Ex-Marion County Fire workers claim 'roughhousing' happened often at Fire Station 21

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - Leaders with Marion County Fire Rescue admit firing 10 people from one fire station – Fire Station 21 – is a tough loss for the department and the community – years and years of firefighting experience gone, but they are firm that violence and hazing have no place whatsoever within the department.

"It's a devastating loss with the 10 personnel and the experience that they have," said James Lucas, a spokesperson for Marion County Fire Rescue. "We don't take that lightly. It'll take many years to rebound to gain that experience back."

The agency, already short-staffed, has had to move firefighters from other stations to help fill shifts at Fire Station 21 – and approve overtime.

The backstory:

Ten employees at Fire Station 21 – a Battalion Chief, a captain, a lieutenant, firefighters, and paramedics – were fired from Station 21 in November and December amid an investigation into the alleged hazing of a 19-year-old rookie firefighter at the station.

Four people have been criminally charged – three of them with kidnapping, battery, and robbery.

Those four are accused of throwing the rookie's personal items outside the fire station, tackling him to the ground, putting him into a leg lock, removing his pants and whipping him with a belt, and then waterboarding him – all over wanting access to a cell phone to view a viral video that was posted on social media, according to Marion County Fire Rescue leaders and the arrest affidavits.

FOX 35 obtained more than 15 hours of investigative interviews, transcripts, and dozens of documents related to Marion County's investigation. 

In their words: ‘Roughhousing’ was common at Fire Station 21

In those interviews, the former employees told investigators that "roughhousing" was common at Fire Station 21. One person alleged that he had been hazed previously, while another said the incident with the rookie firefighter started as a joke.

All seemed to agree, according to the interviews, that it suddenly got out of hand.

What they're saying:

"It’s not an excuse, but this is what’s been happening to me the whole time," said Tate Trauthwein, who is facing charges of kidnapping, battery, and robbery.

"I just thought we were all like just joking around with him," said Edward Kenny, who is also facing charges of kidnapping, battery, and robbery.

Seth Day, who is facing similar charges, told detectives: "The whole thing was a bit far."

"I just feel like that went way too far. That's past what they normally do as a joke," said Kaylee Bradley, the fourth employee charged. She is facing charges of robbery and principal accessory to robbery.

In his words: Rookie Marion County firefighter details alleged hazing in interviews with detectives

The 19-year-old firefighter told detectives with the Marion County Sheriff's Office that it was his second-ever shift working at Fire Station 21.

He said the hazing began early in the shift when some of his co-workers smeared grease on his shirt, according to recordings and transcripts of the interview. Then, co-workers tossed some of his belongings into the woods behind the fire station.

The other firefighters then allegedly dragged him outside, removed his pants and belt, hit him with the belt, and put him in a leg lock.

"One came behind me and like held my arms and then dragged me," the 19-year-old firefighter told detectives.

"Tate takes my belt off my pants, and he starts whipping me in my front and then, after that, Kenny kind of rolls over to the side a little bit and Seth grabs and kind of my leg," he said.

"I was like, ‘Ow, ow.’ I'm like, ‘This really hurts.’ I was like ‘Stop! Stop!’ and he was like, 'What's the passcode? What's the passcode?'"

When that did not work, the others allegedly tried waterboarding him in order to get his phone's pass code.

"I couldn't breathe," he told detectives.

After the attack, the firefighter told his alleged attackers that he would never work there again.

"The only thing I said was, is that I'm never working here again and then, after that, I left."

Rebuilding trust with the community will take years

Marion County Fire Rescue leaders know that it will take a while to rebuild the agency's trust in the community.

"We'd like our citizens to know that we are here to answer their call on their worst day," said James Lucas, public information officer with Marion County Fire Rescue.

"We hope to restore the trust and confidence that the citizens once had in us."