Survey Reveals Intense Disastisfaction at Fire Rescue
Read the Report That County Leaders Won't Tell You About
In a series of articles, Clay News & Views (CN&V) documented some of the appalling challenges that Clay’s fire rescuers must endure.
Within the series, CN&V also reported about an alarmingly high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, depression, and workplace burnout, along with other psychological conditions associated with their hazardous jobs. Florida, along with the nation, has passed legislation to enable local governments to make it easier, less costly, and more confidential for all first responders to access mental health resources.
In 2019, with encouragement from the legislature, fire rescue departments in other parts of the state began performing mental health surveys to ask first responders, “How are we doing?” and “What can we do better?”
For almost five years, Clay County’s Fire Rescue upper management chose not to do the mental health surveys, so the fire department’s union took the initiative to conduct an anonymous survey. Finally, the county performed its own survey in Oct. 2025. Both surveys were eerily similar—brutal for the department’s upper management.
The following are the full quotes from the union’s survey. Personnel were asked to “communicate” whatever they wanted regarding the stresses of their job. “The Floor is yours,” the survey said.
I think it’s crazy that our fire chief bargains against us in the union contract agreements. This makes no sense and feels like a kick in the teeth by the person who is supposed to support us.
At what point does someone in the food chain that is CCFR look at Jason Boree and tell him to stop making command decisions on scenes where he isn’t even present. Why are our engine officers and battalion chiefs walking around scared to death that an engine or ladder company might have to down an apparatus to ride in and help rescue and render aid, BECAUSE JASON BOREE CALLS AND YELLS AT THEM FOR IT!!!!! Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know what Jason Boree wants, needs, and lack of good sound judgement was more important than the lives of the citizens we are here to serve. He has done it time and time again. Someone tell this toxic “Leader” that he isn’t seeing and isn’t in that situation to be able to make a decision if he’s not on scene!!! This is just the tip of crap we deal with on the street coming from admin. One day Boree is going to get someone killed, or a citizen killed. I mean that level of toxic operation already got a 16 year old stabbing victim killed when his Protege, BC Laura Hanstein did the same thing to R18 when transporting that 16 year old that had been stabbed, and instead of letting that crew use common sense and go to OPMC like they were going to, she ordered them to go to Wolfson’s and the kid was dead before they hit I-295.. That is the crap leadership we’re all referring to...it’s a cancer and Boree’s example to his buddy Laura got a kid killed. I wonder how that young man’s family would feel if they knew this???? But, just like everything else at CCFR, admin gets to do whatever they want, with no standard, while the rest of us toe the line and do their bidding The admin at this department will be the reason someone eats a pistol one day, not the bad calls we go on, but the undue stress that these so called “leaders” put on us. That will be what causes that to happen, and if nothing is done after all these surveys are read...then that will tell everyone at #3362 that this county doesn’t care about the ones of us who work here.
The issues with Logistics aren’t anything new. Where are all the second sets of bunker gear that we’ve been getting “sized for” several times or in the past 6 years? It seems like the only ones getting a second set are the new hires. So what admin is saying is that the cancer-causing elements we come across only affect them? Why can’t all of us have a second set? Why can’t Chief LeRoy ensure we have them? It seems that he is overwhelmed, or he is clueless, whatever the issue is, if any of us on the street did our job the same way logistics is run, Boree would be losing his mind demanding our termination. Make accountability a two-way street.
The blatant favoritism and lack of leadership displayed by Motes and Boree is absolutely appalling, and totally unacceptable. Chief Motes has shown it recently with what would equate to gender discrimination against female firefighters. Eng Newton because he is trying to bend and interpret policy with the accident she had. His disciplinary recommendation does not concur with policy. He hasn’t given the same recommendation for discipline with male firefighters, as he did with her. This is totally unacceptable. Boree is guilty as well. His favoritism and protection of Capt. Everett, and the way he coddles and covers for Chief Hanstein’s incompetency is very obvious throughout CCFR. There have also been several investigations that were handed out to employees for “potentially” violating policy. Investigations handed down from Boree to Hanstein to “take care of” that would never stand in any other job. There is also the issue with the open- ended investigations that can last as long as admin wants. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for this to happen. Investigations last for months with absolutely no basis for them to last as long as they do. This causes undue stress on employees for investigations, the majority of which shouldn’t be taking place. There are aspects of this job that cause stress for us, the “bad calls”, but the majority of the stress we endure at CCFR is caused wholly by Motes and Boree’s absolute lack of leadership and the hostile work environment they embrace. It is for this reason that there are MANY in the department who feel it is time for a Vote of no confidence against Motes and Boree. If this was to happen then maybe someone high up in the county will finally understand how we feel, and they will do something about it. It is LONG overdue, Motes and Boree should’ve been terminated a long time ago.
So as of late there have been employees written up for not bringing a Dr.’s note for calling out, the charge they get is insubordination. Even though they might have to shell out money to get that note. Why doesn’t CCFR have a Dr we can got to for these situations? and insubordination? but yet you have Chief LeRoy guilty of insubordination for not getting L1 equipment ordered when he was instructed to? So, insubordination only pertains to the crews on the street and not to admin chiefs?
