Duane Marsteller, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.
MANATEE, Fla. — Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport officials are reassessing their once-controversial decision to privatize airport rescue and fire-fighting services.
The Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority will discuss Monday who should operate the airport’s fire-rescue department in the future: a private company, a municipal fire-rescue agency or the airport itself.
The discussion comes more than two years after the airport exited the fire-rescue business, let go its 17 firefighters and hired Rural/Metro Corp., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., to operate the department for roughly $1 million a year. The move saved SRQ more than $200,000 annually but drew strong opposition from a union that represented airport firefighters.
Airport officials said Friday they’re pleased with Rural/Metro’s performance, saying its SRQ unit consistently has met all federal safety requirements. But the company’s inadequate response to airport requests for financial information prompted Monday’s review, said Frederick Piccolo, SRQ’s president and chief executive.
“We’re looking for a lot of the payroll information because we want to audit their expenses to make sure everything is being done properly,” he said. “We do that with all of our concessionaires every year. They know we have a right to that information because it’s in the contract, but it’s been very difficult to get that information.”
SRQ officials have sought the financial data for at least six months, Piccolo said. A Rural/Metro spokeswoman did not return phone messages Friday.
Frustrated by the company’s unresponsiveness, authority members told Piccolo to give them options to consider before Rural/Metro’s three-year contract expires on Sept. 30.
SRQ basically has three, each with advantages and drawbacks, Piccolo said.
Keeping a private company is the least expensive option, according to Piccolo’s planned presentation to the board. But it comes with greater insurance/liability concerns, higher training costs and more-frequent employee turnover.
Contracting with an existing municipal fire district provides more continuity, training and access to services, but also is the most expensive, the presentation said.
Operating its own department would result in direct airport control and governmental immunity, but services and resources would be more limited, according to the presentation. The projected cost would be slightly more than the private option.
Piccolo said he isn’t advocating one option over the other, leaving the decision up to authority members.
“I’m seeking direction from the board as to what their preferences are, which way they want us to go,” he said.
Six of the airport’s 17 unionized firefighters ultimately took jobs with Rural/Metro, Piccolo said. Mike Stephenson, president of Suncoast Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Local 2546, said the rest took jobs with other departments or left the profession.
Besides the loss of experience, the union also had warned the airport two years ago that a private company might not willingly divulge financial information, Stephenson said.
“Obviously, some of the things we said could happen, did happen,” he said.
“Certainly, I hope they make the right decision this time. ... I don’t think we’ve got a preference (among the options), but almost always, fire and police services are best provided by government.”
Copyright 2009 The Bradenton Herald