Costly ‘pranks’

THE MEN OF THE Los Angeles Fire Department -- and the department is 97.3% male -- make up one of the finest emergency-response organizations in the country. But they also can act like adolescent boys. Last week, some of those boys cost the city $2.7 million. Los Angeles can’t afford such damage, to its treasury or its reputation. The boys need better discipline.

Firefighter Tennie Pierce, who is black, sued the city for racial harassment in 2005 after colleagues sneaked dog food into his dinner. The city settled the suit for what is believed to be the largest amount in the department’s history. A dozen more suits either have been settled or are pending because of an entrenched subculture that shrugs off acts of racism, sexism and boorishness.

“Pranks,” they’re called. Other alleged pranks played on women and minorities? Mixing urine into their mouthwash; barging in on women while they were dressing or showering; crawling into a female firefighter’s bed while she slept; leaving a dead rat in a black firefighter’s locker. White men aren’t immune either. Those who have come to the defense of women, minorities and gays are also harassed. Two such have sued the city this year.

It’s not as if the city can claim it wasn’t aware of the problems. In 1994, a blistering audit of the Fire Department found rampant racism and sexism. Out went Chief Donald O. Manning and in came Chief William Bamattre. In 1996, Bamattre commissioned a study that again found racism and sexism. Earlier this year, an audit by City Controller Laura Chick found that women and minorities overwhelmingly say they still face racism and sexism.

It’s not just firefighters’ behavior that costs the city. It’s the department’s failure to adequately discipline them. Discipline is meted out by officials who regard an offense such as losing a radio just as seriously as feeding someone dog food -- both meriting three days off.

Bamattre says he does not have the tools to appropriately discipline wrongdoers, and this is partly true. There are no uniform penalties for various offenses. Serious disciplinary matters often go to a Board of Rights panel, consisting of three department officials, and the chief can only reduce, not increase, its penalties. Bamattre says he would be tougher if he could. Nonetheless, although he hasn’t been able to coerce change, in 10 years neither has he been able to inspire it.

The department is now revamping its disciplinary policy. On the table are creating an internal affairs division such as exists in the Police Department, a tracking system to monitor repeat offenders and giving the chief more say over penalties. It’s a start. Los Angeles simply can’t allow the culture of its Fire Department to persist.