The biggest issue Operationally this department has is Logistics. How is it that this department can run efficiently when we don’t have the supplies to do it? For months now we have to beg for IV supplies from hospitals so we can give proper treatment to the community. We run out of medication that is front line meds for medical calls. Just to be told there is a “nationwide shortage”. That is a lie, many of us are married to nurses and other medical professionals, and personally know many of them too. They don’t have any issues with nationwide shortages for supplies. Then only to find out there was never an order placed, or to be told by guys working in logistics that LeRoy is holding off ordering supplies to save a .01% on every .10 cents spent. I get there is a budget, but there is a job we have to do, and that isn’t an excuse. I wonder how the local hospital’s logistic support would feel knowing we were causing them to spend MORE money because LeRoy is too incompetent or just plain cheap to give us the tools we need, in any other job he would be fired for failing to do his job, plain and simple. Another example of LeRoy failing at his job is Ladder 1. He was given an order by Chief Mock to order all the equipment to get L1 in service back in October. When that truck went online on Jan 31, 2024, there was nothing ordered for it. It was empty. How was he not written up for insubordination? That is the most cut and dry definition of disobeying an order, if it was anyone else below the rank of CHIEF that person would’ve been under investigation immediately with the recommendation from Boree for immediate termination. Accountability is a 2-way street. Every admin chief is guilty for allowing LeRoy to continue to be in dereliction of duty.
First and foremost, I will say this. The only thing keeping this department together are the officers and senior engineers in this department, they are the true leadership this department has and needs right now, they protect their people as much as they can from the STUPIDITY that rolls down from admin. Admin in this department is toxic and failed. Theres no other way to say it, other than the reality of it.....FAILED leadership. That being said, the biggest issue that kills this department is MOTES, and BOREE. Chief Boree is the posterchild for a failed leader who uses his position and rank to intimidate his subordinates. Especially during discipline handed out. There have been several times that Chief Boree didn’t “think” an investigation went the way he “wanted” it to go, and in the process has TOLD investigating officers to change it to his liking. The most recent one he did it was Jake Erkenricher’s investigation for military leave. For some unknown reason he was targeted by Boree for using his military leave, he didn’t like that the investigation showed no wrongdoing, and wanted it changed in a matter that would have punished that firefighter, even though there was no wrong doing, that action alone should be enough for an investigation into Boree. How is behavior like that allowed? IN ANY OTHER JOB FIELD HE WOULD BE FIRED ON THE SPOT!!!!!! Yet if it’s one of his “boys” he shows favoritism. Like he did with Captain Everett when he abused Telestaff and manipulated it to his liking to get more OT and caused others to lose that opportunity. Any other time when there is an investigation he recommends termination, even though there is a policy for progressive discipline for the department. How can he sit there and hold others accountable for SOP’s when he doesn’t even follow them himself? How is he allowed to continue to act in such an unprofessional and toxic manner? As for Motes, he’s honestly no different. Recently there was an investigation against Jenny Newton, based off an email written by Lt. White, and Lt. Wilfong claiming she was using narcotics, and attacking her job performance. What is weird though is that he took the role of investigating officer, when it is normally a BC who does investigations. Many wonder if he took the role because of his investigation because of the close relationship he has with LT. WHITE. White has been witnessed several times at 15 boasting that he can call Motes and get whatever he wants. Seems like favoritism. It’s funny though that even though LT WHITE made the accusations in his email statement about Jenny he told numerous individuals at 15 he in fact didn’t think she was using narcotics at all. So, was he coerced into making the statement? or was it a lie? In the accusations they based the narcotics statement because she was “scratching her face” even though she has a medical condition called PCOS that is a hormonal issue women can have. And what does MOTES do? Tries and diagnose her for another medical condition and blame anxiety for the issue. Is Motes a Dr. Now? Last time I checked he wasn’t. So how can he make a now FALSE accusation and put in a written reprimand? and make his own diagnosis? What kind of leader does that? In conclusion, these are just 2 of the issues CCFR has, and they rest solely on leadership. Leadership who is supposed to hold a standard, not just for us, but themselves. Yet they think they are above it themselves. Until those change, morale will be dead here.
This is for the County Manager. This is the second survey we are filling out in order to get this department’s message of a broken culture, pride, and
We can’t move forward if we don’t change the top. Motes says change starts at the bottom. How is this possible? It doesn’t matter what the starting pay is, or all the fancy station they want, if admin doesn’t change, this place will never change. This administration has worn out its welcome. The only brand-new station brought online in 20 years is Station 26. Station 11, 23, 24, and 20 already existed. In 20 years, they have built 1 fire station. We are not a small-town department in a Sunday evening movie. We are a fast-growing county, a thriving county that is behind the curve and now they are panicking to keep up. And we will be the ones to pay the price, not the administration. Stop letting them do this to us. They need to go. We don’t trust them. We don’t have confidence in them.
The disrespect and mistreatment of employees has gone on for too long. The only way to change it is a replacement of Mock, Motes, Boree, and Leroy. They have forgotten where they come from. Especially Boree. He has cursed at employees and disrespected employees. He has no leadership ability. You can negotiate all the raises and incentive you want but it will not change who the admin chiefs are. This place is broken. If administration won’t rebuild it then the we need to.
