Beach fire chief is under investigation: Update #1
Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Mike Becker is under immediate investigation, an action that was approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners at a special meeting at Station #31 Thursday afternoon.
For months, Chief Becker has been under fire due to allegations from the Local 1826 District 3 and 15 Union that he has proved to be inefficient as an administrator. New allegations such as prescription drug abuse and an intimate relationship with a district employee has arisen.
“I have all the confidence in Mike and the job he is doing,” said FMB Board of Fire Commissioner Betty Goodacre. “That also goes for Larry (Evans), the assistant chief. I think right now we don’t have anybody who can take their places.
Goodacre dissented when the vote came to approve an immediate investigation of Becker. “Mike is a good man, and we would be taking a very great loss if we lost him,” she said.
Becker has denied those charges and expects the truth to come out in his favor.
The action has stemmed from months of uneasy tension between Becker and the district union, which submitted a “no confidence” letter to the board in August. This occurred just days before Becker announced six firefighters would be laid off and proposed a five percent base salary cut across the board due to the hard financial times at budget time for the fire control district.
In mid-September, Commissioner “Flip” Harby gave Becker a vote of confidence after the chief asked his commission to allow him to deal with the proposed budget’s consequences.
“He has taken that burden on,” said Harby, who served as a replacement for suspended Commissioner John Scanlon until recently. “If you were a fire fighter coming to this district fresh out of fire school, then Chief Becker would be the mold you would want to put yourself into. He started on the floor as a fire fighter and moved up the ranks to where he is now the chief. What a success story. Everyone should be looking at that.”
Harby thoughht the union was trying to find a way to end Becker’s term. History serves as an example, he said.
“This union has a history of ending the honeymoon in three years,” said Harby. “Go back in history, and you’ll see that is pretty accurate. For some reason, the union doesn’t like fire chiefs, and Becker is one of their own.”
Harby’s position on the board became inactive when FMB Fire Chair Scanlon was reinstated by Gov. Charlie Crist this week. Goodacre hopes to see Harby back next year when elections occur in November.
“As of yesterday, the Governor put Mr. Scanlon back on the board,” she said. “So, Flip is out but I certainly hope that he runs for election in November 2010.”
Becker will remain on the job during the investigation.
More on the story with reactions due soon.