By Harrison Mantas
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH, Texas — A lawyer for Fort Worth fire chief Jim Davis is disputing statements made by the union following a no-confidence vote in the chief’s leadership.
The results of the vote came about a week after Davis resigned as fire chief, effective Oct. 31.
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He had been on paid administrative leave since Sept. 23 , which city officials said was due to a “personnel matter” without giving any details.
Union officials cited issues with response times and Davis’ failure to address safety violations.
“As a body, the 440 does not believe Jim Davis can lead this department effectively,” Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association Zac Shaffer said in an Oct. 25 statement to the Star-Telegram.
However, it was the union, not Davis, that was the impediment to addressing safety concerns, his lawyer, Stephen Kennedy of Dallas, said in a phone interview.
Davis had recommended that the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety review the department’s safety protocols, but the union pushed back, Kennedy said.
The institute is a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has been closed since Oct. 1 as part of the federal government shutdown.
Davis wanted to show the department’s after-action review process was flawed, and was confident a third-party review would show that, Kennedy said. He called the vote retaliation against Davis after years of disagreements with the union.
He criticized the union for having the no-confidence vote after Davis’ resignation.
“We have no confidence in them, and if anything, the union members need to be asking, why did the leadership oppose having the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety do an external review?” Kennedy said.
Union president Shaffer acknowledged Kennedy’s statements when reached for comment by the Star-Telegram, but declined to respond until he could consult with city leadership.
Davis began his service as Fort Worth’s fire chief in October 2018. Before his time in Fort Worth, he served in Columbus, Ohio, training firefighters and paramedics.
Assistant Chief Raymond Hill is serving as interim chief. The city council will vote on his interim appointment at its 10 a.m. meeting on Oct. 28 at City Hall.
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