WESTMINSTER : Fire Chief Inherits Agency in Upheaval

When John T. DeMonaco Jr. begins his new post as this city’s fire chief next week, he inherits a department that has been in upheaval for more than a year--first with the firing of Chief D’Wayne Scott for alleged incompetence and recently over proposed budget cuts of nearly $2 million.

“This is a tough job he’s coming into,” said Paul Gilbrook, president of Westminster Firefighters Local Union 2425. “I feel for anyone coming into this situation.”

Can DeMonaco ease tensions between City Hall and firefighters?

“I know there have been considerable budget cuts, but I think the department can manage and can provide a good level of quality and service,” said DeMonaco, who has been San Marino’s fire chief since 1989.

“The City Council had a hard job and they did a good job,” he said. “My goal is to work with everybody and to see that the residents of Westminster will not feel any effects in service because of the cuts.”

Even with the cuts, DeMonaco and the council said they hope to increase paramedic and other emergency services.

But firefighters, who have been fighting the proposed cuts, believe the removal of one firetruck, six firefighter positions and 90% of overtime pay will devastate operations. Many in the department say the City Council is imposing the cuts as “political retribution” because the firefighters’ union did not support the winning council candidates during last November’s election.

“I think we cannot do with these cuts, and the city can’t either,” Gilbrook said. “I feel very strongly that what the city is doing is in violation of a lot of things, and that these cuts are detrimental to residents and to firefighters on duty. (DeMonaco) will be on our side, hopefully, on the side of what’s right, and we are right. If (DeMonaco) is siding with the city just because they hired him, as president, I would have problems with that.”

Councilwoman Charmayne S. Bohman, who was not supported by the firefighters in the election, has repeatedly defended the council’s decision to cut the department’s budget.

“This has nothing to do with politics, and this is not an issue of public safety,” she said. “There is no way the council would do anything that would cut safety in the city. This has to do with scandalous amounts of money going into firefighters’ pockets and an abuse of the use of overtime in a place where, logically, the budget can be reduced without hurting the level of service.”

DeMonaco said he hopes he can moderate between the council and the firefighters.

“The fire chief is an apolitical position,” said DeMonaco, who has been in firefighting for nearly 20 years. “I don’t believe the accusations toward the City Council . . . but my goal is to be in the middle, to work with the City Council and the department so everybody can have input.”

DeMonaco was chosen by the city after a review process that began in February, when Scott was fired. Scott’s troubles with the city began when he refused to send firefighters to the rioting in Los Angeles in April, 1992.

DeMonaco was one of seven finalists for the job.