NEW HANOVER COUNTY – The saga over Fire Station 13 continues to escalate as county officials are investigating threats they say have been posted on social media and put staff safety in danger. One firefighter, who claimed his job was threatened by the county, is now on paid administrative suspension as well.
READ MORE: CDC occupational safety division investigating Station 13 firefighter health
A March 26 email from County Manager Chris Coudriet details a request for the fire service to engage with a third-party threat assessment organization in response to alleged social media posts he said teeter on intimidation directed to county officials and staff. The email was addressed to county commissioners, Fire Chief Donnie Hall, Sheriff Ed McMahon, Chief Deputy J.A. Hart, Assistant County Manager Lisa Wurtzbacher, and other county staff.
In the email, Coudriet wrote: “The assessment should determine risks, and all associated risk mitigation measures available to the county.”
Coudriet also expressed he was worried over the physical safety of Hall, Wurtzbacher, NHC Public Health Director Jonathan Campbell, and “possibly the sheriff and chief deputy.”
“This assessment is in direct response to social media postings that are originating from health and safety false narratives that are being advanced by the Castle Hayne station,” Coudriet wrote. “Sheriff, in the interim I ask that your office take all action to protect you and your team and those that are being verbally accosted, minimally as noted above, by accusations from the Castle Hayne fire station. This is becoming a dangerous situation.”
Chief Communications Officer Josh Smith wrote in an email to Port City Daily the county has hired NC Protection Group to conduct the threat assessment. The initial cost is approximately $11,500 and the county said disclosure of its findings will be decided by law enforcement.
The county wouldn’t answer which posts were found potentially threatening, what they indicated nor who posted them, instead referring questions to law enforcement. New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jerry Brewer said detectives are investigating the county’s claims and would present findings to the district attorney’s office next week. Brewer said he could not provide further details of any social media posts because the investigation remains active.
County Commissioner Rob Zapple was also unaware of who sent the alleged threats.
“Our staff felt that the level of what has been happening had reached a point where they wanted to make sure everyone was protected,” Zapple said.
PCD contacted all the commissioners regarding the situation but the only other elected official to respond was LeAnn Pierce, who said she needed to learn more about the details before commenting.
In addition to engaging in a threat assessment, the county confirmed it put one of its fire captains, Steve Hunt, on paid administrative suspension on Friday, March 28. This came after Hunt was given a hero award on Wednesday for jumping in the Cape Fear River to save a man.
Hunt has been vocal about Station 13’s issues, concerning the health and safety of firefighters.
“I want to be clear: I have not been involved in any threatening or violent material on social media,” Hunt wrote to Port City Daily Friday. “My approach has always been professional, polite, and solution-oriented. My focus remains on advocating for the health and safety of my crew, staff, and community as we seek answers regarding the troubling pattern of illness in Castle Hayne.”
Hunt said he was advised by his union not to provide comment regarding reasons he was put on leave but described the development as a distraction from health and misconduct concerns.
Scott Mullins, president of the North Carolina chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said: “I’ve just seen some posts on Facebook and it seems to be a former employee — who seems to be making fun of administrators of the county and how they’re acting towards our firefighters.”
The county said it could not turn over details about putting Hunt on leave, due to some personnel information being protected by state law. The release of his public personnel file shows Hunt was hired in 2010 with a starting salary of just more than $30,000; his current salary tops out over $80,000. Hunt moved up through the ranks over the last 15 years to his current position as fire captain, achieved in 2017.
“No one should be disciplined for challenging unsafe working conditions,” Mullins said. “I think it’s a veiled attempt to intimidate New Hanover County firefighters from speaking up in support of basic workplace safety standards that allow our members to best protect their community.”
In early March, Hunt requested a state investigation into health hazards at Station 13. The fire station was built in 1983 and is in close proximity to a former Superfund hazardous waste site. Recent PFAS concentrations at the station are below advisory levels, but in 2023 testing found high PFAS levels — including PFOS concentrations of 74 parts per trillion.
County contractor Phoenix Envirocorps has detected elevated levels of toxic airborne mold — chaetomium and penicillium/asperilligus — in various parts of the facility in repeated samples from August up to the most recent December testing. Phoenix carried out multiple remediation efforts over the last year and determined mold to be at acceptable levels in a January report.
