Panama City (FL) Fire Chief Alex Baird Resigns

Panama City (FL) Fire Chief Alex Baird resigns rather than face disciplinary action for a continuing education scheme. The Florida fire chief has resigned following an internal investigation into allegations he wrongly renewed EMT certifications for more than a dozen firefighters who did not meet the requirements for renewal.

The Panama City Manager Mark McQueen accepted the resignation of Fire Chief Alex Baird, effective immediately, on Tuesday following the results of the investigation, which were delivered to McQueen last Wednesday per local news.

The investigator from the Allen, Norton & Blue Professional Association wrote that Baird had submitted “a bulk renewal recertification” for 20 firefighter-EMTs at the Panama City department in September 2018, but that only seven of the firefighter-EMTs met the requirements for recertification as of December 1, 2018. The investigator also wrote that, as of March 31, 2019, five firefighter-EMTs had still not completed the required 30 continuing education hours for recertification and continued to work with invalid certificates. One of those firefighter-EMTs, a lieutenant at the department, told Baird he had not completed his hours and did not intend to continue his certification, but Baird failed to decertify him, according to the investigator. The hours in question were normal EMS continuing education hours required to recertify.

Assistant Chief Kent Taylor will serve as acting fire chief following Baird’s departure. The resignation may not stop legal charges. In nearby Escambia County, Florida, four emergency medical responders were charged after falsifying similar records.

Alex Baird

Per the city website, Fire Chief Alex Baird has been actively involved in the Fire Rescue services for over twenty-five years. He began his career as a United States Air Force medic assigned to Homestead Air Force Base in South Florida. In 1989 Chief Baird was hired by the City of Hallandale Beach Department of Fire Rescue as a Firefighter Paramedic. He has moved up through ranks holding the position of Fire Rescue Lieutenant, Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services and Deputy Fire Rescue Chief at his retirement. During his tenure with the City of Hallandale Beach, he had been assigned the tasks of emergency management planning and coordination, and coordination of the City’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program among other projects. On began his service with the City of Panama City on March 3rd, 2014 as the Fire Chief for the City of Panama City’s Fire Department. Chief Baird holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Barry University, is a Florida certified Firefighter and Paramedic. He also holds his Florida Professional Emergency Manager’s Certificate through the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association. Chief Baird is responsible for all emergency services provided to the citizens of Panama City.