Broward commissioners vote to take back fire department from BSO in move Tony slams as ‘betrayal’

On Tuesday, Broward County commissioners unanimously decided to return the fire department back to civilian control. The Broward Sheriff’s Office had been in charge for two decades.“I think it was prudent for us to really take back control and make sure we can be cost-efficient,” Broward Commissioner Lamar Fisher, one of the driving forces behind the change, said. The move comes as the county and Sheriff Gregory Tony have clashed over BSO’s $937 million budget request.Tony is calling the move a “betrayal.”No other county in Florida puts its sheriff’s office in charge of fire rescue services. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue serves multiple cities within the county under contracts, as well as the county’s unincorporated areas.Fisher said he and fellow commissioners want greater control and transparency over how dollars are spent.“It’s not the sheriff’s fault by any means,” Fisher said. “It’s an opportunity for Broward County to really control its department and its costs at the end of the day.”It’s unclear on what those costs will be.There are more than 900 employees that will be part of the transition, but commissioners say it shouldn’t affect everyday services.Tony blasted the decision in a statement released on Tuesday“Today’s decision by the Broward County Commission not to renew its contract with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue is deeply disappointing, a betrayal of the public’s trust and a disservice to the men and women who have dedicated their careers to protecting this community,” he said in part. Tony said it was “particularly troubling that the same Commission that has refused to provide our first responders with the compensation they deserve is now prioritizing control over a proven public safety system that has served this community since 2003,” as he touted multiple “critical innovations” by the department.“Public safety is not about control,” he said. “What matters is the skilled, timely and coordinated response of highly trained public safety professionals, like the men and women of Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.” The union representing BSFR firefighters and paramedics said in a statement that its members “look forward to working with the administrations of Broward County and the Broward Sheriff’s Office through this transition” and “will continue to uphold our mission and protect the communities we proudly call home.”

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