Hernando Today
Firefighters Accuse Giammarco Of Putting Lives In Danger
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Published: May 16, 2008
SPRING HILL - It is a fact that a woman nearly crashed into a Bayflite helicopter at the scene of a motorcycle accident last month.
Had she driven into the helicopter with its propeller blades still spinning, it could have led to unimaginable carnage. A firefighter said there were nearly 100 bystanders.
What isn't known, except for those who saw it, is whether a fire commissioner was directly responsible. Witnesses are telling two stories.
Spring Hill Fire Rescue responded April 30 to the intersection of Meredith Drive and Spring Hill Drive. The patient required trauma care, so a Bayflite helicopter was dispatched to the scene.
Soon after the helicopter landed along the roadway, a woman approached the scene in her vehicle and "traveled through the landing, narrowly missing the helicopter," wrote firefighter Michael E. Sellito in an e-mail to his supervisor. He claims fire commissioner Rob Giammarco distracted him and caused him to leave his post. That is what led to the breach in the landing zone, he stated.
"The chopper was already on the ground, and they were putting the patient in the chopper when I got there," said Giammarco, who vehemently contended he never saw a woman drive through the landing zone.
It happened before he arrived, he said.
Giammarco told his side of the story to his fellow board members Wednesday night during a workshop.
"I'm very, very disappointed in the way these people have acted," Giammarco said.
Three firefighters at the scene - Sellitto, Mike Stucchio and Capt. John M. Irons - all wrote letters to Chief Mike Rampino accusing the fire commissioner of not following directions and being disruptive while responders worked.
"Commissioner Giammarco initiated an incident of distraction to the firefighters as well as detoured traffic," wrote Irons, the ranking officer at the scene. "This caused an incident that luckily did not cause any injuries. However, if this car would have hit the helicopter, the ensuing events would have surely (caused) injury, if not death."
In Sellito's letter, he stated Giammarco parked behind a vehicle he was trying to move out of the landing zone area. He said that was what caused him to leave his post. He had to run toward the fire commissioner's car and tell him to move a second time.
"I am very frustrated at the actions that caused this event and believe (Giammarco) should publicly apologize to the people he put in danger," wrote Stucchio. "I would also like to ask him what his statement would have been if the car did hit the aircraft and people did die."
The pilot who operated the Bayflite helicopter also was asked to provide Rampino with a written statement describing the events. A Bayflite manager did not return a message seeking comment Thursday.
Rampino did not know the medical status of the motorcycle victim.
A sergeant and deputy with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office were at the scene and both said they never saw Giammarco anywhere near the landing zone.
"They didn't see this commissioner," Sheriff Richard Nugent told Hernando Today on Thursday. "To the best of our knowledge, he didn't have anything to do with it."
Giammarco said he responds to accident and fire scenes wearing a red baseball cap and orange and yellow vest with the words "fire commissioner" printed across both.
Former fire commissioner Bob Kanner said a "similar scam" was done to him while he was on the board. He alleged his accuser was one of the firefighters who reported Giammarco. He would not specify which one.
He reported it to then Chief Michael Morgan, who said he would look into the matter, but "it went nowhere," he said.
"There are two types of firefighters at Spring Hill," Kanner continued. "There are those proud of doing a good job and want their supervisors knowing they do a good job, and there are those who don't want their supervisors looking over their shoulders."
Giammarco also thinks the accusations have something to do with how he has voted while on the board. He publicly said in March he was opposed to the district becoming independent from the county. District employees are overwhelmingly in favor of independence.
Kanner agrees with Giammarco and thinks he was singled out for the same reason. He, too, opposed independence for Spring Hill Fire Rescue while on the fire board.
Giammarco told fire commissioners Wednesday that Sellito was "rude, crude and indignant" and "very disrespectful to a senior person."
"The information sent in those e-mails is not true or correct," he said.
Chief Mike Rampino said he would review the e-mails and meet with Giammarco. He would then present his findings to the fire board.
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( ChallengerDad ) on May 16, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
My guess is, once this gets read, witnesses will be crawling out of the woodwork. We were there that night but after the copters left. One way or the other, I'm sure there are plenty of people who saw what happened.
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Posted by ( phmedic60 ) on May 18, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Another incident that proves that a commissoners business is in the board room and not on the streets. Giammarco you are embarrassing to the district and its citizens it serves. Mr. Kanner its not so good to see you. I have no idea why you should have an opinion in this matter, it doesn't envolve you.
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Posted by ( STOPTHEBS ) on May 18, 2008 at 6:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
PHMEDIC60 IT IS YOU AND YOUR KIND THAT IS THE EMBARRASMENT TO THE DEPT AND RESIDENTS OF SPRING HILL THIS IS A STRONG NO VOTE IS SEEMS THAT NOW THAT SOMEONE HAS GUTS TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW DEPT IS RAN NOW THE COCKROACHES ARE RUNNING SCARED BECAUSE SOMEONE IS ASKING QUESTIONS LEAVING NO STONE UN TURNED THAT SCARES SOME PEOPLE IN THE DEPT. STOP THE BS!!!!!
VOTE NO
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Posted by ( TruthLiberates ) on May 18, 2008 at 11:05 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
BS Im not sure who you are but you clearly speak either without knowledge, or with malice. Spring Hill Fire and Rescue didnt get to be ISO 3 because they are unprofessional. I am one of those citizens you say they embarrase, but you are wrong. I have been at fire meetings and watched others, and it is quite clear Commissioner Giammarco was placed on that board by the county at a time that it was convenient for them to have disruptions in hopes of stopping independnece. I would venture to guess that right now, most if not all of the County Commissioners, if given a second chance would never have appointed him. He is an embarrassment to the entire Spring Hill Community. He comes to board meetings like a prosecutor trying to criminalize every part of our department. He was glad when Chief Morrions was dismissed. He accused one of the most gentlemen like firemen we have of being a threat to him. And on more than one occassion and even one occassion since the mentioned night he has been on scene and been an obstruction. He has a Napolean complex, and just the fact that Bob Kanner is his constant protecting voice makes me know the true purpose behind his mission. Mr Kanner wasnt elected because he made bad choices, and when he tried to blame the men I told him that to his face. All you do when you throw out insinuation, and grossly exaggerated statments is further hurt a very good Fire Department. While I am not a Fireman, I know many of them personally and I would stand by anyone of them from Chief Rampino to the lowest ranked member. Independence is a critical issue for the well being of Spring Hill residents and I resent that you play footloose with the truth in you personal efforts to harm the Fire Dept. Mr. Giammarco is a man who couldnt qualify for the fire police and has been on a mission ever since. Nothing more, nothing less.
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