And we thought the sloppy (and potentially criminal) administration at the Brownsville Fire Department had ended when indicted former Chief Carlos Elizondo was fired.
Well, guess again.
On Dec. 31, the permits from the state for the department to operate its EMS ambulances expired and no one noticed. We have confirmed that this act escaped Chief Jarrett Sheldon, the hand-picked replacement that former city manager Charlie Cabler appointed to succeed Elizondo.
Since Dec. 31, the city's ambulances have been operating under an emergency extension while they take the steps to make them operate legally. The Texas EMS Act requires a valid operation permit for all EMS ambulances under the Texas Health and Safety Code administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The extension if for the month of January only. It's illegal to be driving the ambulance without an original license, and all the ambulances' licenses are expired.Sources say Sheldon and Asst. Chief Sam Ortega gave the order to put the ambulances in service regardless if they don't have the required original license posted on every ambulance. Theoretically, every emergency they go to is in violation of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services rule.
Sheldon, if you'll remember, was one of Elizondo's deputy fire chiefs. The other was Ernie Estrada, a firefighter who was catapulted to the rank of deputy chief over other more experienced and qualified officers because he happened to be Cabler's paella-cooking buddy and was said to be doing construction work on Charlie's house in partial payment for the promotion and resulting salary increase.
Elizondo was named as being partially responsible for steering ambulance transfers to a private ambulance company as well as Estrada. Being the other deputy chief, Sheldon had to know what was happening and turned a blind eye to the alleged wrongdoing that took money from the city to funnel it to the private company with links to Elizondo.
Now there is no one to blame for this latest fiasco but Sheldon and perhaps Asst. Cesar Pedraza. Will there be some accountability in this demanded by the city commission?
Brownsville being what it is, we may never see a resolution to this matter and keep plodding on to mediocrity.
But one thing we will soon have to account for is a homeowner's pending lawsuit on a fire that destroyed the home Tuesday night at 1005 Milpa Verde. Everything the family living there had was lost in the fire and community fundraisers have been gathering funds to try to help them recover.
Tragic as that may be, we have learned that the residence did not have to burn down if firefighters – and Sheldon was there personally before it reignited – would have performed their due diligence.From what we have been told, the initial call to the fire department was for a car on fire, which the firefighters doused and then, thinking it was over, left the scene.
They were called back a second time when a hotspot missed by the fire crew reignited and set the garage, and then the house, on fire. The reigniting of the fire brought out the top guns of the department, Sheldon included, and the fire was put out.
Or so they thought.
Brownsville Fire Interim Deputy Chief Rick Najera said he's confident his crew made the right call. "We won’t leave until there's no smoke and no fire, ok so I’m sure that that night there was no smoke, there was no fire, no evidence of smoke or fire,"
We have heard that the homeowner is already seeking legal representation to sue the City of Brownsville over the loss of her house.
From a negligence standpoint, it should be a slam dunk for whichever legal eagle gets the case. And with the fire chief being present at the scene when the garage caught on fire, it points to the state of leadership (or lack thereof) at the long-suffering fire department.
If you wish to donate to the Cavazos family, the number to call is (956) 667-3871.
And just where does the buck stop here? Is it time for a quick fix at the top again?
For another post on this story, click on link: http://www.krgv.com/story/37197154/brownsville-family-working-to-move-forward-after-2-fires
28 comments:
I would be more worried about the lawsuit from the family members of the family the died because j. Lerma stood outside and watched there mom burn. Great example union pres.
Dammit can we just get Mario guerrero appointed chief already. I'm tired of the current administration.
If you are supposed to be a firefighter with some kind of knowledge of a tragic incident, shame on you. As a citizen I expect better vetting of those that are serving the community. Have some respect for the unfortunate victim and the family. To use the accidental death of a human being to make your political point is inexcuseable. As a woman that has lost a family member to tragedy, I am particularly disgusted with your ignorance and the possibility that you may be a public servant.
Mario is the last person anybody wants there. This guy can’t even pass the paramedic class much less would he know how to run a dept that has majority of its calls come by medical emergencies.
Good point ma,am this and that other story where the firemen are commenting with nothing but vulgeraties with the slang word for a women's private parts. They should all be fired. Start all over from top to bottom. Plenty of qualified people willing to take those jobs.
This usually happens,when they name Leader an asskisser whose only experience extinguishing fires is a big BBQ Pit.
