We, the undersigned full-time staff and members of Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and Ocean Rescue have composed this letter to express our dissatisfaction with the performance of our current chief, Josh Haraway. This letter is an expression of our "vote of no confidence" in Chief Haraway and his ability to lead the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and Ocean Rescue.

In the nearly two years since Chief Haraway's hiring at WBFD, his actions have diminished the services our fire department is able to provide to our community, as well as made our citizens and employees less safe. He has created a culture of fear, mistrust, and authoritarianism within a line of work that requires confidence, trust, and teamwork.  

We have attempted to resolve these issues with Chief Haraway within our department, to no avail.  He has been dismissive of our concerns and at times retaliated against employees for speaking out. 

The following are some of our concerns with Chief Haraway's actions that have jeopardized the safety of the citizens, created a hostile work environment, and decreased our ability to provide the services our community deserves:

-Changes in the mutual-aid agreements with Wilmington and New Hanover county Fire Departments that have led to around 80  instances in 2023 where WBFD firefighters were off island responding to a city or county call, leaving no fire personell on the island. 

-His response to the active shooter on Scotch Bonnet Lane, which was contradictory to active shooter response guidelines set by FEMA and the NFPA; WBFD currently does not have any SOP for responding to an active shooter.

-Making sexist and degrading comments towards female staff, that have led to their departure from the department. Since Chief Haraway's arrival, 6 out of 7 female firefighters have left the department.

-Director Dave Baker is currently on FMLA due to stress caused by this hostile work environment created by Chief Haraway.

-Terminating volunteer Sean Hunt because of FF Hunt reaching out to the Office of the State Fire Marshall (a common resource for firefighters) to receive clarification about training requirments.  FF Hunt was terminated via e-mail.

-Mishandling of personnel issues; WBFD personnel were told we are no longer allowed to go to HR if we have a problem, but we must go through Chief Haraway and the town manager first.

-Removal of Squad 81 from service for several months; This led to all medical responses being conducted on a less maneuverable fire engine, which also does not have the capability of driving on the beach. Squad 81 is used frequently by our firefighters to locate and transport patients who are on the beach strand. When asked for the reasoning for this decision, Chief Haraway stated, "We are going to establish a presence by running the engine." As a compromise to return the Squad 81 to service, we currently run both Engine 81 and Squad 81 to all medical calls, which is a poor and unnecessary use of resources and puts additional wear and tear on an expensive and already aging fire apparatus.

-Lack of support for the WBFD volunteer program, which has been succesful for over 100 years.  Numerous people have reached out with interest in a volunteering opportunity, but have been turned away by Chief Haraway. Currently, across the US, many volunteer departments are experiencing a major shortage in applicants. 2023 will be the first year in decades that WBFD has not run a volunteer academy. Numerous WBFD volunteers have been terminated or left on their own accord, stating Chief Haraway's poor leadership as their reason for departure.

We believe these examples encompass the current overall atmosphere at WBFD and display the lack of leadership and accountability from Chief Haraway. As first responders, our number one concern is always being able to provide the best possible service to our citizens with the best use of our resources. We believe the community of Wrightsville Beach deserves a chief who is willing to make sound decisions regarding their safety.

Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and Ocean Rescue have a history of highly qualified and motivated individuals working together as a team to provide excellent service to our community. To anyone who works here, our department is more than just a job. It is a family brought together by a unique calling to serve, and we wish to ensure that for generations to come.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.