It has been a bad week for fire chiefs as well:
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Fire Chief Terminated Immediately
After a month following his suspension on May 29, Fire Chief Jackie Carner was fired on Friday effective immediately. He had been on administrative leave with pay for undisclosed violations of city policy. When his termination was announced Friday evening, city officials would not elaborate on the alleged violations, although they said for the first time that insubordination was among the reasons for Carner’s firing. Carner had been placed on suspension by then-City Manager Jim Twombly who was fired by the city council last week.
IAFF Local 2551 has been supportive of the chief through all of this. The entire episode has been played out in a manner puzzling to the citizens:
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May 29 – Carner put on admin. leave.
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June 3 – Officials say that none of the alleged violations were criminal. Hearing scheduled for June 17.
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June 12 – City Council announces that they will be considering a “separation agreement” with the city manager, Jim Twombly.
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June 15 – The city council votes 5 – 0 to terminate the city manager who had been on the job for five years. Separation effective in two days.
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June 17 – Hearing on fire chief suspension postponed until June 24.
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June 26 – Council discloses the results of the hearing and announces that the FC will be separated effective immediately. He had been on the job for 11 months.
The Tulsa World has the details of Friday’s announcement HERE.
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California Fire Chief Dismissed Over Policy Decisions
Late Thursday evening the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District in Contra Costa County, Calfornia, voted to fire their fire chief, but they will be sending him out with a golden parachute. Gary Boyles was sent packing because he required the firefighters who were on the squad that gets called up on forestry missions to pass the same physical fitness test that the forestry firefighters are required to pass.
Boyles will retire on June 30 but will continue to be a district employee with no duties until June 2011 when he will complete 10 years of employment and be eligible for their retirement system. During the next two years he will receive one year’s salary of $162,180.
The Examiner tries to explain the whole mess HERE. Be sure you read the part about the fire commissioner’s comments about 5-ft. 2-inch women firefighters.
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Reno Fire Chief Resigns Under Pressure
Reno, Nevada, Fire Chief Paul Wagner announced this week that he will be resigning his position effective July 20. He had been heavily criticised by both the firefighters and the city manager following some controversial decisions.
In September the IAFF Local 731 passed a vote of no confidence 287 – 31 based largely on his gamesmanship with overtime expenditures. The city council was also unhappy with his highly inaccurate estimates on how much the city would save by closing the main fire station.
There were some additional similar problems and the Reno Gazette-Journal spells out the full story HERE.
Wagner was hired on as fire chief in August, 2005. Prior to then he was the fire chief of Omaha, Nebraska.
