Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

We were curious why in 2023 the City of Frisco was trying to go back to a broken system in place back in 2011/12 after several years of positive change.  Maybe because that is “The Frisco Way.”  Many times, we have heard council members and city leadership refer to “The Frisco Way” and we have always been curious what is it?  Well, it is a mindset that only Frisco leaders and city management know what is best for the city and the citizens living in it.  It is a mindset that the City of Frisco is the only city who could possibly do things the right way and every other city is second fiddle.  It is the mindset that we do things the way we have always done it and someone  should not question that.  It is also the institution of the good ole boy network, scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.   

Let’s pretend it is 2011 and that Humpty Dumpty is Mack Borchardt, Chief of the Frisco Fire Department, sitting lofty up on that wall.  Next to him perched high up is his team which includes his buddy Lee Glover, Assistant Fire Chief and Paul Siebert, Assistant Fire Chief, 3 Battalion Chiefs Shannon Britton, Shawn Eft and Paul Farrow and Division Chief Cameron Kraemer.

Then the wind blows and causes a great fall which refers to the 2011 Employee Climate Survey.  What we found interesting was it basically said the culture that management created was horrific.  Our first responders went to work every day risking their lives in an environment with terrible morale and worried about their job security.  At the time 76.3% said they would leave the department if they could and the report noted the city can only correct it by making DRASTIC CHANGES. What would the city do?

All the king’s horses and king’s men refer to the King of Frisco, Geroge Purefoy, the City Manager and his “people” who had to find a solution since it was clear the Fire Chief could no longer be Chief.  Chief Borchardt wrote a letter to Purefoy dated 2/23/2012 stating in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Retirement Severance Agreement and Release he was submitting his resignation for retirement effective February 2015.  All the King’s Men, aka The Good Ole Boy Network or The Frisco Way” had to figure out how to put Borchardt together, just in a different way.

One would think after the negative survey results regarding his leadership that Borchardt would be terminated or forced into retirement.  Hail Ye, Hail Ye, King George to the rescue!  After Borchardt retires, he is REASSIGNED to a newly created position as the Fire Programs Consultant which reports solely to King George himself until he is set to retire in 2015.  Why would you reassign someone that you are forcing to retire? A city insider that works at city hall told us that when the decision was made to remove Borchardt as Fire Chief, King George threatened to quit and submitted his written resignation which is why the city “reassigned” Borchardt to King Purefoy.

So why the loyalty between King George Purefoy and Mack Borchardt? Well, what many don’t know is that back in day Mack Borchardt was the city administrator and he is the one that hired King George Purefoy as the first city manager. Then George Purefoy acting as the new city manager hired Mack Borchardt as the cities first paid Fire Chief. Funny thing is Mack Borchardt is still with the city in 2023, in the same consultant position making big bucks and assigned a city vehicle.  A PIR was placed for Mack Borchardts employee records which we are still waiting on.

After reading Mack Borchardt Agreement & Release we had many questions.  Under the “Release By Borchardt” it says that Mack releases, acquits and discharges Frisco from any and all past or present claims relating to #3. All Allegations ever made or that might have been made by Borchardt against Frisco regarding his employment – well that sounds interesting.  In another section it says Borchardt does not admit to any unlawful or discriminatory conduct or any other wrongdoing – well that sounds interesting too.  Then the agreement appears to turn into an employment contract for his new position and lists some very specific reasons that he maybe be terminated for such as a conviction for any felony involving moral turpitude, drunkenness, or excessive use of alcoholic beverages, being under the influence on city property or city sponsored activities and fabrication or falsification of city records.  The whole thing reminds me of the questions we asked in our Survey Says blog.

The city began its search for a new fire chief and in March of 2013 after a 3-month search the city announced the hiring of Mark Piland. Todd Renshaw, the city’s director of public safety, told a local newspaper Frisco Enterprise, “Chief Piland a very affable, very personable individual. He’s highly educated and has a great deal of experience, which are obviously big pluses,” he said. “He has a strong sense of command and will be a tremendous asset for the Frisco Fire Department going forward.”  

