Another Clearwater Fire and Rescue lieutenant was the subject of a misconduct investigation after city human resources determined that his girlfriend frequently visited the fire station after hours and was in his dorm room with the door shut.

  • Another Clearwater Fire lieutenant could face discipline
  • Allegations say his girlfriend visited station often after hours
  • Discipline decision expected in June

Bay News 9 is not identifying the lieutenant because he has not been formally disciplined. The lieutenants are in charge of the eight fire stations across the city. The CFR employee is the fourth lieutenant to be investigated for misconduct since 2012. This latest investigation was triggered during the Lt. William “Spike” Fry and Fire Medic Tiffany Seabolt misconduct inquiry that resulted in both firefighters being suspended in February for having sex while on duty.

The City of Clearwater human resources said they initiated its investigation after interviewing EMS coordinator Anthony Tedesco about Fry and Seabolt. When asked whether he had heard any other rumors involving possible firefighter misconduct, Tedesco said that Fire Union President Sean Becker told him a lieutenant was moved in October because his girlfriend was often visiting Fire Station 50.

“What I was led to believe was that there was something going on at (station) 50 that was inappropriate, that caused him to be moved to (station) 51, where there's anothers supervisor there," Tedesco said.

The lieutenant admitted to HR that his girlfriend visited a lot but said it was during the approved policy hours and she stayed in the common areas.

“Where did she visit you while she was at the station?” asked the investigator.

“The kitchen," the lieutenant responded. "Dinner table."

“It’s been reported that you permitted your girlfriend to be in your dorm room with the door closed," the investigator said. "Is that accurate?” 

“No," he said.

The lieutenant's answers contradicted what other employees at Station 50 told investigators who asked, "Did lieutenant (redacted) ever allow his girlfriend inside his dorm room?”

“Yeah, I believe so," driver operator Craig Krueger said. “I’ve seen her go into his dorm room. I have no idea for how long.”

Fire Medic Chris Van Opdorp told investigators he had also seen the girlfriend in the lieutenant's dorm room, with the door closed, a couple of hours after visiting hours ended at 8 p.m.

The investigator asked, “Was it appropriate for him to have her in his dorm room?”

“Probably not," Van Opdorp replied.

The lieutenant told HR he could not remember whether his girlfriend stayed past visiting hours.

“It’s been reported that your girlfriend was still at the station after 8 p.m. Is that accurate?”

“Not that I recall," the lieutenant replied.

That's an answer HR investigators are pushing back on under the direction of City Manager Bill Horne.

“Too many times through our investigations of the fire department we hear, ‘I don’t recall,' ‘I don’t remember’ and ‘I don’t know,'" the investigator said. “It’s all too familiar a response."

"The City Manager’s charge is for everyone, not only the fire personnel, but everyone at the city, to be forthcoming and truthful with their answers," she said.

Fire Chief Robert Weiss told investigators "that lieutenant (redacted) girlfriend was never an issue, and it was a performance-based issue." Weiss said he heard the lieutenant was being reclusive and not training with his crew.

Krueger said the lieutenant would spend a majority of his day in his dorm room.

“He was spending 15 hours," he said. "Maybe more."

Fire Union President Becker told investigators he thought the lieutenant was moved because the fire administration wanted to prevent another scandal.

"I felt that the city, that the administration thought they dropped the ball with Spike and Tiffany, because I know they were well aware of those rumors for a long time," he said. "I felt that they wanted to get ahead of this game with (the lieutenant).”

Becker also talked about the relationship between the firefighters and the administration.

“The members are starving for leadership right now, and we haven’t had it because there’s a huge disconnect between our bosses and the rank and file," he said. "Since the Spike and Tiffany thing, I think everybody’s been really on their best behavior. This happened prior to that."

Weiss said he plans to retire Nov. 11, and his Division Chief of Operations Richard Riley will be removed from his position at that time.

"They’re allowing the Fire Chief to wait... along with Operations Chief Riley so that they can be vested in the supplemental (pension),” Becker said.

We obtained an email City Manager Horne sent Chief Weiss in February after the Fry and Seabolt scandal broke.

"We will need to make sure that we are promptly addressing CFR employee issues so that we don't portray a CFR Department that is unraveling before our very eyes both among the rank and file and administration levels," Horne said. "Weak links in the chain can no longer stay with us. We are now in the cross hairs of the media. Let's show them that we know what we are doing."

Chief Weiss is expected to make a decision on the lieutenant's discipline when he returns from military leave in June. Meanwhile, the report states the Fire Chief is monitoring the assistant fire chief's swipe card activity to ensure they're making surprise visits at the fire stations. The department is also creating a sexual misconduct policy and in the process of purchasing surveillance cameras.