Tampa Faces Wave of Fire, Police Retirements

Droves of Tampa police officers — and quite a few fire fighters — are about to retire. We talk to officials about what it means to lose all of their combined experience, how they plant to replace the retirees and what it means for the budget.

– Sgt. Jim Simonson’s last day of work is today.

After 30 years with the Tampa Police Department, he is retiring and looking forward to the time off.

He’s worked just about every beat at TPD over the years, including an eight-year stint with the homicide unit before moving back to patrol in the department’s District 3. His last day will be surreal, he said.

This has been my home for a long time, Simonson said. But overall, I think I’m ready.

So, it seems, are a lot of other longtime Tampa police.

Forty-six Tampa police officers and 30 Tampa firefighters are leaving during the 2015 fiscal year, officials said. And those are only the officers and firefighters enrolled in the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Program, which sets a non-negotiable retirement date for participants. The city is prepared to say goodbye to dozens more non-DROP employees, like Simonson, who also are eligible to retire this year.

The massive wave of retirements has left city officials scrambling not only to fill the soon-to-be-open police officer and firefighter positions but to compensate for the decades of experience and knowledge the retirees will take with them.

It will be a challenging period for us, said Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who earmarked an extra $10 million in the 2015 public safety budget to hire new officers and firefighters.

While the number of retirees this year seems sizable, it happens from time to time, said Mark Bogush, president of the city police and fire pension board.

We’ve had years that we’ve had large numbers and we’ve had years that we’ve had small numbers, he said.

Already in 2014, about 12 firefighters and 10 police officers have retired, he said.

The mass exodus of officers and firefighters in the coming year is likely the result of a combination of factors, said Bogush, who is also a firefighter with Tampa Fire Rescue.

The reasons (to retire) can really vary for each individual, he said. Sometimes it’s economics, sometimes it’s just, ‘I’m tired of being here.’

No matter the reasons for their retirement, the city has anticipated the transition and is ready to replace the officers and work to preserve the institutional knowledge they have acquired throughout their careers, officials said.

We’ve known that this would happen, so we’ve prepared, said TPD spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

The city has budgeted to over-hire police officers and firefighters so the new employees can be trained and ready to take over for their predecessors as the retirees leave.

After Sept. 30, TPD will hire about 30 new officers, McElroy said. The police department plans to hire another 30 officers in February and another 30 in May. The department also is offering 15 academy scholarships, with preference given to minority applicants and Spanish speakers, McElroy said.

The fire department has a group of 15 new recruits who will finish their training Nov. 21, said Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Penny.

From a deployment perspective, we want to make sure that we don’t miss a beat and there are no manpower issues that would affect coverage on the street, Buckhorn said.

But the loss of the skill and experience of the outgoing senior leadership and mid-level management at the two departments will be nearly impossible to replace, he said.

Police Chief Jane Castor is one such retiree whose loss will have a major impact after she leaves the department in May, Buckhorn said. Assistant Chief John Bennett, who led the department’s preparations for the Republican National Convention in 2012, also will retire next year.

Fire Chief Tom Forward will be eligible for retirement in June, but he has said he plans to stay as long as Buckhorn wants him to.

Forward and Buckhorn knew that a lot of knowledge could potentially be lost with the numerous retirements on the horizon and have developed a game plan to maintain the competency of all the firefighters and middle managers, Penny said.

You always try to avoid the massive brain drain, he said.

Both the police department and the fire department constantly work to prepare officers and firefighters to take over leadership positions as higher-ups retire every few years, officials said.

Tampa firefighters participate in regular training in which they occasionally fill in for higher-level firefighters, Penny said. They have to prove themselves capable of the job before they are even considered for a promotion up the ranks.

When it comes time for them to actually take the next-highest-level position, they already have time in the seat, so to speak, Penny said.

Each new leader also receives a continuity book containing knowledge, tips and procedure reminders compiled by his or her predecessor.

At the Tampa Police Department, experienced officers are paired with rookies or less-experienced officers so they can benefit from the knowledge of their veteran mentors, said Simonson, who has worked with and supervised many other officers throughout his decades-long career.

Whenever I got a new detective, I would always put them with somebody who was senior, he said. I believe they learn more from their peers than any specialized class.

Other police and fire departments across the country are facing similar waves of departures as Baby Boomers make way for younger generations. In some cities, like Houston and Las Vegas, public safety workers have been prompted to retire early by changing benefits and pension policies.

Tampa is lucky, Buckhorn said.

Not every city is as well-positioned as we are to deal with it, Buckhorn said.

He worked hard to maintain the strength of the police and fire departments during the recession, he said. The city’s pension funds – for both general employees and police officers and firefighters – remain close to completely funded.

Tampa still can offer competitive benefits and salaries for its public safety employees, officials said.

There always is a waiting list of experienced applicants waiting to throw their name in for open positions at both the police department and fire department, McElroy said. Not only does that allow the departments to pick from the cream of the crop, it also saves money and time on training so the new hires can get to work and take over for the retirees faster.

People want to be here, Buckhorn said. We just need to teach some of these officers the Tampa way of doing business.

Ebehrman@Tampatrib.com

(813) 259-7691

Twitter: @LizBehrmanTBO