By Kevin Deutsch
Tamarac decided to stick with the city’s fire department after spending the past year exploring whether to hand the job to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
City commissioners decided to keep the city agency at a workshop meeting Monday, stopping a process set in motion by Commissioners Marlon Bolton, Kicia Daniel, and Morey Wright during a 2023 Strategic Planning Session. Despite Tamarac having one of Florida’s top-rated municipal fire departments, the three commissioners supported directing the city manager to explore a switch to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.
Wright and Bolton on Monday said the move had been intended as a way to explore possible cost-savings for residents.
“I want to publicly say that I am no longer in favor of us joining BSO,” Wright, Tamarac’s vice mayor, said after a presentation by Tamarac Fire Rescue Chief Michael Annese and Deputy Chief Jonathan Frasher.
Wright said he had researched the department and found it was providing excellent service.
“I think what we have … is a great benefit to the city.”
After Wright’s reversal, Mayor Michelle Gomez sought and received consensus from her colleagues to stop the potential move to hire Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue. Gomez and Commissioner Elvin Villalobos had opposed switching to BSO, which provides police services to the city.
“Why don’t we stop the process … and say we’re staying with our fire rescue?” Gomez said.
Bolton, who appeared to spearhead the move to explore a switch to BSO, said he had realized how much the city fire department means to residents.
“Fire chief, I want you to know that getting rid of Tamarac Fire Rescue was never the goal,” Bolton said. “This was to explore whether or not the city’s residents would be able to save money in keeping an on-par service from BSO while maintaining the same level of excellence that you guys have … bar none; you are the epitome of excellence.”
Bolton also knocked BSO, stating he did not favor using “an organization where leaders don’t know how to talk to people in the public anyway.”
After Bolton’s remarks, Villalobos reiterated earlier allegations he made that Tamarac firefighters had been targeted because their union did not endorse Bolton when he ran in 2020, nor Daniel and Wright in the 2022 election.
Tamarac firefighters have distinguished themselves as among the nation’s best, racking numerous awards and competition victories in recent years.
“Please tell all the wonderful people in Tamarac Fire Rescue they have nothing to worry about,” Gomez said.
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