Controversial Fire Panel Put Out of Commission by County

Without discussion, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to dissolve the Los Angeles County Fire Commission after critics claimed that it had tried to exceed its authority by attempting to directly probe Fire Department policies.

The action followed a recommendation by Chief Administrative Officer Richard Dixon in which he had said that the advisory panel, which met for the final time last week, had become “counterproductive” and was contributing to low Fire Department morale.

The panel had come under criticism after some members, including Commission Chairman Fred Kline, sought to bypass department protocol by directly interviewing firefighters without clearing such contacts with Fire Chief John Englund. Kline and fellow Commissioner John T. Stevens had also called for the replacement of Englund’s top staff and had been critical of the fact that there were not more blacks in higher management posts.