The department is run in poor manner. Bad discissions are being made when purchasing apparatus. New apparatus is being sent back to the manufacturer to have the axe and suspension upgraded. Why would it come from the factory not already built to our needs. We have a truck committee that is supposed to collectively make decisions to decide what fits our needs. As of now we have chiefs that decide how the trucks are built. The chiefs do not operate the trucks on a daily basis, they don’t see the issues we have. Money is not only being spent on the build but also on the additional cost of having the truck upgraded so it can handle the weight. Ordering items for our truck has become difficult and very untimely. When something is ordered we don’t get a response back saying it’s been ordered or when it will be here. It just never shows up. Medical supplies have been difficult to get. We have been told since COVID that there are supply chain problems. How much longer are we going to be told this? It doesn’t appear anyone else has supply chain issues. We will receive half of what we request. It’s an embarrassing conversation in front of a patient when you can’t do something because you don’t have the correct medication or correct size IV that’s appropriate. It not only puts patients at risk but employees too. Blatant favoritism for discipline is difficult to watch. You hear of people getting away with stuff but then you see someone under investigation for something as petty as not having a sick note. Someone being late to work for the first time is put under investigation. The administration micromanages to a point that the battalion chiefs can’t even take care of issues at a station level. One battalion chief can’t even make a decision on her own. She constantly calls Chief Boree, which then leads to a larger issue, investigation, stress, resentment etc. When an employee spends most of his time at the breakfast table talking about Chief Motes and their personal relationship, it sucks. “David this...” David that...’‘ “Motes this...” “ Motes that. “, it gets old. We not only grow to extremely dislike that person but DO NOT TRUST THEM. It becomes obvious when Chief motes makes a phone call to that person when the engine officer is present and issues orders through that person but will not go through the officer on scene. We would be chastised for violation of chain of command. Please stop hiring Jacksonville people if you are just going to fast track them for promotion. Lt. White explained this to a Jacksonville fireman. Clay County waited to do a C and a D promotion list to get the Jacksonville guys promoted and went on to say he will be the next Safety Officer as that spot has been promised to him. At least do a better job at hiding favoritism. Sure, we’re firemen, but we aren’t that stupid. Chief Motes says he has read all these books on leadership, It doesn’t show. We want to be firemen. We want to be firemen on and off the job. But here. when I leave work, I don’t want to be a fireman. At work I only want to be it when I’m helping those that truly need it. Local 3362...good luck with the administration. It’s known that you’ll never beat them. They don’t care about us. They care about themselves and how they will look to their higher ups. They will keep piling things on those that are already going through a difficult time. It’s not work that’s stressful, its working for our administration. We don’t trust our administration. We no longer have confidence in them. We need to redirect our energy to ourselves. If they won’t take care of us and look out for us then we need to do it ourselves.
Chief Motes has his department and Chief Boree has his department. Boree does things that Motes finds out about after the fact. why? The lack of communication between them is terrible and their offices are next to each other. It’s a common belief that Boree will do whatever he wants, and we are left to try to plead our case. His relationship with Laura Hanstein allows her to do whatever she wants and make her own set of rules. Nobody wants to share personal business with her because she has made comments in the past about people going through a difficult time that are offensive to people. Boree has zero compassion for people. Every investigation is recommended the most severe punishment. He doesn’t want any of us here. He wants to punish to the fullest extent. How has nobody in the administration not seen this? Who holds him accountable???? Boree and Motes stack everything they can find when discipline is issued, you can have a write up from 20 years ago and be a stellar employee and they will throw it in with the investigation and try to apply more discipline. We are not allowed to make mistakes. We will be punished to the fullest. We will be issued the harshest punishment they can get away with. Who wants to work for chiefs like this? Who wants to come back to work? Is it pleasurable to punish your own employees? It’s like they have to remind us of who our master is. But when it’s all said and done, you get nothing. absolutely nothing but a story to tell everyone else how they stuck it to you. Leadership is lacking in this department. Leadership at the top is lacking. Asking for sick notes must make Boree feel good because he can open an investigation on you and talk about how swamped they are with all this work and then issue more discipline. I’m wondering how many people would not be able to get another job just because of the investigations in their personnel files. Admin seems to keep our personnel files fresh with investigations. If a random person looked at all the investigations here it would appear that clay has the most undisciplined employees ever. How is Boree and Motes going to let a captain get away with a slap on the wrist for manipulating Telestaff? He did it for his own financial gain!!!!! He figured out how to stay at the top of the overtime list by manipulating his hours. How’s is this a slap on the wrist. Its fraud. He screwed his fellow employees. Admin lost a lot of faith from employees on this one. You really showed your true colors. But at the end of the day hardly any of this goes anywhere... If an employee is going through a hard time in their personal life and is affects their work, you just add more on them. You keep piling and piling till they break. You can’t leave stuff alone and recognize the signs when someone is struggling? And don’t expect us to tell you. We know that some way we will be punished, investigated, or transferred. You will keep piling and piling it on us. but we will turn to our brothers. We will turn to our union. They give us an opportunity to vent, get help, and give us guidance. The union has leaders that will lead and mentor our young ff as well as those that have worked here for a while. We have no trust in the administration. We have no confidence in administration. We are asking the union to please help with this as they can. LACK. OF. LEADERSHIP. LACK. OF. CARE.
