This morning, a joint task force consisting of HSL agents, CPD officers, and CSD officers carried out a pre-dawn raid at 9 of the 39 CFPS firehouses operating in Cinniapolis districts. Law enforcement agents were seen rushing into local firehouses and escorting out fire department personnel in handcuffs. Sources indicate no arrests have been made. Law enforcement protocol is to detain any persons on the premises until the operation is complete.

CSD CEO Rhonda Dixon said in a statement to the Chorus that the raids were carried out as part of an ongoing investigation into the CFPS. She confirmed that all personnel detained has been released without charges. Ms. Dixon also reassured the public that the raids will not cause interruptions in fire fighting operations throughout the city.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the raids said that CFPS practices have been under intense scrutiny since last Fall, after they announced their intention to privatize their fire protection services. This morning’s raids are part of a local investigation into alleged arson and insurance fraud.

A CFPS spokesperson responded to the raids, “It’s a phrase that’s become all too common nowadays but this is a witch hunt in its truest sense. The greedy government is unwilling to allocate proper resources to the CFPS. Our team called them out on this fact and now they send their goon law enforcement operatives to intimidate our brigades, manufacturing fairy tales of arson and fraud. It’s predictable behavior from a decadent government being paralyzed by their hubris. They are running out of time to make this right.”

This heightened activity comes after contract extension talks between CFPS and City Council stalled in late February. CFPS’s position is that they are under compensated and under funded. From their perspective, this has contributed to low morale and a record-low recruiting class for 2024. Their intention is to break the current contract with the city ending December 31, 2025, and go private as soon as July 1, 2024, unless their contract demands are met. As of this morning, all parties involved have a kept a tight lid on what the CFPS desires as part of a new deal, other than improved equipment and pay increases.

While the negotiations have been well-guarded, the driving force behind CFPS attempt to go private has been an open secret. The Murphy family has been funding advisors on behalf of CFPS. The Murphys have also publicly put their full support behind CFPS. A family spokesperson said in March, “The tyrannical Gondola-led government doesn’t care about its employees. Their approach to contract negotiations has been crass and frankly, unprofessional. The Summer of ’23 had the most fire activity of the past decade. Our courageous fire brigades fought those blazes with old equipment and outdated technology. The boys and girls of CFPS deserve better protection and deserve far better compensation than their current deal. If the city can’t respect that, then CFPS will continue to serve Cinniapolitans but they’ll do it without resistance from their own government.”

As the July 1st CFPS self-imposed deadline to go private approaches, it appears the metaphorical fires popping up between CFPS and the City Council are burning hotter than ever.