Three St. Lucie County firefighters were fired and two suspended after alleged hazing incidents while police found no criminal conduct

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Videos and photos tied to the firing of three St. Lucie County firefighters and the suspension of two others have been publicly released.

Fire officials said senior personnel and supervisors hazed apprentice firefighters, while the union has challenged the discipline and called the terminations wrongful, WPTV reported.

| MORE: Stop hazing: Firefighters, fire officers have a duty to intervene

Video released in the case shows a modified bug zapper being used to shock three apprentice firefighters on duty in 2024. Another video shows firefighters being doused with water and a dead raccoon placed inside a fire vehicle.

In a statement released over the weekend, Fire Chief Jeff Lee said the three firefighters were subjected to hazing by senior personnel and supervisors.

Lee said the reassignments prompted a dozen complaints against him with three state agencies, all of which were dismissed.

A Fort Pierce police investigation obtained by WPTV concluded there was no criminal conduct related to the alleged hazing.

At a mid July fire board meeting, IAFF Local 1377 Vice President Matt Coney said the union believes the terminations and disciplinary actions were wrongful and is seeking arbitration for the five firefighters.

“If you haven’t seen the videos, please take the time to look,” Coney said. “This is an extraordinarily frivolous situation that does not need to be before you guys or even on the fire chief’s desk.”

Where should departments draw the line between firehouse tradition and unacceptable workplace behavior? How should leaders respond when hazing allegations surface, even if police determine no crime occurred?

A national survey will help NIOSH improve how human factors are evaluated in firefighter line-of-duty death and serious injury investigations

July 21, 2026 04:43 PM

 · 

How fire and EMS agencies can take part in National Night Out to build relationships, promote safety and recruit the next generation

July 22, 2026 08:13 AM

 · 

Kooper visits Sioux City fire stations to help firefighters and paramedics cope with job stress, traumatic calls and burnout through simple interactions and companionship

Bay City officials voted to begin planning for a new Fire Station 2 after firefighters raised concerns about PFAS contamination at the current site

Partnership brings real-time aerial intelligence to first responders with automated mapping and hotspot detection