JUPITER, Fla. — The Town of Jupiter is raising ethical concerns after a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue firefighter is accused of handing a resident a political flyer during an emergency call. The flyer warned that fire service would decline once Jupiter launches its own department later this year.
WATCH BELOW: Jupiter questions PBC firefighter who handed resident political flyer
Town Manager Frank Kitzerow sent a letter to the Palm Beach County Administrator detailing the March 2 incident at the Pinecrest Condominiums in the Indian Creek area, in which a resident approached a firefighter to thank them for their work during an emergency call in Jupiter.
According to Kitzerow, the firefighter told the resident that the level of service would be "short-lived" once the town transitions to Jupiter Fire Rescue — and that residents would be put at risk.
"A resident in our town…approached one of the firefighters on the call and wanted to thank them for the work that they did. And the member of the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Service that the residents spoke with proceeded to inform the resident that the level of service is short-lived, will be short-lived as the once it switches over to Jupiter Fire Rescue Department, that our residents would be put at risk," Kitzerow said during a March 3 council meeting.
In a letter sent to the Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo, Kitzerow said the firefighter may have been carrying a stack of the flyers labeled as a paid political advertisement while on the job.
"To be clear, my understanding is that the distribution of this political material occurred while the firefighter was on duty and engaged in an official emergency response," Kitzerow said during the meeting.
Jupiter has been planning its transition away from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for years, with the new Jupiter Fire Rescue department set to launch Oct. 1. Tensions between the town and the county's fire union have already been high ahead of the switch.
Town Councilor Malise Sundstrom said the incident was deeply troubling.
"I hope I never have to hear anything like this ever again. I think that it hurt and scared a resident," Sundstrom said during the March 3 meeting.
Kitzerow is asking residents to come forward if they experienced a similar interaction.
The Town of Jupiter projects the transition to its own fire department will save residents at least $5 million — and as much as $10 million — in the first year.
Read below the full letter the Town of Jupiter sent to the Palm Beach County Administrator:
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