E-board, stay focused on us, the members. Don’t get wrapped up grieving every little thing. It’s a distraction from what is truly important. And to you, that’s the members. Communicate with the members, get out and come see us. We look forward to seeing and hearing from our e-board. Everything else... The guys on the street have to share a vision with administration. Admin wants “buy in”, well that comes through communication, fair treatment across the board, and support from administration. Administration has no communication among each other. It’s often asked if Chief Motes even knows what Chief Boree is doing. The answer is no. Often Chief Mock doesn’t even know what his deputy chiefs are doing. We can see this. And when we see it, buy in is not an option. You can keep telling us and giving the “buy in” talk to your captains, but just remember we are not the dumb firemen you think we are. E15, who was in charge of this design and who signed off on it? Who wanted everything loaded on E15 after being told it was OVERWEIGHT. Why was E22 sent to the dump to be weighed in hopes it had a higher Gross Vehicle Weight and considered that it should be swapped with E15 which was overweight. After many repairs and money spent it was finally sent back and had another axle put on it that could hold more weight. It was sent back to the county WITHOUT a weight certification and sent to the station for it to be swapped into. It wasn’t weighed before hose was loaded. It didn’t have a spec plate with a gross vehicle weight. But our chiefs ordered our personnel to load the truck. Why is Chief Boree taking the lead of E15? Why did he approve the purchase if it didn’t meet our needs, how much more money was spent to get the truck where it needed to be? If we have a truck committee, why hasn’t it been utilized in the purchase of several engines and rescues. Chief Hanstein gives orders without thinking of the consequences. If E15 is overweight and is involved in an accident, FHP will hold the driver accountable if it’s overweight. Not the Battalion Chief, not the Operations Chief, not the Logistics Chief. Why would the Operation Chief order us to operate an unsafe vehicle? How much money was spent on making E15 road worthy? Clay County signed a contract with the manufacture accepting the design and finish product. Please STOP ordering apparatus without consulting your Truck Committee. And to say that “it doesn’t matter what the truck committee wants, we’re going to do it our way.” is wrong and condescending. Who designed E15? Who accepted E15? Who kept trying over and over to solve this issue with as little attention as possible? Maybe since E15 and E22 are sister trucks, whoever designed E15 had an idea that a problem was on the horizon and had E22 built with a smaller tank to avoid issues we’ve had with E15. Investigations- I truly feel sorry for those having been under investigation. If investigations are unfounded by the investigating officer, it’s pretty well known that administration will find something. They can’t seem to accept that a competent unbiased investigation was done, and nothing was found. In the end, Chief Motes or Boree with find something. It’s like it’s their mission to find and punish EVERY SINGLE PERSON. Why does CHEIF BOREE tell Battalion Chiefs to change their findings on investigations if he doesn’t like what they conclude? This has been going on multiple occasions. For someone to get a fair and unbiased investigation is far from the truth as long as Chief Boree is involved. The perception is that he wants to punish and fire everyone. The ongoing joke is that “He can’t fire all of us...but he’ll sure try.” In a legal investigation, his interference or persuasion with the investigation would have him immediately removed and consequences would be issued to him. But here in kangaroo court, it’s perfectly fine. Chief Boree’s favoritism towards Capt. Everet was a gross demonstration of his favoritism. Chief Motes took an interest in the investigation instead. Why wasn’t a Battalion Chief assigning this investigation like they are assigned any other investigation? Capt. Everet was caught manipulating the automated staffing system to his benefit. It was manipulated so it would not call him certain days, and he could stay at the top of the overtime list. This adversely affected other employees’ ability to get overtime. This also benefited Capt. Everet monetarily in his paycheck and his retirement. His discipline was less than appropriate. All the other employees watched this investigation closely. It was recognized how it was handled from start to finish. It seems that its Chief Boree’s mission and goal to issue the harshest punishment he can. To inflict the most demoralizing pain and cause as much emotional stress as he can. YES, we have rules, we have policy, we have a contract, but what we don’t have is an Operation Chief that is a mentor. We don’t have an Operation Chief that realizes we are human and are subject to poor judgment. We have a dictator like Operations Chief. We have an Operations Chief that has anger issues. We have an Operations Chief that has forgotten where he has come from. We would rather avoid going to the EOC at any cost. Avoid him on a scene. We would rather not have to have any interaction with him if at all possible. Chief Motes and Chief Boree want robots. But robots we are not. we are human. we are subject to mistakes, bad decisions, bad choices, bad judgment. Humans have leaders and mentors throughout their lives. When is the last time our chiefs mentored anyone? And not with a talk about buy in. If you want to buy in from the street, they have to know what’s for sale. To describe our relationship with the admin chiefs to the street, it’s best described as a disconnect. You could go as far to say that it’s an abusive relationship as well. What we see on the street, the apparatus we operate, our work and living condition are all daily topics around the fire station. The Chiefs are so far disconnected from us they have no clue. And nobody wants to say anything in fear of retaliation. Either through being sent to a rescue or sent to the furthest station they can banish you to. To say rescue is not punishment is an absolute LIE. We’re constantly living under their thumbs, and they keep piling it on us. You have an employee going through a difficult time and you continue to hammer and hammer till they are completely destroyed mentally and emotionally. And when they go home to eat that bullet you’ll just say “ geese, that’s terrible...” Would any of the chiefs let their families live in the condition we do? Mold, crowded stations, crowded bathrooms, substandard repair work from contractors and county maintenance, residential appliances. Sta.14 stove is a joke, smaller than the one they had. Sta, 13 cooking in the bay while the station was under construction for mold. You let them eat where the vehicle exhaust exits the vehicle??? Was an exposure report done for everyone stationed there? You let the dish water drain into the parking lot. That is considered grey water. How did the department of health let them get away with that? It happened with our chief knowledge. Chief Motes, Chief Boree. and Chief Leroy. To say that Mental Health is a priority