SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CHIEF Pat Dennen is a popular leader both within the department and in the public at large. Eleven years ago he led the restructuring of the fire department when it consolidated several independent fire districts and began administering a county-wide agency that protects an 18,000 sq. mile territory.
Just as popular is his Deputy Chief Dan Wurl who is in charge of the internal operations of the department. Or perhaps they’re not so popular after all. Early last month, from July 3 to 13, Chief Wurl reportedly had two on-duty firefighters help him unload the specialized equipment from one of the department’s five homeland security trailers and then he used it for the next ten days to move his household goods from his home to a newly-bought house 30 miles away.
Fire Chief Pat Dennen (left) and Dep. Chief Dan Wurl
(Post-Enterprise graphic)
While Wurl was on vacation leave at the time, Chief Dennen helped him with the move while he was on county time. This activity was “observed” by a fire department employee who then sent an email to the County Administrative Officer who initiated an investigation into the incident.
The course of the investigation further uncovered an unrelated fact that both Wurl and Dennen were collecting $1,000 per month for personal auto allowances even though they had been issued county cars for their official duties. Generally, county employees can be entitled to one benefit or the other, but not both.
Yesterday, Tuesday Aug. 11, the county board of supervisors held a closed meeting where they discussed the violations and what remedies that they would take. The results of the meeting are confidential, but state law requires disclosure of the outcome and their official announcement stated that both Dennen and Wurl “remain employees of San Bernardino County.”
The county administrator issued the following 3-paragraph statement:
“On July 9, 2009, the County Administrative Office was alerted to an allegation of impropriety involving the County Fire Department. County Human Resources conducted an independent investigation into the matter. That investigation is now complete, and appropriate action has been determined and will be taken.
“The county recognizes the public has an interest in matters of this nature. However, personnel matters require confidentiality and the county cannot disclose the nature of the allegations or the resulting action.
“In response to this matter, at a future date, the County Administrative Office will publicly propose to the Board of Supervisors operational changes within the department. The county is confident this, and the action in response to the personnel matter, will discourage impropriety that might otherwise occur in the future.”
The Riverside Press-Enterprise has been following the story HERE and HERE. One of their reporters has found out that the cost of renting a 26-ft. U-Haul truck for five days would cost less than $400.
