Firefighters Vote No Confidence in Temporary Leaders, and City Isn't Sure Why

The labor union for Davis firefighters this week voted "no confidence" in the department's temporary leaders–both members of the police department–and the city said it was "surprised" by the move.

The president of the Davis Professional Firefighters Union told the Davis Enterprise that Police Chief Landy Black and Assistant Police Chief Steve Pierce–who have been overseeing the fire department since January–don't have experience as firefighters and therefore aren't qualified to lead a fire department.

The response from the city seems to be one of resounding confusion.

"It is typical that a vote, like the one issued by Davis Fire Local 3494, cite clear reasons for their vote of no confidence," the city said in a press release. "However, reasons cited were unclear. Why the no confidence vote was announced this week is also not clear. The Department’s operational and temporary management structure has not changed since January."

The press release said Davis City Manager Steve Pinkerton said a "no confidence" vote against interim managers is unusual, and said the firefighter union's press release announcing the vote "is either inaccurate or misleading."

The city says it is still exploring the idea of sharing fire duties with the UC Davis Fire Department, and will make a decision this fall. If the two don't join forces, the city will recruit a new fire chief for the Davis Fire Department, the press release states.

The full response from the city follows:

The City of Davis was surprised on Tuesday evening to receive information about a “no confidence” vote by the Davis Professional Firefighters Union against the Fire Department’s interim management team. 

City Manager Steve Pinkerton noted that it is somewhat unusual to have a “no confidence” vote regarding interim managers. He explained that these were temporary appointments to allow the City to complete its analysis of how and what level fire services should be provided for the future, an analysis that has included all the public discourse at five recent City Council meetings and will continue as the on-going study of fire operations and structure reaches completion in the coming weeks.

The City analyzed the legal propriety of having Police Chief Landy Black and Assistant Police Chief Steve Pierce oversee Fire Department management (as Interim Public Safety Director and Interim Fire Chief, respectively) prior to their taking over these roles in January. Since that time, Black and Pierce have worked in tandem with the Fire Department’s four Fire Division Chiefs regarding all fire operations issues. The Division Chiefs, who have a combined total of 88 years of experience as trained firefighters, have operational authority and control over fire incidents and emergency responses provided by the Davis Fire Department. They have also been heavily involved with the management team in crafting standard operating guidelines to memorialize best practices in current operations and in response to the City Council’s recently adopted staffing plan.

It is typical that a vote, like the one issued by Davis Fire Local 3494, cite clear reasons for their vote of no confidence. However, reasons cited were unclear. Why the no confidence vote was announced this week is also not clear. The Department’s operational and temporary management structure has not changed since January. The only change this week was the City’s announcement that it is hiring former interim Fire Chief Scott Kenley as a project manager for three specific projects:

• Assessing the feasibility of a joint management team responsible for providing executive and operational management and oversight for delivery of fire and life safety services to the City of Davis and UC Davis;
• Identifying the appropriate site for the relocation of the fire station at 5th and E streets, including site development, funding, and preliminary relocation steps; and
• Finalizing the City’s “Standard-of-Cover” document and coordinating with UC Davis Fire to develop joint Standard-of-Cover document.

The City is of course interested in meeting with representatives of Davis Fire Local 3494 to understand issues regarding their differences and to clarify information stated in their press release, which the City believes is either inaccurate or misleading.

This fall, the City will be determining whether it is feasible and practical to join with UC Davis to share operational management and oversight of the two departments. If not, the City  will be moving forward with efforts to recruit a full-time Fire Chief.

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