to our admin chiefs is like cutting your arm off and saying it’s not bleeding. Chief Motes appears to have taken an interest in his people’s mental health. Chief Boree acts as if it’s another way for the employees to get out of doing things they don’t want. Our fight against cancer causing chemicals...Doesn’t seem like Chief Boree is very interested. We explore the option of new uniforms, and he sarcastically calls our current uniform “cancer causing uniforms”. He’s made several comments. Does he not take it seriously? Because the guys on the street do. We live in it. Is our safety and future not a concern to him? Cause to everyone’s spouse on the street it is a concern. The distance between the disconnect of the street and the admin is such that the guys on the street will always be guarded, they will always feel the Chief Boree is out to get them, and Chief Motes isn’t far behind. Stations in disrepair. Station 15 looks terrible. The residence of Lake Asbury loves their fire station, but it looks like a used fire truck lot. Why does the administration pinch pennies when it comes to the station repairs. Your people live in these buildings. We live in them every day. Why are we going with the lowest bidder and not someone that is reputable and can deliver a good quality finished product. Supplies/Logistics- WHY CAN WE GET THE NECESSARY MEDICAL SUPPLIES. It’s been proven that the shortage we were told about wasn’t actually a shortage. The surrounding counties had the supplies that we were told was unavailable, including some medication. but for some reason Clay County couldn’t get it. If we don’t have a medication or item to perform on scene and the patient has a bad outcome the first person to blame will be the guys on the street. Rescues take whatever they can from the hospital to offset what we are not receiving from logistics. Tegaderm, flushes, IV catheters, syringes etc. How are we supposed to do our jobs without essential equipment. If we have a shortage of supplies, then why doesn’t anyone else? When we order 30 IV catheters, why are we being sent 20? We have rescues that run 15 to 20+ calls a day and we are only sent a portion of what we order. The medical supply orders are for the engines and rescues. But yet we are questioned by Chief Leroy why we order so much. The call volume speaks for itself. Just another instance of the disconnect. Why are we getting question why we are ordering so much epinephrine? We are growing, we are busier than we ever have been, and we are only getting busier. I wonder what the admin would say if it was their family member that we didn’t have the correct medication or enough of the medication for. I wonder how they would feel if it were their family member. It takes weeks, sometimes several months to get new uniforms. If we are requesting new pants and shirts, it’s because we needed it a week ago. Chief Leroy waits till he has a large order before he orders. Meanwhile we are getting questioned by our battalions why we are wearing torn or faded uniforms. Why did Ladder 1 sit at logistics for so long with no equipment? It was delivered on December 7th. No equipment ordered, no nothing. WHY? Why are we using dilapidated old equipment from a spare engine. Why did Chief Leroy not order equipment when he was told to? How is this not insubordination? The Ladder is in service today and still no new equipment. Everyone on the street is watching and clearly sees what’s going on. Why has nobody received any training on Ladder 1. Not a single person from the manufacturer has come to talk about basic operations, its capabilities, or limitations. BUT if one of us tear it up, it will be our fault. We are in March and can’t order uniforms. Why? If the new uniform has been chosen, why have we not been fitted for new one yet? Whose responsibility is this? What do we have to do to change this? We have local stores we should be able to go get work pants from. GT Distributers, 5.11 Tactical, both local stores in Orange Park and Jacksonville. These stores may not be the answer, but they are options. Why don’t we have a stock of uniforms and belts. boots. t-shirts etc.? We are always offered to go upstairs in logistics and see if we can find some old turned in uniforms. Is this how you take care of your people. If your people don’t have the necessary items to perform the task at hand, YOU are setting them up for failure. The mechanics try their hardest to keep up with us. We appreciate them. Bucky is an asset, hardworking and very dedicated. However, we feel like he being ran over by Chief Leroy. Why can’t Bucky run logistics? Why can’t Lt. Miller? Why can’t Lt. Smith? Is it because they will refuse to be micromanaged? You have nothing to lose by hiring a logistics supervisor from within. You have everything to gain. Someone that knows the system, knows what the apparatus on the street, knows and is familiar with our supplies and equipment. It looks like you posted an open position so you could check a box. Not ever having any real intention of hiring from within. Why are the admin chiefs so hung up on sick notes. It’s come to a point that the silliness from Chief Boree is becoming comical and ridiculous. Sick notes are a PAY TO PLAY. The policy gives guidelines for which a sicknote is required. Now the Battalion Chiefs have been given directions by Chief Boree to ask for sick notes non-discriminately, for any reason. We don’t always need to go to the ER or urgent care center to be seen. We can self-medicate at home for less than a co-pay or ER bill. If I call out sick, I have to pay the co-pay to play the game. But Chief Boree is so determined and seems to be looking for a reason to come after us. It takes 3 weeks for me to get a doctor’s appointment with my primary doctor. Why would I want to go see a doctor or nurse I’m not familiar with. Not all the Battalions ask for a doctor’s note. But if you ask certain Chiefs, they say they have consistency across the board....WRONG Why are the surrounding counties building fire stations and we are struggling to get 1 up????? We don’t need 9-million-dollar stations. We don’t need multiple rescues in a station. We need good quality fire stations. We don’t need a state-of-the-art fire station. Just give me something better than 13, 14, or 15. We need MORE fire stations. To tell the public we are building new stations is a fib at best. We are rebuilding and relocating. We need more fire stations. Why doesn’t Green Cove St.20m have a rescue? You absolutely wear out Rescue 22 and rescue 24. Rescue 1 shouldn’t be going to Green Cove to sit all day just to say Green Cove has rescue. You do the citizens of the City of Green Cove Springs a disservice by making them wait extended time for a transport unit. When Rescue 24 and Rescue 22 are on a call, Rescue 15 from Lake Asbury or rescue 25 from Camp Blanding are the next due units to arrive, this is absolutely absurd. Are you afraid to put a rescue in Green Cove because you think the commissioners won’t let you build a new station if they see you can put one at the current station? Green Cove needs a rescue, the citizens in Green Cove Springs deserve one. Why does every other station have a rescue but not Green Cove? Station 1 has a rescue and it’s not even built yet.
