By Shira Moolten, Angie DiMichele
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A violent crash between a Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck and a Brightline train prompted an investigation into the status of firefighters’ driver’s licenses and has led to growing tension among city officials about transparency.
Fire Chief Ronald Martin has been criticized by his own employees following his decision to release the names of four people currently on paid administrative leave due to the Dec. 28 crash, which the fire department union blasted as the “optics and appearances” of transparency. But multiple elected officials made it clear at Tuesday night’s commission meeting that they are facing mounting pressure from the public for more answers.
The employees on leave are two senior staff members Assistant Chief Kevin Green and Division Chief Todd Lynch , as well as Captain Brian Fiorey , hired in 2005, and Driver Engineer David Wyatt, hired in 2002.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday evening obtained through a public records request the letters they received on Jan. 3 , notifying them of being placed on leave. The letters from Martin to Green and Lynch said they were on leave pending an investigation of “information that was recently brought to (Martin’s) attention,” and that the investigation will focus on “the review of the driving record of City employee, David Wyatt , received on May 10 , 2024.”
One day earlier, Martin issued a general order sent to all fire rescue personnel on Jan. 2 titled “Driver’s License Requirements,” directing that “any organizational member whose Driver’s License is suspended, invalidated, or expired shall notify the Deputy Fire Chief through their chain of command within 24 hours of such occurrence.”
Vice Mayor Juli Casale pressured City Manager Terrence Moore to answer questions about how many fire department employees might have had issues with the status of their drivers’ licenses at some point during their employment. She said she knew there to be “quite a few” employees within the department “driving without a valid driver’s license” at some point in the past.
” … I am not at all happy with the fact that the city is withholding information from the commission. Our job is to oversee your job. How can we possibly do that comfortably for the residents if you are keeping us in the dark? And if you have firefighters in your department that are driving our fire apparatuses without a valid driver’s license, residents deserve to know and we certainly deserve to know. How many? Five? Seven? Ten? When? I’d like that answer,” she asked the city manager.
Casale also asked whether the firefighters in the crash were responding to an emergency call, which no one answered. Martin in his public statements has not addressed that question, and spokespersons for the city and fire department have not responded to multiple inquiries from the Sun Sentinel since the crash about whether the crew was responding to a call.
The department’s emergency response and driving policy says emergency lights should only be used while driving to respond to an emergency “or there is a need to warn the public.” Video of the crash shared online by Brightline showed the truck’s lights flashing.
Casale’s frustration was evident, saying at one point that Moore had ignored multiple emails from her about the drivers’ licenses issue, forcing her to ask at the public meeting.
City Attorney Lynn Gelin responded there were 10 people within the department without valid licenses, but it was not clarified in the brief discussion whether the 10 people are firefighters or other personnel, whether they had suspended licenses in the past or currently or what the circumstances surrounding any of those status changes may have been.
Commissioner Rob Long said that all personnel on the fire rescue truck at the time of the crash have active licenses.
Moore added that the suspensions are “going back a couple years for a variety of reasons.” Before the heated exchange began, Moore told commissioners that an “external agent” will be working on the “policy side of the investigation” to avoid any potential bias. He did not provide further explanation of what investigation he was referencing or who the outside person investigating is.
Martin also requested that everyone on staff perform a driver’s license check and report the results to the fire department’s administrative staff, according to an email Martin sent city officials, which was obtained and published by the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. The city has not yet responded to the Sun Sentinel’s public record request for the results of that check. The city denied the Sun Sentinel’s requests for 911 calls, officers’ body-worn camera video and footage of the crash from city-owned cameras, citing an active investigation.
Since Martin released the names of the employees on leave, some people are calling for Martin himself to be placed on leave.
Mayor Tom Carney was supportive of the chief during the meeting, acknowledging that he took over the department in October 2024 and that the surfacing issues “all reflect how this department has been operated in the past, which we are now thankfully going to, hopefully, address and correct …”
The fire department union, IAFF Local 1842, put out multiple statements on social media condemning the release of the names and suggesting it was a violation of department policy.
“Accountability and transparency are essential to public trust, but Chief Martin’s actions show a clear prioritization of optics and appearances over the rights and protections of his own personnel,” a Jan. 3 statement read.
In a second post on Sunday, the union shared a picture of the employee discipline section from the city’s policy manual, highlighting sentences pertaining to public disclosure.
“By sharing names and details of the pending investigation of alleged wrongdoing, the City’s actions directly contradict the stated Policy,” the union said.
The statements, widely shared, received support from current and former firefighters throughout South Florida.
Martin declined to speak with a reporter before Tuesday’s commission meeting, but city spokesperson Gina Carter shared a prepared statement from Martin with the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday evening, responding to the union’s criticism.
“I fully appreciate the role of IAFF Local 1842 in advocating for its members. As Fire Chief, my priority remains ensuring the safety of our firefighters and the community while upholding the integrity of the Fire Rescue Department,” Martin wrote. “I want to assure all members of Delray Beach Fire Rescue and the public that this process will be conducted with fairness, professionalism, and respect that each employee deserves. My commitment to due process remains steadfast. My focus is on strengthening this department, supporting our firefighters, and ensuring that we continue to provide the highest level of service to the residents of Delray Beach.”
City Manager Moore defended the decision in a statement Carter shared with the Sun Sentinel.
“The City’s decision to publicly confirm the administrative leave of specific personnel was made in alignment with our commitment to transparency and public accountability,” he wrote in the statement. “This was not an abandonment of due process but rather a necessary step to maintain public trust in our department while an administrative investigation is conducted.”
Green, Lynch, Fiorey and Wyatt are all on leave “pending the results of an internal administrative investigation to determine if City and Fire Rescue policies and procedures were followed,” Martin said in a statement Friday. Martin said that the staff being placed on leave is a “procedural step” in accordance with the city’s policy. City spokesperson Carter also noted in the email that the names, titles and statuses of employees are not confidential under Florida’s broad public records law.
The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Railroad Administration and Delray Beach Police are all investigating the crash, in addition to the fire department’s own internal investigation.
The three firefighters who were hospitalized had “moderate to minor injuries” after the crash and have since been released, the fire department said in a comment Friday on Facebook. Twelve Brightline passengers were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Carter said in the email that the city bought the ladder truck that was destroyed in 2009 for over $921,000. It will cost between $1.3 and $2.3 million to replace, but there will not be any significant impacts as a result of the loss, as the city “maintains a reserve fleet,” she said.
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