Ex-St. Petersburg, FL, Fire Chief Must Give Notice Before Fire Station Visits

Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large retired from firefighting amid a pall of allegations that he created a hostile and discriminatory work environment for women and minorities.

Large left in March 2024 after Mayor Ken Welch said a review found no evidence to back the claims. But in the months since, Large remained a fixture at city fire stations and fire department ceremonies.

Weeks ago, the city directed Large to provide advance notice of visits to fire stations, saying they have been become excessive and disruptive. The former chief said he has not returned since.

Deputy Chief Brett Ciskoski sent a certified letter to Large’s home the day after Christmas laying out visitation guidelines. Ciskoski wrote that Large’s visits had continued after a verbal appeal to limit them.

“The volume and duration of these visits have created an operational interference, disrupted training, created unnecessary confusion for our on duty personnel, and have compromised the focused environment our personnel require,” Ciskoski wrote.

Ciskoski wrote that Large must give 48 hours notice prior to arriving at any station and to keep all future interactions with crews “positive and constructive in nature.”

“During your visit, refrain from direct involvement in ongoing operational drills, active incident discussions, or detailed personnel matters,” Ciskoski wrote. “This allows our crews and officers to maintain their focus on current tasks and follow the established chain of command without interruption.”

Large told the Tampa Bay Times that he would check in with the officers at the stations he visited, the master station downtown and Station 6 in Central Oak Park.

He said he would make sure he wasn’t interfering with the work day. And he said he would often go around lunchtime. None of the officers at those stations complained, he said.

“It’s the pettiness of the current fire chief and the current mayor,” he said. “There’s the same group of people that tried to attack me before, that if they see me, they complain when I’m around.”

Anonymous comments from a city employee survey done in 2023 accused Large of fostering a workplace hostile to women and minorities. Seven firefighters echoed those complaints in interviews with the Times.

Welch placed Large on administrative leave but reinstated him about two weeks later after what Welch described as “a careful review of the facts” produced no direct evidence of misbehavior.

That Christmas, Large’s adult daughter publicly posted a photo to social media of her father grinning and holding a coffee mug that read: “Go ahead, call HR.” About three weeks later, the city announced that Large’s 50-year tenure with the department would come to an end in March.

Welch said he wasn’t happy about the photo of the coffee mug. Large was eligible for a base severance package of $52,000, which by city policy can only be paid out if employees retire or resign at the mayor’s request or their job changes or is eliminated. Employees terminated for misconduct are ineligible for severance pay.

Large also received a payout of $21,670 in unused sick leave. He has been receiving a monthly pension of $7,542 since 2004.

Large said Welch’s chief of staff, Doyle Walsh, rescinded an invite to him for a May 2024 employee recognition ceremony where he was scheduled to get his award for 50 years of service. He said Walsh told him he was already recognized at the mayor’s State of the City address, but Large did not know he was going to be honored there and his family was not present with him.

“Ever since I left, it’s been discrimination from this administration,” Large said. “It’s just been one thing after another.”

Large has attended promotional ceremonies for the fire department, a memorial dedication and City Council committee meetings when a management evaluation done on the fire department was discussed. He said the study that found widespread fears of discrimination in the department was “poorly done” and omitted important fiscal points.

Large told the Times that he is thinking about running for mayor. He said what Large called Welch’s lack of attendance at City Hall bothered him.

“Ken Welch is a failure. Charlie Crist is not the answer,” he said, referring to the former governor who also has said he is considering whether to enter the race.

“The city needs an option,” Large said. “They need someone who will make tough decisions. I’m considering all the options that might be out there.”

Welch officially began his reelection bid Monday. He was flanked by representatives of the fire department’s union, which endorsed him.

“Mayor Welch is focused on results, not rhetoric,” said Adrienne Bogen, chairperson of the political committee supporting Welch. “Under his leadership, St. Petersburg has strengthened public safety, invested in infrastructure and affordable housing, and kept the city financially strong.”

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