Please read all Updates for additional information and context. 

🚨 ATTENTION: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS FOR YOUR PRIVACY AND PROTECTION:

•  WHEN SIGNING THE PETITION, UNCHECK THE BOX THAT SAYS “DISPLAY MY NAME AND COMMENT ON THIS PETITION”

📣 TO COMMENT YOUR STORY ON THIS PETITION PAGE:

1. AFTER SIGNING, SCROLL DOWN ON THE FOLLOW UP PAGE (PAST THE PAYMENT FOR PROMOTION OPTION)
2. CLICK ON “SORRY, I CANT DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW”
3. CLICK ON “WRITE A COMMENT”

⚠️ IF YOU WANT YOUR COMMENT TO BE ANONYMOUS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UNCHECKED “DISPLAY MY NAME AND COMMENT ON THIS PETITION” DURING YOUR SIGNING. 

 

To the Citizens of Greenville:

If you believe in transparency, fairness, and protecting those who protect us, please sign and share this petition. Together, we can ensure Greenville’s fire department becomes a place of integrity, safety, and support — not silence, fear, or retaliation.

 

It’s Time to Ask the Hard Questions

After one local family’s experience with the fire department was shared online, the public response was undeniable. There was an outpouring of support and outrage at how the situation appeared to be handled.

Current and former firefighters and their families began speaking out and their comments revealed an alarming pattern:

• Retaliation for speaking up about safety or internal policy
• Reassignments after raising legitimate concerns or requesting transparency
• A toxic “old boys club” culture, with promotions perceived to be based on favoritism
• An HR department widely seen as protecting leadership instead of employees
• A repeated lack of compassion during times of personal grief and hardship
   

Many said they wanted to speak publicly, but they didn’t — out of fear.

Fear of losing the income their families depend on.
Fear of reassignment.
Fear of being targeted, ostracized, or ignored.
 

That fear alone speaks volumes. This is no longer about a singular story. It’s about a broken culture.

So We Ask — As Concerned Citizens:

 1. What is City Council doing to protect our firefighters — not just the administration behind the curtain?

 2. Why have repeated requests for investigation been ignored — including reports of declining morale, low retention, and an overwhelming lack of confidence in leadership?

 3. Where are the results of the internal firefighter culture survey? And why was it not conducted by a neutral third party if retaliation has been a known issue?

 

This goes beyond workplace morale. This is about a festering culture of silence — one that directly impacts the well-being of those we rely on in emergencies.

Every time the system pushes out a tenured, experienced, and compassionate firefighter, we all lose — not just emotionally, but operationally. And in public safety, that loss can be catastrophic.

 

Our Community Call to Action:

We, the citizens of Greenville, are calling on our city leadership to:

•  Acknowledge the growing public concern over alleged retaliation, reassignments, and unsafe working conditions
• Release the results of any internal surveys or leadership evaluations related to fire department culture
• Initiate an independent third-party survey and a full review of complaints made by firefighters, ensuring neutrality and confidentiality
• Implement clear protections that allow firefighters to raise concerns about safety, mental health, and internal practices — without fear of retaliation
• Explore a neutral, third-party Human Resources partnership to ensure objectivity and fairness in the handling of employee concerns
  
  

Our firefighters are held to the highest standard. The systems meant to support them should be held to the same.

“The color of your shirt doesn’t redefine your duty or grant you immunity from accountability. Whether it’s white or blue — you’re still a public servant. And public safety must outrank ego.”

The individuals who reached out aren’t seeking praise or attention. They’re simply asking to be heard, protected, and valued by the leadership they serve under.

As city employees, they deserve better. And as citizens, so do we.

 

What You Can Do to Help:

• Sign this petition to support transparency, accountability, and firefighter protection

• Share it with neighbors, colleagues, and local leaders

• Speak up — because silence enables the cycle to continue

Together, we can rebuild a department where safety and service come before politics and fear.

 

Do you have a Story to Share?

If you are a current or former firefighter — or a family member who has witnessed this culture firsthand — we invite you to share your experience anonymously.

Send your story to: FireTruthforChange@pm.me

All submissions are strictly confidential and will never be shared without your explicit consent. This ProtonMail address was created specifically to collect anonymous stories, and the inbox is protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the message.

You may share as much or as little as you feel comfortable. If you’re open to having your story included in future summaries or reports (with all personal identifiers removed), please indicate that in your message.

There is power in numbers. By gathering these stories, our goal is to create a clear, collective account of what’s happening — so no one feels alone, and no one can say “this is just one story.”

Your voice matters. Your truth deserves space.

 

A note about ProtonMail: ProtonMail is one of the world’s most trusted encrypted email services, built to protect privacy, identity, and sensitive communication. Based in Switzerland, it operates under some of the strongest data privacy laws in the world and offers true end-to-end encryption, meaning even ProtonMail itself cannot access the content of your message. No personal information is required to create an account, making it an ideal platform for secure, anonymous communication

 

Disclaimer: This petition is a civic expression of concern. It does not target any individual’s employment, nor does it endorse private disputes or call for disciplinary action. These are reflections based on publicly shared information and private testimonies. They represent the views of concerned citizens and do not reflect any agency, employer, or union. All signers are encouraged to support respectful, fact-based dialogue and meaningful reform.