Extracurricular activities
I am incredibly concerned with talks circulating the county that the E-Board is going to negotiate to a 24/72 schedule. The funds it would take to finance this expensive proposal will cut into the pockets of our employees. Rather than taking that extra funding and stretching it thinner, we need to be negotiating for those funds to go more towards paying who we already have. We already only work 10 days a month, I would much rather be paid more for those 10 before rather than showing up even less. The 24/72 proposal is tone deaf and comes across as lazy to people who already see us as working an easy schedule, which we do.
Admin needs to communicate and have a better plan for the future of CCFR.
Just want to say thank you. Stay on them. Keep pushing for all the things we need to keep us safe and healthy.
Listen to officers and make changes
More communication
Would like to see fair treatment from all chiefs, even bc’s.
Need more info on plans for county. Too many transfers
I would like for training positions to be able to train unimpeded by busy work. It feels like we’re wasting talent. I’d be nice if we could feel pride in the condition of our stations. Most feel run down.
All these new medical policies place an unrealistic expectation on medics. To perform these in the clinical setting is far different than in the settings we find ourselves in every day. It would be nice to see some latitude given when learning opportunities are presented as opposed to making mistakes always punitive. It creates an environment where people are hesitant to act in fear of failure or judgement.
I have watched Chief Motes play games with people for years. If he doesn’t like you, he doesn’t approve classes or time off for folks to attend training to improve in their roles. In some cases, he makes it almost impossible for some people who are fantastic firefighters to advance just because he doesn’t like them. He’s made it to where some people have had to come out of pocket to pay for their own training because he doesn’t think they need it but will then approve it for others without issue. If complaints are filed against him those individuals find themselves at the worst stations. He’s also made it to where more senior ranking employees don’t get the apparatus they’ve earned, but instead they’ll give them to very inexperienced junior officers that don’t have the expertise. Motes sometimes goes out of his way to target folks that he doesn’t like. If they don’t leave on their own, he finds ways to get rid of them. We have lost so many great people because of our lack of leadership and how they go after people. When we think we can go up the chain and get help from Mock it just circles back to Motes and we get retaliated against for going around the chain. Even if we haven’t. It seems like they also tell the Co Mgr. what he wants to hear to keep their noses clean whether it’s the truth or not. Motes never has his AVL on which is a violation of policy. If any of us in the field did that we would be punished immediately, but he can do it without any issue. What is he hiding and why hasn’t anything been done to fix it? We don’t have a chief. We have office politicians. They don’t support us. They don’t help us. We don’t even know if half the time Motes is even working. His office is at the EOC and yet he is never there, but his vehicle also isn’t at admin. Do we need to discuss the mold infested stations or has that already been covered enough? How long do we need to endure these conditions before enough is enough? How is this acceptable by any standards? At the end of the day, we need new leadership. Not the continued empty promises of the poisonous snakes we currently have. They’re both eligible to retire. Let them. We need leadership that cares about our wellbeing and listens to our voices and not the kind that will listen, act like they care and then stab you in the back on your way out the door. This has gone on for far too long and it needs to change.
More communication never can be enough. Who is on support team
The chiefs for this department treat it like it’s their own little club. Unless you are one of their favorites then you are treated as a number and not an employee. The personal aspects should be left out and they should concentrate on being fair. Rumor has it that Chief Hanstine is one of the chief’s relatives and it’s pretty obvious the favoritism she receives.
The targeting, favoritism, harassment and lack of respect from administration is blatant. Administration is not held responsible for their actions. Inconsistency in discipline due to favoritism (example: Capt. Everett Telestaff incident / Laura Hanstein decision with 13yo that died after stabbing) no discipline? Scratch a truck backing it up and they go for extreme punishment.
Chiefs 1, 2, and 3 need to go. This department will never change until they are gone. This department will always be the laughingstock of northeast Florida.
Plans for future fire stations, with details.
What is the vision for the future of the fire department and timeline, stations, personnel, growth, etc.
Needs to be a vote of no confidence on Chiefs 1, 2, and 3. The mismanagement of this department in preparing it for the massive growth coming along with the First Coast Expressway is not safe for us or the citizens. The fact Chief 1 hasn’t been Chief 1 for years because he would rather play county manager or politician is a spit in the face to everyone in the department. Let’s also not forget the massive mold debacle of stations 13, 15, 17, and 23 and the fact there are still AC problems in multiple stations. Time for fresh leadership and leadership with a vision for growth!!
Keep up the good work.
Have the next in line Fire Chief survey his employees or clean house...Maybe try and find a way to get input from upper ranking members that won’t speak due to retaliation...yes, we know that’s what happens and why many stay silent!!
I have worked here for 12 years, and I have never been so unhappy with the role administration in my career affecting my mental/physical health.
Admin chiefs don’t appear to communicate with each other as well to station level employees. Try to eliminate unnecessary call volume (nursing homes, clay electric/utility calls) Mandatory OT issues 24/72 schedule!!!!
At what point do administrative chiefs receive disciplinary action for not doing their job? Logistics is a complete mess as we have to beg, borrow and steal supplies from other units or hospitals but yet there is no accountability for them. If we don’t do our job, we are held to a standard and investigated and mostly recommend for termination (Boree) so at what point does something happen to them? There are plenty of emails and evidence that they fail to do their jobs and yet they cover for each other. Just pull emails sent from Lt. Gibbs about logistics and calling out Chiefs not doing their reports for days, but we get called when they aren’t done in hours. Double standards, lack of communication from top down (because everything seems to be a secret), discipline seems to change based on whether they like you or not, not held to same standards across the board whether street or administration.... This all creates frustration, lack of confidence in our administration, stress, and low morale. We need change and that starts from the top.
