3 Florida firefighters terminated, 2 suspended after report details rookie hazing

Assignment Editor

Three St. Lucie County, Florida, firefighters were terminated, and two others suspended after an independent investigation determined the senior firefighters used a modified bug zapper to administer electric shocks to newer employees in what investigators described as hazing.

Terminated were Jordon Hutchinson, Christopher Baldwin and Douglas Boudrias, as Roberto “Rocky” Tapia and Kayla Gammie received 48-hour unpaid suspensions, according to findings released Saturday by the St. Lucie County Fire District.

Hutchinson, Baldwin and Boudrias were acting supervisors at various points when they subjected junior district employees to the device. They are also accused of bullying and harassment.

“The St. Lucie County Fire District Official Statement” totaled 17 pages, including details of the report.

The firefighters involved were members of Station 1A, 2400 Rhode Island Ave. in Fort Pierce. The District operates 20 fire stations strategically located throughout St. Lucie County

The district headquarters are in Port St. Lucie.

“Following recent public inquiries and one-sided local media reporting, the St. Lucie County Fire District is releasing the definitive record of facts surrounding recent personnel reassignments, workplace misconduct investigations, and subsequent disciplinary determinations,” the agency said. “The purpose of this disclosure is to ensure public clarity, protect employee safety, and uphold the integrity of District operations.”

In March, Fire District Administration first received multiple video recordings depicting severe workplace misconduct inside a station. The video and photographic evidence revealed that senior personnel “had engineered a custom-modified electrical shocking device, constructed from a dismantled bug zapper, to intentionally administer painful electrical shocks to subordinate personnel on duty.”

These filmed events physically took place during shifts in March and September of 2024.

In 2025, multiple personnel, including three of the disciplined senior employees, were named in a large-scale workplace harassment and bullying complaint.

Because that initial investigation could not legally substantiate the specific allegations due to a lack of on-the-record testimony, no disciplinary action was rendered against any employee, the agency said.

Instead, the district utilized its management rights to implement non-disciplinary, operational reassignments, separating the station’s crews purely to ensure a positive workplace environment.

After operational crew transfers, “the individuals involved leveled extensive administrative criticism and accusations of wrongdoing against Fire Chief Jeff Lee and District Attorney Kim Sabol,” the agency wrote.

Those complaints were closed internally and outsourced to an outside firm for independent review.

After the recordings were revealed in March, Fire District Administration “recognized the extreme safety breaches in the footage. Acutely aware of the ongoing administrative attacks from the specific individuals captured on camera, Fire Chief Jeff Lee took immediate steps to insulate the process from any perception of internal bias or administrative retaliation.”

The Fire District outsourced the video review and subsequent investigation to an independent outside counsel, Attorney J.K. Keller of Allen, Norton & Blue, P.A.

Keller recommended that the Fire District report the matter to law enforcement and the Florida Department of Health. Also recommended was a formal administrative investigation.

After the comprehensive investigation, the independent investigator “concluded by a preponderance of the evidence that employees operating either on probation or in an apprentice capacity were subjected to hazing by senior personnel and supervisors. Based strictly upon the independent investigator’s sustained findings and disciplinary recommendations, the District took action to terminate three employees and suspend two others.”

The accompanying public release of the July 2025 Susan Gainey Workplace Culture Analysis and the 2026 J.K. Keller Investigative Summary “establishes a clear, retrospective record,” the report said.

“While the physical actions detailed in the Keller report occurred secretly during 2024, Attorney Gainey’s independent assessment in 2025 accurately diagnosed the underlying environmental vulnerabilities at the facility,” the report read. “Notably, Ms. Gainey described ‘an environment characterized by intense peer pressure [and] social exclusion…’ as well as ‘light hazing… that blurs the line between camaraderie and misconduct…’ ”

The district’s recent actions mark the first and only disciplinary measures ever rendered regarding these specific offenses, the agency says.

“The Fire District’s paramount mission is public safety and the protection of its personnel,” the news release says. “The extreme liability, safety breaches, and disregard for zero-tolerance department regulations introduced by these actions cannot and will not be tolerated. As the disciplined individuals have since exercised their rights to initiate the formal contractual grievance and arbitration process, the District will confidently present these documented facts within that legal forum and will have no further public comment at this time.”

Described behaviors

“Throughout the investigation, Station 1A was repeatedly described as an intense, high-pressure environment with crew members who like to bid together and stay together,” the report said. “While these traits can be strengths in a high-performing fire service unit, they have also reportedly contributed to perceptions of exclusion, emotional distress, and discomfort — particularly among newer or less socially integrated personnel.”

The report detailed the following:

• Overly aggressive banter, mockery, sarcasm, and personal questioning unrelated to job performance, including 1A firefighters asking recruits in front of a group about drug usage.

• Mocking or public correction of apprentices, which some described as humiliating or going “overboard.”

• “Light hazing,” “playing jokes” or “horseplay” that blurs the line between camaraderie and misconduct. One employee noted that such behavior would not be accepted at other stations.

• A sentiment among multiple firefighters that certain individuals were “not welcome” unless conforming to unspoken social norms.

• An environment that is “cliquish” such that new employees or employees on short-term assignments do not feel part of the team and may feel isolated.

• More than one employee stated that 1A is composed of “cowboys” who “do their own thing.” One employee stated that he was told by someone from 1A that they “did things their way, not the department way,” suggesting that they do not follow District policies and procedures.

• Multiple employees stated that the workplace culture at 1A was not inclusive.

• Firefighters had requested transfers or expressed discomfort due to the 1A environment.

• One firefighter stated that the environment at 1A “made it tough to come to work.”

• Loyalty among existing crew members can result in the informal exclusion of newcomers.

• One firefighter reported there appeared to be favoritism or bias in advancement at 1A.

“At least one firefighter described being miserable and considering leaving the district due to the culture at 1A, and others reported actively avoiding bidding into that station,” the report reads. “Such patterns, even in the absence of formal policy violations, are indicative of an environment that may not align with the district’s values of professionalism, respect, and mutual support. The reputation of 1A may have harmed the Fire District’s reputation in the community, as potential candidates reportedly failed to apply to the Fire District because of the reputation of 1A.”