BROWNSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN POST-ELIZONDO TURMOIL

By Juan Montoya
If you thought that the Brownsville Fire Department would get in an even keel with the demotion and suspension of former chief Carlos Elizondo, think again.

Numerous sources inside the department confirm that when former city manager Charlie Cabler named Assistant Fire Chief Jarrett V. Sheldon as interim fire chief, he was just handing the key to the asylum to one of its chief inmates.

Sheldon, they say, was part and parcel of the Elizondo administration who – along with former suspended assistant chief Ernie Estrada – witnessed and took part in a number of illegal acts which included steering ambulance transfers to an unlicensed private ambulance company, provided its drivers with department radios, and which cost the city thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

"When Elizondo was demoted, Cabler named Sheldon as acting fire chief," said a firefighter. "It amounted to the same thing because Elizondo and Estrada did what they pleased, even going as far as taking off from their duties without telling anyone. They were protected."

In fact, Elizondo was overheard at a political gathering flaunting his position as chief and envisioning the days to come to rake in the dough.

"I was at the political victory Party for Eddie Trevino (and ) it was amazing the conversations I heard back at Cobbleheads!!," wrote one. "Now it makes sense. The conversation between Carlos and a buddy of his was "Ya Chingamos." We can definitely make money with our transportation ambulance service. His buddy asked are you sure? Is everyone in and how long is it going to take for us to make money?"

Not only had Elizondo and his cronies positioned themselves to grab the brass ring, but they also ran the department as they saw fit. Another commenter from inside noted that the Elizondo cadre included the top administrators, including Sheldon.

"Jarrett Sheldon, Samuel Ortega, Eduardo "Big Ed" Guerrero all knew what Elizondo and Estrada were doing and they reported nothing," said another. "They all together went on a rampage to fire or suspend whomever they wanted.

"EMS Chief Samuel Ortega poorly oversaw the division an ended up giving the city millions in fines from the Texas Dept. of Health. It got to the point where Dr. (Richard Joe) Ybarra, the medical director for Brownsville EMS even left the department."

According to the city commission's Audit and Oversight committee's report, Ybarra had written Cabler to outline his concerns with the situation at EMS and asked him to do something about the matter, which the city manager and former city attorney Mark Sossi ignored.

Estrada's role in the matter further exacerbated the situation because he had been pulled from his position in the lowest ranks of the department and made assistant chief to Elizondo, a position he shared with Sheldon.

Sources say this was part of the deal Elizondo had reached with Cabler. Estrada had numerous contacts with local construction contractors.

In the infamous secret recordings Elizondo released to embarrass commissioner Cesar de Leon, he is heard asserting that Cabler's daughter was overheard at a local night club when she bragged that Estrada was doing the work on an addition to Cabler's home as a sort of quid-pro-quo for Cabler having Elizondo promote him to assistant fire chief over more vastly qualified firefighters in the department.

Under a contract negotiated by a puppet Firefighters Association negotiating committee hand-picked by Elizondo before he was elevated to chief, the association signed on to a clause allowing him to have two assistant chiefs. One, Sheldon, would have to meet all the requirements of civil service, and another (Estrada) did not.

Beforehand, it had been agreed that the apple would go to Estrada, a Cabler paella-cooking crony. Estrada had scant knowledge of firefighting, managing personnel, and none as an incident commander in charge of directing firefighters on a fire scene. (He is the character at right wearing a straw hat between Cabler and Elizondo).

"With Elizondo and Estrada gone, Sheldon is now in charge even though he played a major role in the mess Elizondo created," said the firefighter. "This department is in turmoil because everybody is wondering whose turn it will be next. This is not over by a long shot."