Montoya's sources are obviously from within the fire department. There's definitly a self serving agenda in providing all this inside information. These people have no interest in providing the community with an improved fire rescue service, and the community would be naive to think of these people as whiste-blowers. These people are hurting th entire department with all their mud slinging, but they don't care how dirty the cheif's desk gets, as long the get to sit behind it. These articles are fed by some misguided and vindictive people, whose lack of character shows through these leaked stories. The city would be would be wise to make character the top qualification for their next cheif.
Come on Marshall Daniel Villarreal! Instead of being a pussy in minor shit...Why don't you complain about the bigger issues you have in the Fire Department??? I'm sure you have fire employees who shouldn't be working as public servants when lifes are at stake.
Yes put Mario Guerrero as chief maybe his drunk crew of brothers can turn off fires or atleast have the balls to run in and pull burning victims out of a house fire.great job Jorge Lerma union president way to show your fellow fireman how to sit and watch this city burn to the ground, the only thing you can do is bitch about other people job qualities your a Baffoon and your actions say it all.im so tired of sitting at these meetings and watching you lead our union down the drain.
Is it one down and two to go to get fired.
All that department is a real mess, they just don't know how to handle problems. A few weeks ago there was an accident in 511, the Fire Department re-routed traffic to the toll way, now motorist are getting bills for toll usage and the fire department refuses to respond to customers who are calling in regards to their bills, they are saying the drivers had the option to wait but the Firefighter was routing all traffic to the toll way. There was no option to wait or go thru other road. These people are idiots, plain and simple.
Rick najera? That's Desi's boy. Things never change it's all about who you know not what you know. Guess it could be worse, they could hire Lenny's son, he really out there. Oh wait cameron county did hire him! Hahahahaha.
PD reroutes traffic dickhead.
No asshole, these dudes where playig PD.
For a two axle vehicle the toll is .67 cents plus a $1.00 processing fee totaling $1.67
Ask the patients the Firefighters pulled from that cluster fuck of a car wreck to pay for your toll.
This tool cant pay for a toll, fuck outta here guy
January 4, 2018 7:37 PM
You are absolutely correct. Why don't we see "stories" about the police department, or other city departments? They seem to have their shit together or possibly hide their issues better. The city needs to continue to clean house, make the city a great place, and stop be the laughing stock of the entire Valley.
As a citizen I see these firefighters always out at grocery stores or eating out and I say to myself must be nice. But then i stop and think about all the tragic and stressfull situation they must deal with. My worst days at work are dealing with an unhappy customer or my boss complaining about my responses to those unhappy customers. These kind of problems seem like a day in the park to these men and women who deal with life or death situation . Not there lifes , but someone elses. That is far worse than anything I could imagine. Then on top of that Im sure they have their own problems to deal with at home. I applaud them for what they do. I read comments that they make to much for what we see them do , but what about the things we dont see? So thanks for all you do. But please try and be more professional. Its getting harder to try and defend you when you yourselves are tearing each other apart on these blogs.
There is always a bad apple. That's human nature. Have you ever heard a pig stuck in mud. Well that's what I'm hearing here.
I see them at HEB sometimes, but they all look happy and full of joy. I say to myself, how can they do that, its that they enjoy their job, knowing that the next call could be their last. That's what I call above and beyond. We are very fortunate we have a jewel and a diamond, protect it because we just might not have it for long.
Poor Sheldon he inherited a mess. Much like Donald Trump, he has to clean up his prrdecessor's mess.
Never fear thank God Sheldon and trump are both anglosaxons and can make it great again.
The EMS licenses are current, and for those of you college educated types, all brains but no guts and destroying our government and our country.
No they are not!!!they are on extension permit because as the permit says they are expired but our up authority say that they worked on an extension for a month with the state to give time to fix this problem.we are running on borrowed time.
There are Federal Laws that would have protected that "anglosaxon" if he had reported the corruption his co-workers were involved in on a daily basis. So no, his ethnicity did not make him immune to his role in the corruption at the Fire Dept. Mr. Sheldon needs to respectfully step down.
Awww snap
post 9:38
Mamon
I just looked it up. VERY Easy to do. Says it's current and no mention of any extension. See for yourself.
https://vo.ras.dshs.state.tx.us/datamart/detailsTXRAS.do?anchor=97112c3.0.0
As one lady said its the Same Circus, just different clowns
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