By Duke Helfand and Steve Hymon
Los Angeles Times
Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times
All Rights Reserved

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Fire Chief William Bamattre announced today that he will leave his post on Jan. 1.

In a statement, Bamattre said he submitted his resignation to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

He has scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference at a Panorama City station near his home in the San Fernando Valley, fire department officials said.

The Times reported in this morning's edition that Bamattre is expected to be replaced by Villaraigosa over allegations of racial harassment and bias that have plagued the fire department for years.

"I haven't asked him to step down," said Villaraigosa at an unrelated appearance this morning in the Crenshaw district.

The mayor also said that he had not received a resignation letter from Bamattre, but that he would accept it if the chief submitted it.

Villaraigosa made his most direct comments about the desire to see a new fire chief to end a "culture" that has provoked the most recent allegations of racial discrimination and harassment.

"I'm very serious about addressing the underlying issues that we're identifying here," he said.

Asked what criteria he wants to see in a fire chief, Villaraigosa said:

"I want a change agent. Whether that chief is white, black, a women, gay, lesbian. Whatever it is. We want a change agent. Someone who will not tolerate discrimination. What I would look for is a change agent. If there were a vacancy, make no mistake, we would want someone from within, from without, who wants to address this issue."

One Villaraigosa aide said the idea was to let Bamattre "be a man" — allowing the chief to announce his departure at his own news conference.