Divided Panel Names Interim L.A. Fire Chief

A divided Los Angeles Fire Commission on Friday appointed an interim chief amid a growing outcry over a move by the mayor to oust an outspoken commissioner who says she will defy the demand for her resignation.

Battalion Chief Bill Bamattre, 43, a 19-year department veteran, was chosen to replace outgoing Chief Donald O. Manning because of his political experience and academic background, according to several commissioners. A former councilman and mayor of Dana Point, Bamattre has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University and a master’s degree in public administration from Cal State L.A.

“Chief Bamattre is very qualified,” commission President Elizabeth Lowe said. “It was a comfortable decision for me.”

Bamattre, who becomes the youngest chief in the Los Angeles City Fire Department’s history, faces a formidable task of leading a force that has been badly shaken by controversy and is facing $8 million in proposed budget cuts. The department is also recovering from the startling departure of Manning, who caught firefighters off-guard last week when he announced that Sunday would be his last day after 39 years on the force.

“My first priority is to restore confidence in the department,” Bamattre said, acknowledging that the next few months will not be easy. “There are a number of roadblocks ahead.”

He was appointed on a 3-1 vote early Friday after six hours of interviews and sometimes heated discussion by commissioners. Bamattre’s selection gives him an edge in the search for a permanent successor to Manning, a process that could take up to six months.

Opposing the appointment was Commissioner Larry Gonzalez, who said he voted for veteran Deputy Chief Don Anthony. Gonzalez said he believed that Anthony’s more than 30 years of service would allow him to better guide the department during a critical transition period.

Commissioner Leslie Song Winner, who was asked to resign Thursday by Mayor Richard Riordan, said she did not attend the interview session in protest because only seven candidates that were handpicked by the mayor’s office and her fellow commissioners were allowed to apply.

Bamattre’s selection was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Winner, whose vow not to obey the mayor’s request to resign sets up a possible showdown in the City Council, which would have to vote to remove her from the commission.

“I can’t step down now,” Winner said in an interview Friday. “This issue is far too important. It’s about progress and reform. It’s not about me.”

Councilman Mike Hernandez--vice chairman of the Personnel Committee, which is investigating alleged discrimination in the Fire Department--predicted that Riordan would not easily boot Winner from the commission.

“Right now,” Hernandez said, “the mayor doesn’t have the votes.”

At a City Hall news conference, meanwhile, a number of employee organizations voiced support for Winner--the commission’s top advocate for women and minorities--and accused Riordan of being “anti-affirmative action.”

“This sends a chilling message,” said Steve King, president of the Los Angeles Assn. of Black Personnel, which represents several hundred African American employees on the city work force. “If you are not in lock-step with the mayor, your job will be taken away.”

Alicia Mathis, a city firefighter and board member of Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service, said Winner has earned the trust of the department’s civilian and uniformed female employees. “Leslie Song Winner has and continues to be a strong advocate for women,” she said.

Surrounding Mathis were members of the Los Angeles City Employee Chicano Assn., the Affirmative Action Assn. for Women, the Stentorians and Los Bomberos. The latter two groups represent black and Latino firefighters, respectively.

As the news conference ended, Riordan left his office for the council chambers and was swarmed by reporters. The mayor ducked repeated questions on why he asked Winner to resign.

“It’s a personnel matter,” he said, “and it’s not appropriate for me to comment.”

Riordan told the reporters that his new choice for the board, former Police Commissioner Michael Yamaki, was a “great person who will help lead the Fire Department.” The mayor also said Bamattre was a “great choice (for chief) and well respected.”

That sentiment was echoed by Capt. Ken Buzzell, president of the 3,000-member United Firefighters of Los Angeles, the union representing the department’s rank and file. “I think he will have the support of the vast majority of firefighters,” Buzzell said.

Bamattre was also praised by the man he is replacing.

“He’s absolutely a very good, top-quality guy,” Manning said at a noontime rally held in the departing chief’s honor.

At the rally, outside City Hall East, a teary-eyed Manning was flanked by dozens of department employees.

Overhead, three department helicopters circled in formation. And on Main Street, a line of firetrucks flashed their red lights.

Manning has said he is leaving, in part, because of “many false innuendoes and allegations” regarding sexism and discrimination on the force.

He reiterated that point Friday, saying the department had been the target of an “enormous amount of unfairness.”

“What (department employees) really deserve is more respect,” Manning said. “That’s one of the reasons I’m retiring now, to make that point.”

Times staff writer Lisa Respers contributed to this report.

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Profile: Bill Bamattre

* Born: 1952

* Residence: Dana Point

* Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science, Stanford University; master’s degree in public administration, Cal State L.A.

* Career highlights: A veteran commander who has held a number of positions in the Los Angeles Fire Department, he has helped upgrade emergency medical services and prepare the budget. He is a former Dana Point councilman and mayor.

* Interests: Community service

* Family: Married, two children