Since 2021, firefighters have complained to the county about mold and PFAS contamination they claim have led to serious health issues among the station’s personnel. In January, the International Association of Firefighters backed claims that PFAS exposure, close proximity to the former waste site, and mold contamination have contributed to firefighter’s health issues. An informal health survey of Station 13 personnel found more than half of 23 participants suffered serious health maladies including cancer, gallbladder removals, kidney abnormalities, and liver dysfunction.
The IAFF requested Station 13 firefighters be relocated. The county plans to move firefighters out of the building in September this year, as a new Castle Hayne station is currently under construction. However, the personnel continue to work out of Station 13.
County spokesperson Smith said on Friday that relocation before the new fire station is completed would not be essential.
“Third party environmental and facility assessments confirm Station 13 remains safe for occupancy,” Smith wrote in an email. “Temporarily relocating Station 13 personnel is unnecessary, would negatively impact emergency response services in Castle Hayne, and offers no additional safety benefits. The county remains focused on completing the new Station 13 facility later this year to permanently address facility-related concerns.”
County attorney Jordan Smith responded to the IAFF in a January letter. He stated the county is confident it has done everything necessary to ensure the safety of Station 13 personnel, including purchasing and implementing a granular activated carbon filtration system for the facility’s water last year, carrying out multiple water tests in coordination with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, supplying PFAS-free gear for certain responses, hiring a mold remediation professional, encouraging fire personnel to report health issues to the county health department, and allocating funds for fire personnel cancer screenings.
Meanwhile, the CDC has opened an investigation into the facility. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — a division of the CDC — is evaluating Fire Station 13 personnel’s health risks and concerns. NIOSH is responsible for researching and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.
But before the CDC was involved, Hunt filed a tip with the sheriff’s office claiming criminal negligence of firefighter health and safety against Hall, Campbell, and former risk director Jennifer Stancil. He said he was informed it would need to be taken up in a civil lawsuit rather than as a violation of criminal law.
Hunt said after he made the tip, his position was at risk, as he was called into meetings with Assistant County Manager Wurtzbacher and Fire Chief Hall. The Station 13 captain maintains county officials cast doubt on his leadership abilities and sought to delegitimize his concerns, even threatening his job.
The county denies such retaliation efforts.
Hunt went before commissioners early this week during its meeting’s public comment. Again, he emphasized a need for a state investigation into alleged obstruction and employee intimidation, calling for transparency and accountability of county officials.
“The first thing Lisa Wurtzbacher wanted to talk about was my attempt to get help from the Environmental Protection Agency,” Hunt told commissioners. “She had a note detailing a conversation I had with the EPA. Her and Chief Hall challenged me and tried to paint a picture that I had filed a false report. I explained that I illustrated the steps taken were appropriate in my duty to do so.”
Hunt requested clarification on law enforcement’s review of his complaints in an email sent earlier this week to McMahon and Coudriet. He asked what specific communications and evidence were reviewed and how the county determined his claims did not amount to crimes including retaliatory discrimination against a whistleblower, willful OSHA violations resulting in death, and obstruction of justice.
“You are now on formal notice that I intend to file an additional criminal report, supported by the statutes listed above,” Hunt wrote. “These matters are not going away.”
Hunt’s message was in response to an earlier email chain between county officials. The correspondence referenced Assistant District Attorney Doug Carriker’s review of Hunt’s communications and determined they did not reach the level of criminal charges.
“Whenever I’m confronted with a situation where someone identifies something as a grave injustice which nevertheless does not fit the elements of any state criminal offense, I always want to make clear that this does not mean that no injustice has occurred,” Carriker wrote. “Some of the most serious matters that we face as a community — particularly in the areas of health and environmental quality — are not amenable to resolution by way of the state criminal justice system but instead must be redressed through civil, administrative, or legislative action.”
McMahon forwarded Carriker’s determination to County Manager Coudriet, commissioners, Hunt, and other county officials. Coudriet thanked the sheriff for the message Monday and said it aligned with earlier communications from law enforcement regarding Hunt’s crime tips.
“This is all avoidable,” North Carolina IAFF President Mullins said. “The county manager is trying to intimidate our people for standing up for what is right. I think it’s gross. Using his position to try and scare our members isn’t going to work. We’re going to have the backs of our members and we’re willing to fight, stand up for them, and we’re not going away.”
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