The Break Room: Fire Chief recounts details of busy morning

City Public Affairs Director, Paul K. Williamson, announced to local Historic City News reporters that on tomorrow’s episode of The Break Room, he will interview St Augustine Fire Chief “JC” Costeira.

Since taking over after the retirement of Chief Mike Arnold, the four suspected arson fires set off Monday morning are as large a fire investigation as Chief Costeira has had to face since assuming the role of Department Chief in February.

“In the early morning hours of June 23rd, the St. Augustine Fire Department, with support from the St. Augustine Police Department and St. Johns County Fire Rescue, responded to four separate house fires in the downtown area in the span of three hours,” Williamson told local reporters.

Resources brought to bear in the fire fight, included our local Fire Marshal, four officers from the State Fire Marshal and three fire investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Law enforcement support was provided by the St Augustine Police Department.

Costeira spends time on this week’s Break Room to talk about the timeline of the incidents, the early steps of the investigation now underway, how smoothly the city-county cooperation performed, and why such mutual support is essential.

Listen to the clip of this week’s show

The Break Room is a 15-minute weekly program that offers a behind-the scenes look at the workings of the City of St. Augustine through interviews with those responsible for the city’s day-to-day operations: city employees. Airing on Flagler College Radio–WFCF/88.5FM on Wednesdays at 5:30pm and rebroadcast on Saturdays at 8:00 a.m., The Break Room is also available for on-demand listing at www.breakroom.info.