Yes Men

St. George Professional Firefighters Expose the “Rubber Stamp” Fire Board

ST GEORGE, LA — For years, the St. George Fire Board has operated as little more than a rubber stamp for the fire chief’s agenda, passing every decision, lawsuit, and contract without dissent or debate.

After the St. George Professional Firefighters publicly exposed that the long-promised fire station was never built, the Fire Board took a concerning step: they quietly removed their meeting minutes from the public website. When the records were finally reposted, the minutes from 2018 through 2021—critical years of financial decisions and promises—were missing entirely.

The truth is undeniable: the Fire Board is supposed to serve as a check and balance, providing independent oversight of fire department leadership. But history shows a troubling pattern—for years, the fire chief himself has selected the board members who are supposed to oversee him. In effect, the fire chief handpicked his own bosses.

For years, Local 4524 has worked tirelessly to educate the East Baton Rouge Metro Council on the dangers of this setup, warning that the board was acting as an extension of the administration rather than as a true oversight body. It wasn’t until the union successfully nominated an independent board member that for the first time in years, someone actually asked tough questions and voted against the administration’s motions.

But the manipulation didn’t stop. Public records from the most recent board appointment cycle showed only two submitted candidates—both retired St. George firefighters. Yet the new City of St. George council bypassed both and instead accepted a nomination from Mayor Yates, himself a former St. George fire chief, choosing someone not even listed as a candidate.

Now, in an even more aggressive move, the fire department has introduced legislation to strip the East Baton Rouge Metro Council of any authority in appointing board members—proposing that ALL future appointments be controlled solely by the City of St. George.

If this power grab succeeds, the many taxpayers who live in the fire protection district but outside the city limits will be completely shut out of the process that determines who oversees their fire protection services.

“This is about more than politics,” said a spokesperson for Local 4524. “It’s about accountability, transparency, and ensuring that public safety decisions are made in the public’s best interest—not behind closed doors by people who serve their own agenda.”

The St. George Professional Firefighters are committed to keeping the public informed and will have more to say on this growing issue in the near future.

For now, one thing is clear:

Control the board. Rubber stamp the agenda. Silence the dissent.

Our firefighters—and the residents we protect—deserve better.