Seminole Co. commissioner calls out firefighters for going to grocery store

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County commissioner is calling out firefighters over a grocery run.
 
Commissioner Brenda Carey texted a complaint to firefighters for going to a Winn-Dixie less than a mile from their fire station on Lake Mary Boulevard while they were on the clock.
 
One firefighter who asked to remain anonymous told Channel 9's Tim Barber that cooking on the clock during a 24-hour shift is part of the job.
 
"I just feel it's very petty," the firefighter told Barber.

Raw: Firefighter on commissioner's complaint

He said he was outraged when he found out Carey followed the crew on a grocery run from Station 36 to the store.
 
"It's just kind of disheartening, you know?" he said. "We take a lot of pride in the Seminole County Fire Department, and I think we do a really good job."
 
"I see the FF's are still making grocery runs with our expensive-to-operate vehicles.  I thought the policy had been changed to only allow them to stop when returning from a call.  I followed this one from the station to the turn in for the grocery store.  Disappointed," Carey wrote in her complaint.
 
Barber took a look at the policy, which states, "It shall be a priority to coordinate grocery runs with other business-related trips ..."

http://twitter.com/TBarberWFTV/status/595343061338710016

Barber drove from the station to the store, which came in under a mile away. While at the store, firefighters from Station 36 responded to a medical call and crash next door.
 
Carey told Barber by phone that it's her job to look after taxpayer dollars.
 
The firefighters said they were just going for sausage, biscuits and orange juice, but they had their gear with them just in case.
 
"We are ready to go anytime, 24/7," he said.

WFTV