Facts belie explanation of fire department overtime

In a television interview on July 19, Pensacola Fire Chief David Allen defended his sharp increase in overtime as being cyclical. “It tends to happen,…

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Fill the Boot for MDA starts July 21

Members of the Pensacola Fire Department and Professional Fire Fighters Association Local #707, along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), are hosting a special event…

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Pensacola Police Department handles overtime within budget

Yesterday, I reported on how Pensacola Fire Chief David Allen has allowed overtime in his department to far exceed the department’s original budget. A review of…

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Pensacola Fire Chief announces promotions

Pensacola Fire Chief David Allen has promoted Greg Redding as his Assistant Fire Chief. This is a new position that appears to replace the deputy…

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Fire Department overtime soars past original budget

Last year, Mayor Ashton Hayward proposed, and the Pensacola City Council approved, a budget for this fiscal year that had $298,900 for overtime for the…

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Arguments that won confirmation for Pensacola Fire Chief David Allen

The Pensacola City Council on Monday confirmed Mayor Ashton Hayward’s appointment of David Allen as the city’s fire chief by a 5-3 vote. Council members…

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Civil rights leader to speak out against Pensacola Fire Chief appointment

Ellison Bennett, a national board member of the National Movement for Human and Civil Rights, told Inweekly this morning that he will speak out against…

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Notes re: missing 2015 reprimands of Fire Chief-designate David Allen found

Since June 1, former Pensacola City Councilwoman Maren Deweese has been trying to get the City of Pensacola to release all letters of reprimand issued…

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Pensacola Fire Chief-designation sends out memo asking firefighters to attend council meeting

Former Pensacola City Councilwoman Maren Deweese has sent out to city officials and media the memo from Fire Chief-designate David Allen that I mentioned yesterday:…

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Attorney clarifies conclusion regarding demise of Independent Personnel Board

Attorney Russell Van Sickle clarified that the conclusion that that Mayor Hayward was not bound to create the Independent Personnel Board, which we published in…

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City Hall changes job description of Pensacola Fire Chief before investigation completed

Inweekly has discovered the job description for the Pensacola Fire Chief was changed on March 14, six weeks before Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van…

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City of Pensacola CFO warns Council about special meeting on fire chiefs

Dick Barker, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Pensacola, yesterday sent a memo to City Administrator Eric Olson warning that any public discussion of…

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Deas complaint against Pensacola deputy fire chief may not have qualified as a city grievance

The complaint lodged by Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson that has gotten the most attention from the media concerns how Fire Chief Matt Schmitt…

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Pensacola mayor upset with council and citizens

In an unprecedented open letter to the citizens of Pensacola posted on the city’s “Transparent Pensacola” page, Mayor Ashton Hayward called a special council meeting…

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Pensacola mayor defends independence of investigation of fire chiefs

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward addressed with the News Journal concerns that the Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle’s investigation of Fire Chief Matt Schmitt…

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Pensacola Mayor Hayward offers few explanations for firing chiefs, twice refuses Inweekly requests

Yesterday, new evidence came to light that brought into question the independence of Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle, whose investigation of Pensacola Fire…

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Independence of Pensacola fire chiefs investigation questioned

New documents published by former Pensacola Councilwoman Maren Deweese have cast doubts about the independence of Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle’s investigation of…

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Boyd Forum: Citizens admonish empty chairs of MIA Pensacola mayor and administrator

Several citizens appeared the Boyd Forum held at the beginning of the Pensacola City Council on Thursday, May 12. Many wore red bands on their…

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Pensacola City Hall adds more files to ‘Transparent’ page on fire chiefs

On Tuesday, May 10, when the mayor’s office published the mayor’s decision to terminate Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover,…

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Inside Fire Chiefs Report: Deas complaint, failed to follow union grievance process

Chief Human Resources Office Ed Sisson complained, “Schmitt and Glover intentionally and deceptively severely retaliated against Edward Deas, an African-American Fire Lieutenant, merely because Deas made…

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