April 13, 2023 An independent probe showed Odessa Fire Rescue officers covered up the events that led to the injuries.
By Ben Shaffer Source Midland Reporter-Telegram, Texas (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Apr. 12—Odessa attorney Tommy Sheen presented evidence of hazing and a cover-up within Odessa Fire and Rescue’s Cadet Program at the Odessa City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Sheen’s investigation detailed hazing tactics, including OFR personnel ridiculing a cadet because of his Hispanic accent and multiple cadets suffering burns and blisters while performing extensive workouts as punishment.
Odessa Fire and Rescue conducted an internal investigation from late August through October 2022. Sheen’s review of city files revealed that pre-disciplinary reports were provided to the City of Odessa for OFR Training Cpt. Chris Norred and Training Chief Marty Moya. Moya was given five days unpaid leave and Norred received a formal reprimand. Sheen claimed in his report that Odessa Fire and Rescue did not provide the City of Odessa other documentation.
“We are of the opinion that the investigation conducted by OFR into the events of August 2022 concerning physical harm and hazing of the cadets was improper and insufficient,” Sheen’s report noted. “Based on our investigation, not only does sufficient evidence exists of hazing by OFR personnel against the cadets, but some evidence also exists of what appears to have been a coverup within the OFR regarding the events and circumstances leading to the injuries of the cadets.”
About Sheen’s investigation
Sheen spoke to eight cadets from the August program, while five other declined to participate for a multitude of reasons. The eight cadets who spoke to Sheen gave a nearly identical statement detailing the four days of hazing and punishment tactics.
The cadets would have been under the direct chain of command of Cpt. Will Moody; however, he was out of town on a business trip during the events.
On Aug. 16 — the first day of training — Norred entered a conference room full of young cadets, he asked who would be interested in participating in a promotional event on behalf of Odessa Fire and Rescue. He became angry when the cadets asked if they would be paid for doing the event and the extent of the time commitment. According to Sheen’s report, based on the cadet’s statements, Norred was unresponsive and left the conference room. Shortly after, Moya confronted the cadets, told them to get dressed in workout gear and report outside the station.
The cadets were told to do “command pushups,” a style of pushup where cadets must pause the exercise at the command of training captains and remain still in a mid-pushup position until they’re told to start upward and downward movement again. The cadets were then made to complete a workout the OFR calls “Indian runs,” where cadets run in a single-file line, the last in line sprints to the front, then the new last cadet in line does the same, the cadets ran for “about a mile and a half,” Sheen reported.
All the cadets reported to the Odessa Fire and Rescue after-hours promotional event following the punishment because they feared they’d be retaliated against if they did not, according to their statements to Sheen.
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On Aug. 17, the cadets were made to wash firetrucks for OFR’s suppression crew. Norred asked the cadets while they were washing vehicles if any of them would like to workout with him at University of Texas — Permian Basin during lunch.
“Five of the cadets, figuring ‘Hey, what happened (previously), we’re going to go run with Cpt. Norred because we don’t want to get in trouble,’ so they did,” Sheen said.
Other cadets declined because they had educational conflicts, or because they didn’t believe it was mandatory.
Five cadets went to UTPB with Norred, ran wind sprints and did calisthenics. As the cadets and Norred walked back to their vehicle, Norred asked the present cadets to be in a photo before they left. The cadets who worked out with Norred were told they were exempt from an afternoon physical training session with Moya.
During the afternoon session, Moya told the cadets who did not attend the lunch session with Norred to report to the driveway of OFR’s Central Station.
According to Sheen’s report based on statements from cadets, Moya asked cadets to touch the hot August pavement and tell him if it was hot or not. When the cadets said it was hot, Moya said “good” before he made the cadets go to the end of the driveway and begin bear crawling back up it.
Right away, cadets began to feel burning in their hands due to the hot pavement, according to Sheen’s report. Some labored through the workout with burning and blistering hands while others alternated between bear crawling on their palms and knuckles to complete the exercise.
One cadet claimed, after completing bear crawls up and down the driveway, he was asked by Moya to show his hands, which were red and blistering. Moya told the cadets to return to the end of the driveway and continue with the exercise. After a couple more laps, Moya called an end to the bear crawls and instructed the cadets to complete a 1.5-mile “Indian run.”
When they finished the run, Moya gathered the cadets and asked them to show their hands, many of which were red and blistering. Multiple cadets reported that Moya then said, “Now, it looks like you’ve been working,” and dismissed the cadets.
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Moya left for a business trip on Aug. 18. Sheen’s report states that cadets told differing stories about “Day 3.” All the interviewed cadets said that they were instructed to join Cpt. Yochum’s Suppression Team to work out after lunch. Some cadets in Sheen’s investigation complained about the rigor of the training sessions, which included towers, burpees, pushups and other calisthenics. One cadet claimed that Yochum’s crew sat and watched while they did what the cadet called “punishment exercises,”
Some cadets claimed that their hands were clearly bandaged, which was acknowledged by Yochum. They had difficulty completing exercises because of it.
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On Aug. 19, Captain Will Moody and Fire Chief John Alvarez returned to Odessa, the cadets reported that their workout that day was normal except for additional “towers” due to anyone who was tardy that day, according to Sheen’s report
Some of the cadets approached Moody about the days prior. Moody rounded up the cadets and gathered more details. Around the same time, Alvarez noticed the bandage on a cadet hand and asked them about it.
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On Aug. 23, Moya addressed the cadets with the captains present, he apologized, and the cadets reported that they did not feel the apology was genuine, according to Sheen’s report.
Each of the cadets were interviewed by Alvarez or Assistant Chief Saul Ortega over the next weeks. Each cadet participated in a recorded conversation. They were told an investigation was underway, and they would be informed of the outcome.
Many of the cadets were stunned when Sheen reached out to them because they thought the investigation had gone nowhere. They were not made aware of findings, punishments or policy changes of any kind in the department from Odessa Fire and Rescue’s internal investigation. No one from human resources, the City of Odessa or City Attorney’s office reached out to the cadets regarding these events.
At the time prominent City of Odessa employees included City Manager Michael Morrero, City Attorney Natasha Brooks, Human Resources Manager Charles Hurst, Alvarez and Ortega. There has been turnover at City Hall since last fall. The report noted that Brooks declined to participate and Morrero failed to participate.
Sheen’s report stated, “From a practical and factual standpoint, there is no indication from our investigation that: (1) the cadets were offered medical treatment; (2) superiors with knowledge of the injuries reported the same in a timely manner to Chief Alvarez, Odessa Human Resources, the Safety Department, the City Attorney or City Manager, (3) the cadets were properly trained in how or where to report an injury or grievance; (4) the cadets were adequately supervised, monitored and trained; (5) OFR coordinated with any other instrumentality within the City of Odessa to conduct the investigation into the injuries of the cadets and the actions of its personnel; (6) OFR provided a comprehensive report and findings of the investigation to HR, the City Attorney or City Manager; (7) OFR and/or Chief Alvarez instituted any corrective measures, policies or procedures to mitigate against reoccurrence.”