Fire rescue workers fired for having sex while on duty

A Polk County Fire battalion chief and two medical supervisors have been fired after an internal investigation found the three had ongoing and sexual affairs while on duty and on county property, according to reports.

Battalion Chief Trampas Fletcher, left, medical supervisors Shellie Krauklis and Michael Tomlinson. (Photos provided)

Facts

The initial investigation was first handled as a sexual harassment case.

Battalion Chief Trampas Fletcher and medical supervisors Michael Tomlinson and Shellie Krauklis were notified of the investigation’s findings Tuesday, according to letters from Assistant Fire Chief Rick Parnell. Tomlinson and Fletcher are accused of separately having sex with Krauklis while on duty and on county property.

The county determined a fourth employee, Deputy Chief Michael Choate, didn’t engage in any sexual conduct with Krauklis while on or off duty, but he told an investigator he did send and receive inappropriate text messages on his county-issued cellphone, reports said. Choate has been suspended for seven days without pay and will be placed on probation for a year. The punishment will cost him about $2,500 in lost pay.

Last month, county officials received allegations that “Fire Rescue supervisors engaged in conduct of a sexual nature, while on and off duty, as well as on and off BoCC (Board of County Commissioners) property. Additionally, they allegedly used BoCC owned cellular phones to discuss and plan their sexual encounters,” according to the report.