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Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Resigns
April 3, 2019
Escambia County Fire Chief Rusty Nail has submitted his resignation effective June 1. He also served as deputy public safety director.
In an email announcing his resignation Wednesday morning, Nail stated:
Nail began his employment as chief of Escambia Fire Rescue on April 23, 2018.
He joined Escambia Fire Rescue from Palm Bay, FL, were he served as the City of Palm Bay Fire Rescue fire chief and emergency manager and previously served as a battalion chief.
Prior to his tenure at Palm Bay, Nail worked for the City of Orlando Fire Department for more than 20 years, serving as assistant fire chief, assistant chief of planning, district chief and retiring as the deputy chief. Nail’s experience also includes working as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Escambia County Director of Human Resources Eric Kleinert also resigned Wednesday morning. There was no known connection between the two resignations. [Read more...]
Comments
17 Responses to “Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Resigns”
This county is growing in population and businesses are popping up all over. This is great news for economy. However, if we cannot keep safety standards up to par with this new infrastructure, something really bad is going to happen, hell, it already is… Nail came to Pensacola to help get ECFR back on its it feet. ECFR were and still are in a financial/manpower crisis. When the BOCC is more worried about funding other avenues, instead of public safety, the only word that comes to mind is “greed”. At this point in time, ECFR’s trucks are breaking down daily, funding is limited for over time, and their budget to properly operate is low. The BOCC needed to play “catch up” along time ago. Now that funding is still being diverted to areas, other than public safety, playing “ catch up” will only be more challenging to tackle and almost impossible! When you build the community, you also have to build its safety. As a citizen of this county, I’m ashamed that our safety is not a priority. Nail probably resigned due to the fact he was not being heard by the BOCC. Because of his resignation, the BOCC is looking more like the bastard children… it’s coming to light…. Another reason why I think Nail left. Thank you Chief for giving it your best shot. I admire you for what you tried and DID accomplish.
I believe this is 4 fire chiefs and 4 medical directors in the last six to seven years. Can’t tell me all the chiefs and medical directors were bad. That being said public safety dircetor and assistant chief are never going to let the good old boy system go. The upper management is the issue here. Can’t comment of the county officials….
Chief Nail was a God sent to this county !!!!! It’s sad that the lack of communication from the good Old boys and not to mention the support , no Chief in this county will last !!!!!! I’m sorry that we are losing one of the best . You all must of thought so or he would never have been hired . You should have checked first to see if he would be a Puppet you would control !!!!!!!
Don’t appear to be the two employees – Nail or Kleinart. In order to do your job and do a great job, there must be funding with manpower and tools to operate.
All too familiar with the local BOCC and dealing with them is exactly like running into a brick wall.
Great post Bob C.
The “good ol boy” way of thinking and doing business here in Escambia County got another one….
They sure pulled the wool over his eyes. He thought he was taking a job where he would be in charge of the Fire and EMS of Escambia County, and report to a County Administrator. Instead, he found that he was working for five County Commissioners that each want to micro-manage every aspect of County government. If we reflect back, this is not the first out of town professional Fire Chief that came here for very short careers with Escambia County. I think all this speaks volumes about the quality of government in Escambia County. Yet in spite of County Government, the Fire Dept. manages to provide excellent, professional service to the citizens.
Experience has proven that often persons enter into Public Service with Great Intentions and much handshaking and promises from the BOCC and other agencies. A short time in they find funding cut or never existing for special projects and needs, problems with removing persons who are not performing, endless miles of red tape and uncooperative higher level administrators.
Trying to do a good job for the community requires partnership and a plan to make things better. When one keeps running into the brick walls of bureaucracy and stubborn leadership there comes a time to make a decision that perhaps someone else can do a more acceptable job.
Often it takes more integrity, honesty, old fashioned Moxie, to know when one is in an impossible situation of trying to serve too many masters and the better option is to gracefully bow out.
Thank you Chief Nail for your sacrifices to the County and Best Wishes for your Future.
God Bless, Protect and Keep OUR First Responders and their loved ones. You are Heroes in our eyes.
Hiring local people for the job or not isn’t the issue. The issue has to do with pay and with funding..
Any time someone with a stellar resume such as his comes in and takes the helm and submits his resignation a year later speaks volumes. I assure you the problem was NOT with him, but probably with the status quo and resistance to change. I salute this man for having the foresight and integrity to see he was wasting his time. Its a symptom of the deeper problem concerning Pensacola, that is, being a minimum of 45-50 years behind the times for cities of comparable size
@amused citizen – Why comment if you have no idea what you’re talking about and what he has dealt with that led to this? Can’t you just wish him well in this new direction?
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”
@ALEX – It has nothing to do with hiring locally. Sometimes you need new blood running through an agency to spark movement in the right direction. Experience, knowledge, progressive ideas, and passion is what’s important, not geography.
@Concerned Citizen – I agree completely.
If he was given the proper support and had been allowed to make the changes that need to be made, things would be different. A person cannot constantly pour themselves into an agency, identify problems, propose changes and how to implement them, but get shut down on every positive change they’re trying to make, before it seems like there’s no point in fighting anymore, especially with the good ol’ boy system around here.
This man took over NOT ONLY Fire, but also EMS. He’s got a wonderful leadership style, great ideas, and most importantly, he has a HEART for Fire and EMS. This is truly a huge loss for this agency and there are so many people within the agency who are broken-hearted to learn this news.
It’s a shame when someone has so much support, respect, and excitement for positive change from people within the department, but the people in administration fight change, due to laziness, incompetence, and unethical practices.
Chief Nail tried to be the voice for everyone, which is what’s been needed for a long time. He will be greatly missed. I wish him the best and a life full of success, happiness, and fulfillment. Wherever he goes, they will be lucky to gain such a valuable asset. God bless you, Chief Nail!
It has nothing to do with hiring locally. Sometimes you need new blood running through an agency to spark movement in the right direction. Experience, knowledge, progressive ideas, and passion is what’s important, not geography.
I agree with “Concerned Citizen” completely. If he was given the proper support and had been allowed to make the changes that need to be made, things would be different. A person cannot constantly pour themselves into an agency, identify problems, propose changes and how to implement them, but get shut down on every positive change they’re trying to make, before it seems like there’s no point in fighting anymore, especially with the good ol’ boy system around here.
This man took over NOT ONLY Fire, but also EMS. He’s got a wonderful leadership style, great ideas, and most importantly, he has a HEART for Fire and EMS. This is truly a huge loss for this agency and there are so many people within the agency who are broken-hearted to learn this news.
It’s a shame when someone has so much support, respect, and excitement for positive change from people within the department, but the people in administration fight change, due to laziness, incompetence, and unethical practices.
Chief Nail tried to be the voice for everyone, which is what’s been needed for a long time. He will be greatly missed. I wish him the best and a life full of success, happiness, and fulfillment. Wherever he goes, they will be lucky to gain such a valuable asset.
Looks as if every one wants to leave.
@Concerned Citizen: If only we didn’t have a fire chief that ran away the moment he didn’t get his way. Obviously he was the problem. Not to mention the head of HR has resigned too, at the same time… coincident? Probably Not.
maybe this time we will hire local like we should have done last time. local people know what is going on and will stay.with the job.
Better offer somewhere else including support.
If only the BOCC would have given him the tools he needed to run the Fire Department, he would stay. When will they realize that THEY ARE THE PROBLEM.
Thank You, Chief Nail, for your service to Escambia County and to the State of Florida!
Best of Luck to you on Future Endeavors!