According to insiders in the FD, Piland came up with some good ideas to change the department the first being to listen to the organization.  Piland implemented In Service Training  programs 2x a year for the Officers and Companies.  Fire fighters also tell us he had an academy for those FF hoping to move up the ladder over their career.   Piland also focused on The Squad Program which responds to almost all calls so they could have enhanced ongoing training to meet state and national standards. Piland also moved the FD away from the quint model based on the FF feedback.   Their department centered more on the single engine / pumper truck with a goal to add a 4^th ladder truck.  He said with 70% of the calls being EMS, the Quints which are rather large and bulky, were slower and more difficult to turn and get down Frisco’s narrow streets.  Piland quickly met resistance from King George himself.  Imagine going to work in a new city where the City Manager who is your direct boss, is sitting next to his 25+ year buddy (the former Fire Chief that you replaced) at city hall.

In fact, today as the fire fighters fight for collective bargaining so they can have a seat at the table, the city said they oppose it because they already have a seat at the table because more than 200 seats are filled by Fire Department employees on 16 different committees/groups.  Examples of these committees/groups are  Engine / Truck / Rescue Focus Groups, Promotional Process Review Group, Peer Support Group, Peer Fitness Trainer, Health & Safety Focus Group, and the Driver / Operator Focus Group.  What we find interesting is that these groups were created during Piland’s time as Fire Chief based on feedback from the organization.  Insiders say over the years tension grew as he was challenged and questioned by city leaders about every change he tried to make because it didn’t fit “The Frisco Way!”  Mark Piland retired shortly after applying for the City Managers position (as did many other candidates) and after several differences of opinion with city management on how the department should be run.  The question we have, did the city really want change in the department, or where they happy and want to go back to the old “The Frisco Way?”

With the search on for a new Fire Chief,  Assistant Fire Chief Lee Glover was named Interim Fire Chief.  City Manager Wes Pierson said in a statement. “Public safety is a top priority for me and our City Council.  I intend to be deliberate in the search for Frisco’s next fire chief to make sure we find the right person to lead our department to the next level of service, building upon the city’s reputation for excellence.”   The city hired a firm to do a national search but one of the requirements was they had to have Texas Certification. Why did we waste time, taxpayer dollars, and resources doing a national search when most likely someone in another state would not have Texas Certification?   Five Texas finalists were announced, and Interim FC Lee Glover made the list.  It was surprising because he was Borchardt’s #2 and was listed as a part of the problem in the 2011/12 Employee Climate Survey.   The association immediately responded by doing a survey in which 220 out of 233 firefighters responded.   It was not a surprise that 92.5% of the association did not want Glover as the next Fire Chief.  The survey also said 91.4% do not believe Glover has improved morale or regained any trust during his time as Interim Chief.   The association made city management and city councils aware of the survey results.  It is clear the department does not trust, nor did they want to go back to Borchardt /Glover regime.

No one was shocked in June of 2023 when Wes Pierson, City Manager announced he is promoting Lee Glover to Frisco Fire Chief.  Since September of last year, Chief Glover has served as Interim Fire Chief.  “Lee’s combination of experience, knowledge, and leadership was the best fit for the department,” said Wes Pierson, City Manager.  “I believe Lee is deeply committed to the success of Team Frisco and will work hard to serve our community and members of FFD.”   Pierson probably never read the Employee Climate Survey which says, “ There is considerable animosity regarding the Chief.”  It also says most believe things won’t change in this department unless the Chief and the entire Senior Staff are replaced.  Glover was #2 on that Senior Staff for years.

When the announcement was made I thought to myself about what J.K.  Rowling wrote in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, “Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backward.”   Wes Pierson is slow or just stupid and that is evident in his backward ridiculous decision which is the reason the Fire Department is now fighting for Civil Service and Collective Bargaining.  Now many will say Lee Glover has changed and does not have that “mentality” anymore but he does and the proof is in the survey and an article in the Frisco Enterprise where he announced his first 100-day priorities.  Glover said the department will continue to build on what the city has today and went on to say, “We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing since the day I walked in this fire department.” Wait, did he just admit that he wants to do what he has always done, well that makes sense because it is “The Frisco Way” which is why they hired them.

The question citizens should be asking, why hire someone that clearly the fire firefighters did not support back in 2011/2012 and still do not today?

Read Borchardts Retirement Severance Agreement and Release click here

Read the Entire FD Employee Climate Report from 2011/2012 click here

Reach The FD Climate Survey Action plan click here

Read the ICMA Frisco Fire Final Report click here

Read the ICMA Supplemental Fire Report click here

Read the Contract for Independent Contractor/Processional Services click here