The Blade
TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo’s fire chief said Tuesday that he will continue to focus on running the department despite a pending no-confidence vote presented to union members.
Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 92 are scheduled to voice their opinion on the chief next week after a petition received the required 10 percent of signatures. Vote totals will then be provided to Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson and Toledo City Council.
Chief Luis Santiago said the vote follows a disagreement with a small faction of the department.
“The vote is really inconsequential to me, because I understand how a vote like that takes place. It isn’t truly representative of all the members of this department,” Chief Santiago said.
Mayor Hicks-Hudson released a statement Tuesday praising the chief and the department, one of 207 fully accredited fire departments in the country. A committee continues to review the federal report, she said.
“I would like to make it clear, I have full confidence in Chief Luis Santiago and his ability to provide service and protection to the citizens of Toledo,” she said.
Union officials, including Local 92 president Capt. Jeff Romstadt, have criticized the chief for policies cited in a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report regarding the January, 2014, on-duty deaths of two firefighters. Chief Santiago has served in the position since July, 2011.
“Anybody could say they have a number of signatures,” the chief said of the petition. “And what is the check and balance there? What is the verification process of that claim? Again, not knowing anything about their process, I really don’t give it much credence.”
The report said a lack of a dedicated safety officer contributed to the deaths of Pvts. Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman.
Chief Santiago said the department’s safety officers could not respond to simultaneous incidents in the city, and few accredited metropolitan departments have a dedicated person in that role. The department instead provided necessary training for firefighters on scene, he said.
There are now four safety officers, one serving for research and development and one officer assigned to each of the department’s three daily shifts. The procedures include a rotation in which the first member of the department to arrive takes command, is relieved by a battalion chief, and then serves as safety officer until the safety officer arrives.
Should a majority vote no confidence in the chief, Captain Romstadt said he hopes city officials respond to firefighters’ concerns. He would not say whether he wants the mayor to replace the chief.
“This isn’t about politics. This is about safety of the men and women of the Toledo Fire Department,” Captain Romstadt said.
Captain Romstadt said he believes this is the first no-confidence vote in his 25 years with the department. The Local 92 union represents about 490 privates, lieutenants, and captains in the department.
Such votes of no confidence are not common, but they do occur, said Jeff Zack, a spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters. They usually occur when unions dispute training, safety procedures, and staffing levels as creating unsafe conditions, he said.
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