Thanks for all you guys do and the time you invest for the members.
I just want to address some things I’ve seen lately, and it drives me crazy, and I’ve been guilty of it too, but one day I said enough is enough I need to start helping make a change. This issue I’m bringing up was a part of my decline in mental health because several times I heard from others of how I failed to do something as expected, yet that leader never made the expectations clear, or followed up to correct issues. This is a long one, I’m sorry but I hope you all read most of it. Maybe this will change one day with others. To the Officers and Engineers, if you’re crew isn’t meeting your expectations whether normal crew or not, don’t hint around about what’s wrong or go talk trash to others about them. Instead let’s be transparent, open and honest so that person knows where they need to hustle up and fix the issue. Too many people (Officers and Engineers too) in our dept complain about someone lacking in an area but never seem to want to lend a hand to mentor and fix the issue. This is supposed to be the “best Damn job in the world”, and it always will be. But many of us make others miserable by our lack of mentoring the ones who might just need a little tune up or checking on to make sure something isn’t hindering them from giving 100%. Many of us love this career and take our jobs serious so let’s make it a better place by being open and honest, and compassionate about making sure our less senior members are on track with how things are supposed to be done on calls and back at the station.
I’ve never experienced such a lack of respect and communication from top management as I have working here. And the favoritism towards BC Hanstine is inappropriate and obvious.
Command Counseling has been awesome and beneficial to my family. I think management is doing a lot better than they used to. There seems to be little accountability for Logistics, and they don’t communicate with us at all.
Ronnie is the superstar of this union. It seems like he does EVERYTHING. Whatever it takes, we need his leadership to steer this ship. We do what it takes to keep him as VP or Pres. The rest of the board is invisible.
Leroy is the largest problem with every aspect of logistics.
We need to look into medical cannabis like other departments .... Rumors of town of op.
I appreciate the initiative and hard work the E board is putting in for our mental health!
Doctor’s notes can be asked to see if sick leave is being abused, without violating HIPAA I believe, but why do that if when it’s a family member, it’s looked over since it’s basically impossible. Why can a captain that took advantage of access to Telestaff to make more money/take engine spots for OT still be able to act as TR603. Why are step up engineers taking most of the discipline in a backing incident and the officer in charge doesn’t see any reprimand. How is it okay to let an obviously below par paramedic with obvious lack of skills or knowledge be able to still act as an officer with no remedial training. Why does chief Boree not see a problem with how he micromanages and how it kills morale. Why are people that can’t pump an engine still able to step up or promote without any extra training. Why is training basically nonexistent in fire and EMS aside from what LT. Ingram has done. Do the chiefs believe nothing is wrong and that they are doing a great job (communicating their side of things would be nice). Why do we have an engine with no 5-inch due to a weight limit that is already exceeded based on design and why did a crew on that engine get in trouble for not laying a supply line when the tender was in front of them at the fire (shouldn’t the tender be able to move for dump tank operation or shuttle?) Why was it okay for the first in rescue to see the burned victim and continue to fight fire while the victim waited for the next rescue to come. Why are chiefs holding us to a higher standard than themselves and reprimanding others on policy violations that they do not follow? Who do they answer to when they violate policy? If the admin chiefs see no improvement in their crews, why do they keep making the same choices expecting a different outcome (constant write ups instead of training). Why are the sheriff’s office boats at 15 in an air-conditioned trailer under the awning while the woods truck goes in for repairs to sit in the sun all day? Why is “good copy” not accepted for radio traffic for one individual yet no one else sees consequences (or at least threats of write ups). How is that even fair if the sheriff’s office says it every other word on the radio? When will we get solid answers from the chiefs and when will they really show they care about our opinions?
You guys do a great job, I don’t envy you, it takes time & patience that I don’t have.
We need more stations, more personnel, more trucks, and/or more pay. Would also be nice to look at the possibility of transitioning to a 24/72 work schedule. It seems as though we are getting busier by the day. And with departments like Gainesville going to 24/72’s, Jacksonville potentially switching to FRS and St. John’s paying sign on bonuses if we want to retain quality employees and stay competitive, we need something to make our department stand out.
I would like the union to look into the 24/72 schedules.
Rescue 20
I would not say “our schedule” is a stressor. But I do think going to a 24/72 shift schedule will help relieve stress and allow for better body recovery.
This seems to be an unfair workplace for some but obvious that others are favored.
Let just bypass all the BS and go straight to the problem Motes and Boree Motes doesn’t give a damn about his firefighters or their families. His recent comments and attitude towards mandatory ot for single parents is evidence enough to say that. And in the real world, evidence enough to remove him from his position based on his lack of give a damn for the people under him. Total failed leadership. Not to mention his blatant favoritism, Randy white is a prime example of that. Hell Randy comes to work bragging about the pull he has with motes, and tells everyone absolutely it, like we’re supposed to be scared of him. And as for Boree. That’s a given. How in the hell departments all around Clay are getting rid of toxic chiefs left and right through their unions and we can’t? Fix the problem 3362. You all know what the issue is. Fix it and you fix morale.
I strongly believe that there is a definitive disconnect between admin and the street level.
Chiefs have become “Bullies”, micro-managing, there is blatant favoritism and also unfair treatment, targeting, harassment and lack of communication. These issues cause a decline in morale and an increase in stress.
There is a huge disconnect between chiefs 1-2-3 As far as how things are going, what’s being done little alone disseminated down to the stations.
Captains should have more say on transfers and things that involve their station or crews.
