Rick Scott has worked tirelessly for Floridians | Opinion

Years ago, I read that President Ronald Reagan once toasted Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, saying, “Tip, if I had a ticket to heaven and you didn’t have one too, I would give mine away and go to hell with you.” Though these giants among men battled ideologically, they remembered they were working together as Americans. We’ve lost this spirit, replaced by vitriol and vindictiveness.

This recollection should inspire us all in the public sphere to strive for mutual respect and cultivate personal connections. I am hopeful we can foster a future where leaders disagree with civility and collaborate with passion for the greater good. It’s for this reason I am penning this essay responding to an earlier piece that highlighted past negatives of Sen. Rick Scott while muting genuine efforts and positive contributions.

Scott has been one of Florida’s most enduring leaders. From the Governor’s Mansion to the halls of Congress, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of Floridians for decades. Since my election as president of the largest fire union in the southeastern United States, Scott has been accessible to me.

In 2020, as the thousands of firefighters I represent worked to deliver South Florida from the most serious pandemic anyone alive has ever experienced, he was there. He stood by my side in 2021 along the shoreline of Surfside as we frantically searched through the rubble of the largest building collapse this century. When our search-and-rescue teams were island hopping in military helicopters across Southwest Florida, searching for survivors of Hurricane Irma in 2022, Scott was coordinating resources, ensuring we had everything necessary to bring Florida back.

One might think such actions are what is expected of any elected official during times of public calamity — and I would agree with you. Where Scott exceeds expectations is in private expressions of his heart and humanity. One such example arose last year. The son of one of our fire captains was bitten by a shark and nearly killed. In those tense hours afterward, while his son was in surgery fighting for his life, Scott called to see if there was anything he could do to help. He didn’t have to do that, but that is who he is.

There is an old adage — you judge a leader by the caliber of people they mentor and leave behind to carry forward when they depart. And perhaps the most enduring example of Scott’s leadership was his decision to appoint Jimmy Patronis as Florida’s chief financial officer and state fire marshal.

Scott stepped forward to lead Florida out of the depths of the Great Recession. He made tough decisions during times filled with fear and uncertainty, and we are thriving today, in part, because of his leadership. While some undoubtedly disagree with his decisions and philosophy, let’s not forget this country was founded on an expectation that civil conversations and compromise would lift all of us up and move us collectively forward.

We need to return mutual respect to the public square and remember that no matter our differing viewpoints on issues, we are in this together. Scott is a man with a decent heart. I thank him for his service — from his days aboard the USS Glover as a radarman more than 50 years ago to his time now in the U.S. Senate, faithfully serving all Americans.

William A. McAllister IV, of Miami, is president of Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403, the largest fire union in the southeastern United States. The union represents more than 2,400 firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers, providing an all-hazards response to all emergencies across Miami-Dade County.