Kanzigg named interim beach fire chief amid pending lawsuit

The NBFRD Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting May 1 regarding Fureigh’s arrest after he reportedly failed a drug test while on probation stemming from a DUI charge that was reduced to reckless driving. According to the arrest report, the test result was positive for cocaine. Fureigh turned himself in to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on a violation of probation charge April 30 at 3:30 a.m.

Board members present at the May 5 meeting included Chairman Keith Lang, Vice Chairman Shelley Brummett, Treasurer Carl Clark, Secretary Ken Huete and board member Tony Pasvantis.

Kanzigg told the board he would prioritize communication and regulatory compliance in the interim role.

“What you’ll get from me is communication every Friday. You get a report to the board. Communication is going to be key,” Kanzigg said. “I’ll be reaching out to the key agencies, Florida Department of Health. Make sure our ALS license is good. Make sure the DEA is good with our change of agent.”

When asked by Clark whether he was involved in any litigation, Kanzigg said yes.

Lighthouse Private Christian Academy Inc. filed a lawsuit against Kanzigg and Midway Fire District related to a June 2024 incident. According to court records, Lighthouse alleges an extended campaign of harassment and retaliation intended to damage the school and its reputation.

School scrutinized, owner responds

In March 2024, Lighthouse Private Christian Academy in Gulf Breeze came under scrutiny for housing Brazilian students on campus and later in private homes. The school was due for a fire inspection, and Kanzigg said the department had received an anonymous complaint regarding students living on campus.

“We don’t acknowledge anonymous complaints. But by coincidence, Lighthouse contacted us and requested an annual fire inspection to meet their accreditation requirement. We thought while we were there, we would take a look,” Kanzigg told Navarre Press in 2024.

Kanzigg said Fire Marshal Michael Osban alleged to have found unsanitary conditions and notated that they believed a fire suppression system needed to be in place at the homes in question.  The district issued a cease-and-desist letter, requiring Lighthouse to find alternative housing arrangements for the students.

According to court records, after students were relocated to private homes, Kanzigg contacted multiple agencies and officials, including the Pensacola fire marshal, the Department of Children and Families, an Escambia County fire captain, the Santa Rosa County sheriff, Santa Rosa County commissioners and a legislative aide to then-state Sen. Doug Broxson. Court records state Kanzigg described the students as living in “trafficking like conditions” in an email to Broxson’s legislative aide.

Court records also show text exchanges between Kanzigg and Midway Fire Commissioner Justin Labrato regarding media outreach about the matter. According to the records, Labrato encouraged Kanzigg to contact media outlets that could “break the news.”

Court records also state Santa Rosa County Commissioner Colten Wright questioned Kanzigg in text messages about whether Midway Fire inspected all Airbnb and VRBO properties in the district, noting what he described as differing treatment between the Lighthouse housing arrangements and other residential properties. Text messages included in court filings indicate Kanzigg contacted WEAR Channel 3 multiple times regarding the issue, encouraging news coverage in which he later appeared in uniform alleging ongoing issues with Lighthouse Private Christian Academy. All third-parties that were contacted by Kanzigg and Midway Fire to investigate Lighthouse later cleared Lighthouse of any wrong doing.

In the board meeting on May 5, Kanzigg denied the lawsuit was connected to his departure from Midway Fire District and told the board no lawsuit had been filed at the time he left the department. However, court records include a June 10, 2024, email from Kanzigg to Lighthouse representative Johannes after he said he received notice from her attorney of an intent to pursue legal action.

The email reads in part:

“I received the notice from your attorney with intent for legal action. I wanted to reach out to you before everything is official and I am prohibited from communicating. Regardless of the actions moving forward, I understand the situation I have put you in.

Although I do not know your pain nor will I pretend to. I made two mistakes in my career as fire chief that I will regret for a lifetime. Both have been how I reacted when dealing with members of the public. If you would ever allow it, I would request to meet with you and your team to sincerely apologize for how I handled your school’s code enforcement.

Regardless of the outcome of the suit, I will still sincerely apologize if given the opportunity. I realize how I alone handled this, it may or may not be forgiven, but there will be consequences. After communicating with my board, I am going to resign from my employment this week. I know the department cannot move forward without my leadership. In addition to my email, I will produce any form of apology you request, TV media through video, letters or even being an advocate for the school.

The only thing I ask is you reconsider legal action against the FD. Finance is a major issue, and moving forward only hinders the firefighters and board members who had no hand in this. I will meet any of your requests to make this right. Regardless of your decision, I ask forgiveness.”

During the May 5 meeting, Kanzigg told the Navarre Beach Fire board: “I retired from Midway two years ago. February of this year, two and a half months ago, I was served with a lawsuit. I was not served with a lawsuit when I left, or before I left…”

Kanzigg’s attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Lighthouse’s attorney has until May 12 to respond before a judge rules on the motion.