By Jake Wagman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — Selecting a new fire chief could spark a fresh round of racial tension at City Hall.
The top two applicants are Dennis Jenkerson, a white battalion chief, and Fire Marshal Charles Coyle, who is black, according to rankings by city officials obtained by the Post-Dispatch. They are among half a dozen finalists to replace Sherman George, whose ouster last month stirred resentment among some black community leaders.
Though Coyle, a deputy chief, holds a higher rank, Jenkerson fared slightly better on a preliminary evaluation.
Their similar qualifications threaten to put Mayor Francis Slay in a no-win situation. Skipping over Jenkerson could raise the ire of the rank and file. But bypassing Coyle might reignite frustrations caused by the ouster of George, the only African-American to ever lead the department.
“People would take that as another reason why the mayor is an unreliable chief executive,” said Harold Crumpton, head of the city’s NAACP branch.
Slay has not said that the next fire chief must be black — but he has insisted the department’s new leader quell racial tension caused by infighting over promotions, among other issues.
According to city regulations, candidates for fire chief must already be with the department, holding at least the rank of battalion chief. After George retired on Oct. 11 — 10 days after he was demoted for refusing an order to make promotions — seven city firefighters applied to replace him.
Applicants were put through a two-part review: a written test and an oral exam, each carrying equal weight.
The written portion gauged applicants’ management acumen, measuring their ability to direct subordinates and prioritize duties. The oral quiz was administered by Ron Smith, a top aide to the mayor; former St. Louis County Police Chief Ron Battelle; and Randy Cole, the state fire marshal.
Jenkerson had the highest total score, 91.02. Coyle’s 88.87 was second. Five other candidates were evaluated, with all but one advancing. In addition to Coyle, one other finalist, Joseph L. Jones, is African-American. The remaining three finalists are Brian Walsh, Gerald Jorden and Douglas Cribbs.
The six candidates will now interview with Public Safety Director Charles Bryson.
“Everything will be on the table,” Bryson said. “The race of the candidate, their test scores, how they interview, how they view the department, what they see as the future of the department.”
While Bryson has sole discretion over the decision, Bryson said he may confer with the mayor “when I get to the final one or two.”
“I doubt if he will have much impact at all,” Bryson said. “The mayor has trusted my judgment up to this point. I think that he will continue to do so.”
Either way, the mayor, who appointed Bryson a few months ago, will likely absorb the consequences of whatever choice is made. Though the decision to remove George was technically Bryson’s, Slay has felt most of the political backlash.
George’s removal galvanized Slay’s opponents, leading to a signature drive organizers hope will trigger a recall vote.
Promoting Coyle could appease some of those critics, though Coyle has already been passed over once. After interviewing Coyle to be interim chief, Bryson chose another deputy chief, Steve Kotraba, to fill the job.
Kotraba has led the department since Oct. 1 but did not apply to seek the position permanently.
Jenkerson, 50, is a third-generation St. Louis firefighter — he followed both his father and grandfather when he joined the department in 1979. Jenkerson said he would attempt to bring harmony to a department rocked by leadership changes.
Coyle, 51, could not be reached for comment. He joined the department in 1978 and was appointed fire marshal by George. As fire marshal, Coyle is the department’s top safety officer, overseeing code inspections and reviewing fire prevention plans.
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