By Terri Langford and Bradley Olson
The Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — Mayor Annise Parker, frustrated with the way an investigation into last year’s graffiti incident targeting two female firefighters at Fire Station 54 was conducted, on Wednesday called for a “complete house cleaning” at the Bush Intercontinental Airport firehouse.
“We’re going to break up the culture at that station,” Parker said Wednesday morning. “And we’re going to move on.”
But City Attorney Arturo Michel and Acting Chief Rick Flanagan would later tell the mayor that her request to reassign firefighters is neither necessary nor feasible.
“It’s not going to happen,” Michel said.
Parker made her statements at a news conference, adding that she was not satisfied with the city’s Office of Inspector General’s conclusion last month, which failed to identify a suspect.
“I am embarrassed for the city of Houston, I am ashamed that we can’t clearly identify to people what happened,” she said.
On July 7, after complaining about conditions at Station 54 for weeks, Paula Keyes and Jane Draycott came to work and found graffiti scrawled on their lockers, walls and belongings.
This week, Joe Ahmad, attorney for Draycott and Keyes, received official word that the OIG’s case was over.
“Unfortunately, at this time, there is not enough evidence to determine the identity of any person or persons who participated in this criminal act,” Inspector General G.T. Buenik wrote in a March 30 letter addressed to Draycott.
Focus on Draycott
Keyes has since returned to work, at another fire station, but Draycott’s attempt to return to Station 54 in January was met with a four-hour “team-building” exercise in which firefighters were allowed to tell Draycott why they didn’t want her to return.
The Houston Fire Department’s handling of Draycott’s return drew criticism from Parker and a week later, then-Chief Phil Boriskie stepped down and returned to work at a fire station.
The mayor now wants the city to focus on bringing Draycott back to Station 54.
“I have indicated to the current city attorney, Arturo Michel, that I expect him to bring resolution and that we get firefighter Draycott back to work as soon as possible,” Parker said.
The reassignment of Draycott’s shift is not necessary, Michel said, because all the members have already relocated to other shifts or stations.
Ahmad said reassignment was necessary.
“In our judgment, there have been some problem individuals there,” said Ahmad. “It probably should be broken up.”
Call for exoneration
The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association issued a statement Wednesday asking Parker and Flanagan to consider the Station 54 firefighters exonerated because of the OIG’s failure to identify a suspect.
“For months, Houston firefighters have wanted the perpetrator(s) of the incidents at Station 54 found and punished appropriately,” HPFFA President Jeff Caynon said in the statement. “But nine months of relentless, often unfounded criticism and speculation is enough. With the investigation concluded, the firefighters exonerated in the investigation deserve to be recognized as such.”
Since the incident, the department has stepped up its efforts to hire more women, who make up less than 3 percent of the firefighting force. HFD also has begun a series of sensitivity-training sessions for its management.
A week ago, Parker said she hoped to name a replacement for Boriskie by June.
“I expect the new fire chief to come in and to make some significant cultural changes in the fire department,” she said on Wednesday.
Copyright 2010 The Houston Chronicle Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved