Polk officials in hot seat after bombshell report opens door for further investigation

By Carl Fish

The recent investigation of the Polk County Fire Department has raised questions and concerns about the overall management of the Polk County Fire and EMS Department. Leaders directly reporting to the fire department are the District Chief, Assistant District Chief, Equal Opportunity HR Manager, Equal Opportunity Program Director, and the PCFR Chief. Each of these individuals has a direct connection to the district leadership and direct interaction with the PCFR.

The current County Manager is Bill Beasley. According to the county website, “Polk County Manager Bill Beasley began his career with the county in 2006 as the assistant county manager of the county’s infrastructure group, which includes the departments of facilities management, fleet management, parks and natural resources, real estate services, streets and drainage, utilities, and waste and recycling.”

As head of the Administrative Division of the county government, which was created by the Polk County Charter, Beasley is responsible for the proper administration of all county affairs. In his role, Beasley also carries out the policies of the Board of County Commissioners, manages the county budget and human resources, engages in public relations, promotes economic development, participates in land use planning (environmental land, development, etc.), and ensures regulatory compliance.”

The importance of the County Manager is that he is the boss of everything. The numerous allegations against PCFR Chief Hezedean Smith all occurred under his watch, so if they are proven to be true or accurate, then he is ultimately responsible. What did Beasley know and when did he know it? L In addition, other investigations are ongoing in departments that work with the PCFR. These investigations are troubling because they show that there may be other problems in county government outside of the PCFR. We are currently investigating the details of these investigations and will share them as information becomes available.

Editor’s note: At the time of publication of this article, there was no official statement on the findings of the district officials’ investigation. An article by Lakeland Ledger confirmed that no comments have been made yet.

The next person directly connected is Joe Halman, Deputy District Director of Public Safety. As you will recall, the PCFR investigation stemmed from the firing of Battalion Chief Charlie True, who had been deployed to a hurricane disaster area. Halman had directed that he only work 12-hour shifts. This led to a series of situations that resulted in the firing and subsequent rehiring (with demotion) of former Battalion Chief True. The PCFR’s most recent investigation found significant bias in the administration of disciplinary action against True compared to other PCFR employees. DCM Halman was the direct cause of these issues. In addition, DCM Halman has faced allegations of favoritism when it came to disciplining Fire Chief James Williams in connection with the death of a Lakeland woman in 2018 (Tampa Bay 10 Report). DCM Halman was proud to say he suspended Captain Williams for 24 hours after he disobeyed the county’s “two in, two out” rule and shared a Snapchat video of the fire on social media while the Lakeland woman died inside. Also disturbing, DCM Halman has denied allegations that PCFR staff swapped white personnel on PCFR vehicles for black personnel during MLK parades in Polk County. “Halman denies that the county swapped white personnel on equipment for African American personnel, stating that anyone is welcome to participate in the parades. However, he also advises putting PDRTP graduates in the parade to highlight the program,” the recent PCFR investigation found. The DailyRidge has obtained emails that clearly show white personnel were temporarily assigned to other units during MLK parades in the county. Either DCM Halman was unaware of what was happening under his command, he let slip to investigators, or he outright lied to investigators about his assessment of the situation. Recently, a former PCFR Captain accused DCM Halman of belittling him during their interactions at a meeting to terminate the Captain. DCM Halman was the direct supervisor of the controversial Chief Hezedean Smith and was instrumental in the hiring of Chief Smith.

The department of Kandis Buford, manager of equal opportunity and human resources, is being evaluated separately by Matrix Consulting Group. That evaluation came from a Polk County Efficiency Commission compliance report required every eight years. “The county will retain a qualified consultant to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of the EHR department, including organizational structure, staffing, and related service efficiency. This work will begin no later than July 2024,” the report states. Former employees and a whistleblower are coming forward with complaints regarding the EHR department. Buford is also the direct supervisor of the Equal Opportunity Department, which investigates all allegations and complaints. The recent PCFR investigation uncovered many, many complaints about Chief H. Smith that apparently were not thoroughly investigated.

The Equal Opportunity Department and its program director are under scrutiny for their investigations into the allegations. Program director Richard Bradford oversaw the questionable investigation into Chief Smith. In light of the allegations in the PCFR investigative report, an investigation into the department seems appropriate.

PCFR CEO Hezedean Smith has been the subject of several articles about his alleged conduct as boss and maintaining a “toxic” work environment. These allegations could lead to his firing or resignation as early as Friday. (Report details allegations of a ‘toxic’ workplace at Polk County Fire Department)

Update: On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the Polk County administration announced that PCFR Chief H. Smith has resigned

So far, no statement has been made by the district administration or the government. No comments have been made on the allegations either. We will report on these statements as soon as they are published.