Memo Urges Abolishing Embroiled Fire Panel

Attempts by members of the Los Angeles County Fire Commission to investigate department practices through interviews of rank-and-file firefighters--without consulting the fire chief--have been met by a recommendation to abolish the commission altogether as “counterproductive,” it was learned Wednesday.

Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon urged the Board of Supervisors in a confidential memo to disband the three-year-old panel, arguing that its continued existence is hurting morale in the county Fire Department. In recent months, several members of the advisory panel have been critical of the department leadership over its minority promotion and management practices.

“I believe that the Fire Commission, as presently constituted and organized, is counterproductive to the operation of the (department) and of no significant benefit to the county,” Dixon said in the memo, a copy of which was made available to The Times. “Commission members have admitted they lack expertise in many areas to effectively advise the department.”

Dixon’s memo followed the seven-member commission’s refusal July 16 to adopt proposed guidelines barring individual commissioners from directly contacting department employees about hiring, promotion, grievances or discipline issues. The current protocol calls for the advisory commission to clear any such employee contacts through county Fire Chief John Englund.

Commission Chairman Fred Kline responded that the Fire Department “resents it very much” that the commission rejected the concept “that no member . . . could talk to any department personnel. That’s a violation of my First Amendment rights, I don’t care how you look at it.”

Kline, who has been particularly critical of Englund’s management of the department, stirred up a dispute several months ago by calling for a replacement of Englund’s top staff with “professionally trained managers.” Kline and fellow Commissioner John T. Stevens have also called for a financial audit of the department and have been critical that more blacks are not in higher positions.

“The problem is that the chief and the brass at headquarters resent somebody looking over their shoulders,” said Kline, who also served on the Los Angeles City Fire Commission in the early 1960s.

Englund, who has publicly sparred with Kline and Stevens over their allegations, said Wednesday, “I don’t think it would be fair for me to make a comment (on Dixon’s memo) until the board looks at it.”

Dixon acknowledged that his recommendation is based on the commission’s unwillingness to narrowly confine itself to seeking information about the department directly from Englund.

Spokesmen for four supervisors said their bosses have either not seen the recommendation or were considering it. A spokesman for Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who appointed Stevens to the panel, said that Hahn opposes Dixon’s recommendation.