Overview
- The St. Lucie County Fire District Board voted 4-3 to terminate Chief Jeff Lee without cause and named Deputy Chief Paul Langel as interim chief.
- A third-party investigator concluded videos from Station 1A depicted hazing, including footage that appears to show firefighters using a modified bug zapper on probationary crew members.
- Following the probe, the district disciplined staff and fired veteran firefighters Doug Boudrias, Jordan Hutchinson and Chris Baldwin.
- A union confidence vote reported by local media showed broad no-confidence in leadership, with more than 74% against Lee, about 92% against Assistant Chief Brian Gonzalez, and roughly 97% against District Attorney Kim Sabol.
- Because Lee was terminated without cause his contract entitles him to compensation and the board’s move adds potential contract and personnel reviews as the interim chief works to stabilize department culture and operations.