Fire commissioner offers thanks, endorsements
To the editor:
I would like to thank the residence of the Fort Myers Beach Fire District for allowing me to serve them. I was appointed by the Governor of Florida to fill out a term and then ran for election to serve the past four years. I have chosen not to run for re-election at this time but I will continue to attend meetings as much as possible and help wherever needed. Before I was a commissioner I attended meetings for at least eight years and learned a lot of information on how the Fire District operated.
It makes me very sad to see someone run for a commission seat, or any office, that has never attended a meeting, has no concept of the district, or doesn’t even know the difference between the administrative role and the elected commissioner role.
This happened four years ago when Carol Morris was elected by giving out false information to the voters especially when they compared our budget with Sanibel Fire Department … yes they just have a fire department. No rescue, no ambulances that is provided by and taxes paid to Lee County by Sanibel residence.
We at Fort Myers Beach had that service years ago but in all honesty we got tired of waiting for an ambulance coming from “somewhere” in Lee County to help. It took years, but over that time, the Beach Fire District refined itself and formed one of the best trained and fastest responding Fire and Rescue Departments in the state of Florida.
Yes, this cost money and I believe your life and that of your love ones is worth every penny spent.
Commissioner Morris came into office, with no prior knowledge of the Fire District and the sole purpose of cutting spending, reducing manpower, and closing stations, with NO regards to service. This still seems to be her platform. As of September 2010 she did not know the geographical boundaries of the district and misquoted the operation of the Fire District many times in a televised forum.
In 2009-2010 the Union Firemen and Medics cut $750,000. from their wages and benefits and the Administration had a 5 percent cut across the board to keep services at the level you except and deserve for your tax dollar.
We need experience and knowledge of our Fire District. Vote for Al (Big Al) Agathen. Vote for Gordon (Flip) Harby who is very knowledgeable and has served the District well in the past.
Thank you again for your support and confidence.
Ted Reckwerdt
Fire Commissioner
Fort Myers Beach