I appreciate the ability to utilize command counseling services for my family. I feel that it has significantly helped my son. Secondly, I hope we as a union are still working towards establishing guidelines to make marijuana use acceptable. While it is not the best way to cope with stress it certainly outweighs others in terms of overall health. Thank you for your time.
The biggest source of stress at work comes from Administration. The lack of communication about most things leaves me wondering what is going on. (Except for new or updated SOPs and other things that I can get into trouble for). This leads to rampant rumors which cause confusion. When information is communicated, different information is given by each Chief and often contradicts previous information. Also, the constant transfer of personnel without any reason given causes constant stress of getting to know new crew and Officers. It also causes stress from wondering if someone did something wrong. Obvious favoritism when it comes to punishment, treatment and assignments is another cause of stress. Lastly, the constant fear of getting transferred to a Rescue or busy Rescue after making a mistake or disagreeing with Admin or angering them in some way causes additional stress. Not to mention the completely transparent lie that “Rescue is not a punishment”.
I feel like we go through phases of communication through the union. Sometimes it gets trickled down, sometimes not. Management sucks, management blatantly takes advantage of us and claims it’s operational necessity. As a union there has to be some sort of fight against this. Clay would be a great place to work if we got new management which I know is a whole job to fix but just saying. As a union I think we are strong I would just like more consistency on communication. I can’t remember the last time my steward for station 25 reached out or anyone from the e board.
Administration needs to quit living in a vacuum. Keep the rank and file updated with anticipated station builds, new hire classes, fleet replacement, anything! Get out of the office once in a while and go talk to the crews on the street. Come have a cup of coffee and actually lead from the front and show you care about us instead of acting like it. Bring the County Commissioners out so they can see and hear for themselves what our days are like. Stop micromanaging. Trust your BC’s and officers to get the job done. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!
We need an office person to be the liaison between the administration and the union. We are getting too big to take work our shifts and handle union stuff. Things are getting dropped through the cracks.
Stewards should be coming by the stations occasionally, across all shifts. Never seen mine. Proud to be a part of Local 3362 and grateful for our E-board and other members who continue to make our union and department stronger as a whole.
Having adequate pay to support myself and my family. Having sufficient resources on the job to reduce demand on myself and my crew and subsequent fatigue.
Get rid of chief 1 2 and 3 so we can actually better this department.
Keep up the strong work!
My deep disappointment and concern about the state of leadership within the Clay County Fire Rescue Department. The morale is at an all-time low, and the inconsistency in discipline and accountability, as well as the blatant favoritism, are harming our department. The actions and attitudes of Chief David Motes, Chief Jason Boree, and Chief Charley Leroy are at the heart of these problems.
Morale and Leadership Failures
Under the current leadership, the morale within our department has plummeted. The inconsistency in discipline and accountability, where rules are applied differently depending on personal relationships, has created a toxic work environment. Those who are close friends with certain leaders, like Jason Boree, are protected from consequences for serious policy violations. For example, Matt Everett manipulated the staffing system for personal gain and received only a letter of counseling because of his close relationship with Jason Boree and the investigating battalion chief related to chief Boree. Such things undermine the trust of our department and demoralize those who uphold their duties.
Favoritism and Incompetence
The favoritism shown by our leadership is not just a breach of professional ethics; it is a direct attack on the principles of fairness and justice that are supposed to guide our department. Deputy Chief Charley Leroy, despite his repeated failures, such as neglecting to order crucial equipment for new apparatus, faces no repercussions. In stark contrast, rank-and-file are severely penalized for minor infractions like calling out sick. This double standard is not only unfair but also demoralizing.
Impact on Mental Health
The mental health impact of this poor leadership cannot be overstated. We often talk about PTSD and other stress- related conditions caused by incidents beyond our control. However, much of our stress is caused by the actions within our own department: the vindictiveness, discrimination, favoritism, and exclusion perpetuated by our leaders. Chief Motes’ recent statement on a mental health podcast, claiming that a vote of no confidence was narrowly avoided only because of the introduction of command counseling, is proof of admission of the major leadership failures. In reality, a vote should have taken place long ago.
Mental Health and Poor Leadership
There’s really little focus on the mental health effects of poor leadership. We tend to talk a lot about PTSD because we can blame that on an incident beyond our control, but we don’t talk about the root of the majority of stress that causes us issues: vindictiveness, discrimination, favoritism, and exclusion. When leaders intentionally prevent you from contributing, it creates a mental torture for dedicated employees.
We want to do our jobs, contribute, and make a difference. However, the enthusiasm, professionalism, and competence of dedicated employees are seen as threats to those who are complacent, selfish, or incompetent. Because of this, good employees come under attack and are pulled back down by those who feel exposed.
Call for Accountability
Chief David Motes and Chief Jason Boree, through their actions and lies, have not only failed as leaders but have also actively harmed the careers and well-being of many individuals within this department. Their incompetence and unethical behavior are cancers to our organization. The comment made by Motes, “We are not trying to Jew you,” and the lack of punishment that followed, is proof of the deeply rooted problems.
It is time for a thorough and impartial review of the leadership within Clay County Fire Rescue. Those who have abused their positions of power must be held accountable. The department deserves leaders who are committed to fairness, transparency, and the well-being of everyone, not managers we need Leaders! Not micromanagers.
We are here to serve and protect our community. To do so to the fullest, we need leaders who inspire confidence, respect, and dedication. It is my opinion that Chief Motes and Chief Boree should seek employment elsewhere, as their continued presence only serves to undermine the values and mission of Clay County Fire Rescue.