Candidate: RONALD P FLEMING

My name is Ron Fleming, and I am a candidate for Seat 2, Commissioner for the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District. I am a First Responder at heart. I have 37 years of experience with the Dayton, Ohio Fire Department, 24 as a commanding chief officer. Additionally, I have 16 years of experience serving the Dayton Firefighters Federal Credit Union. For 10 years, I was a member of the board of directors and served 1 term as president of this $50M financial institution. Prior to being elected to the board I was the Chair of the Supervisory/Audit committee, the watch dog of the board to insure that policy is being followed and member assets are protected. I served in this position for 6 years. Originally from Pennsauken, NJ, I attended the University of Dayton where I earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration. I am a Graduate of the Fellowship Program at the National Fire Academy. The academy is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security. I also was an instructor of fire management courses at Sinclair College, Dayton, OH. My father and three generations before him all served in their local fire departments, and it was my dream to follow in their footsteps. I am proud that my son is continuing the Fleming Fire Tradition as he is serving as a firefighter/paramedic in Dayton. As Chief/On Duty Commander, I had responsibility and authority for the supervision and safety of over 100 firefighters, officers, and paramedics operating out of 14 stations staffing 20 fire apparatus and 6 paramedic units. During that time, I was the Incident Commander of more than 1,000 working emergency scenes including some of the largest, most complex mass causality and fire incidents to occur in Dayton over the past 50 years. I know that my experience as a first responder will be of benefit to the fire district. My wife of 36 years, Jan, and I moved to Estero Island upon her retirement (she was a public school teacher for over 20 years) in 2013. We love and are very active in our community. We volunteer together at such events as the Film Festival, Sand Sculptor Championships, Taste of the Beach and as Beach Stewards with the Town of FMB Anchorage Advisory Committee. I also volunteer as a member of C.E.R.T. and am a member of the town’s Public Safety Committee. I have extensive experience in the operations of a fire department; both on the street where the real work is done and the staff support provided by dedicated headquarters personnel. I have done both. As a firefighter and junior officer, I was recognized with multiple fire ground valor awards. As a chief, I was recognized with unit citations for being the lead coordinator in the placing in service of a 36 member underwater dive rescue team and a 36 member advanced life support (ALS) bicycle team. I completed the training with the fire personnel and received certification in both. I have also researched the cost of, compiled budget requirements, wrote the specifications for and accepted delivery of fire engines, ladder trucks and heavy rescue vehicles. Among my other state certifications that I have held are EMT, Fire Instructor, Fire Inspector, Fire Fighter 1&2 and Fire Officer 1&2 With the credit union I have expertise with all subjects necessary for the direction of a very successful multimillion dollar financial institution. I understand and appreciate that the responsibility of a board is to develop overall policy, goals and vision. A board reviews progress or lack thereof and makes necessary adjustments. I have experience in conducting performance evaluations of both fire personnel and the CEO of the credit union. While reviewing a subordinate’s performance in writing and face to face may be unpleasant, it is paramount that the employee understands their strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of many years I have reviewed and counseled hundreds of employees and together we have agreed upon specific, detailed plans of action so that the employee is given positive direction in order to succeed. I am a positive, progressive, experienced and educated professional in finance and public safety. Being a First Responder is embedded in my DNA.