By Fran Spielman
The Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — Nick Russell, the former president of the African-American Firefighters Union, will take over the Chicago Fire Department’s scandal-scarred Fire Prevention Bureau, under a sweeping shake-up ordered Monday.
The management team assembled by newly-appointed Fire Commissioner John Brooks will be led by first deputy Robert Hoff.
An assistant deputy commissioner, Hoff once ran the fire academy before resigning to protest a lack of financial and administrative support under then-Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter. Hoff also led a group of firefighters who traveled to New York to assist at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Of the 19 high-level promotions announced Monday, 11 are white, six are black and two are Hispanic.
The most controversial move elevates Russell from 6th District Chief to the role of deputy commissioner in charge of the Fire Prevention Bureau. That’s where eight inspectors are expected to be fired for allegedly accepting cash payments in exchange for making weekend pump inspections at high-rises.
Russell spent years protesting hiring and promotion practices in the Fire Department and received an anonymous death threat during the 2004 uproar over racist transmissions over fire radio.
At the time, union president Jim McNally blamed Russell for a wave of copycat racist transmissions that “fanned the flames” and promoted Russell’s “political agenda.” Russell denied the charge.
“Our agenda is only getting more minorities hired. We do that through the courts, through political action. We don’t do it through racial slurs and we don’t benefit from that,” said Russell, who played a key role in leaking the infamous tape of a raucous retirement party at Engine No. 100.
Russell isn’t the only former maverick brought into the management fold. Patrick Fitzmaurice, who spent years accusing the Fire Department of giving short shrift to emergency medical services, will now serve as commander of EMS division inspector in the fire commissioner’s office.
Monday’s sweeping shake-up also elevates 23 firefighters to the rank of engineer and 19 paramedics to the rank of paramedic-in-charge.
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