the political interferences in the appointment of Robbie Whitfield has created a massive divide and resentment for the future of this department. To be clear, the Escambia County Professional Firefighters Union fully supports Chief Ken Perkins as the unified Fire Chief for Escambia County Fire-Rescue.

Immediate action needs to be initiated to rectify this situation in an attempt to reconcile the spirit of many dedicated career Escambia County firefighters.

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