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Posted by: Charity_Maness on 07/31/2010 10:38 AM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 07/31/2010 11:10 AM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
:
Jenny Lind Fire District Board Accepts Chief Ochoa’s Resignation, Appoints Interim Chief and Orders Outside Investigation ~ By Charity Maness
Following a Vote of No Confidence for Jenny Lind Fire District Chief Ochoa by the firefighters association on July 20, 2010, the resignation of Ochoa was received on Friday July23, 2010. That evenings meeting was subsequently canceled followed by a posted special meeting for July 30, 2010. The July 30, 2010 Jenny Lind Board of Directors Special meeting was standing room only and the audience peppered the Board with questions. One resident asked .......
if there was a “possibility of hiring a full time Chief and downgrading other Chiefs to firefighters?” The District currently employs three Chiefs and two firefighters. Board President DeRivi curtly replied, “No…looking into hiring a new Chief.” While that question was posed from several different angles the answer remained the same. Director Brown pointed out that keeping the current interim Chief for awhile may be a good option because “we have a lot of healing to do.”
Several people wanted to know who was in charge? Receiving vague replies referring to chain of command, policy and procedure, etc. One woman said she was unable to “understand how the board is operating” and felt the Board was “arguing about procedure…how is that leadership?” Board President DeRivi referenced their policy manual stating “the Chief officers run the individuals.” A U.S. Navy veteran challenged DeRivi to “follow the rules” calling him “autocratic” and asked him to “get out of the way.” He said it was time for DeRivi “to resign.”
Following the passionate exchange, the Board unanimously accepted Chief Ochoa’s resignation and affirmed DeRivi’s earlier independent appointment of Assistant Chief Buettner as interim Chief, with no additional compensation.
Internal investigations continue and commence. District policy requires the hiring of outside investigators anytime the subject of the investigation is too close to home. Currently two investigations are being conducted. One, investigated in house should be wrapping up soon, another will be heading to an outside agency for investigation. DeRivi put forth a possible investigative candidate, recently retired Calaveras Undersheriff Michael Walker, although he does not appear to meet the California Department of Consumer Affairs requirements to conduct such investigations. Director Petersen put forth a second option, a licensed California State employment office labor negotiator and mediator. The board will further look into costs and qualifications.
This prompted more questions from the audience about policy and procedure and the reasoning behind “an in house investigation for one incident…an outside for another.” A citizen clarified the line of questioning, “When did you (the board) deem it was too close to the board to go outside?” With personnel matters being personal the answers were vague but always returned to policy and procedure. DeRivi finally stating that he “won’t comment on speculation.” The question was then posed by the husband of a firefighter, “Will the investigation into the second vote of no confidence in Battalion Chief Mullen be incorporated into the outside investigation?” The answer was no.
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