By Jake Wagman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A veteran firefighter with public service in his blood has been named the city’s next fire chief.
Dennis Jenkerson, a battalion chief with more than 25 years on the job, was tapped Monday to lead a department hamstrung by infighting and a sharp racial divide.
Though the appointment was nominally made by the city’s public safety director, the political weight will fall to Mayor Francis Slay, already shouldering criticism for his role in ousting the previous chief, Sherman George.
Slay appears to have emboldened opponents who were pressuring him to choose a black candidate to replace George, the first African-American to lead the department. Jenkerson, who is white, was selected over Fire Marshal Charles Coyle, an African-American who holds a higher rank but fared slightly below Jenkerson on a preliminary exam.
Slay rejected selecting a chief based on race — that would be illegal, he said — and even considered seeking a change in the city charter that would have allowed him to circumvent local politics and perform a national search.
Instead, Slay decided to act within current rules, which require a chief to be promoted from the ranks. The final choice was Jenkerson, top scorer among six finalists on an oral and written test.
In a step that could appease some critics, Slay announced Monday the creation of a new position, assistant chief, to be appointed later by Jenkerson. Slay suggested the role might be filled by someone who could help ease the department’s racial tension.
“We need a chief and an assistant chief who can maximize the skills of all firefighters,” Slay said, “and recognize this department belongs to all of the people of St. Louis.”
Jenkerson, 50, is a third-generation firefighter — his grandfather was a battalion chief, and his father was a deputy chief who narrowly missed becoming chief himself.
A St. Louis University graduate, Jenkerson joined the department in 1979 at age 21.
Public Safety Director Charles Bryson introduced Jenkerson as someone with experience and talent, and who is savvy about politics and firefighting in the age of terrorism.
Bryson said Jenkerson has advised U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, been trained by the FBI and CIA, and is an adjunct instructor at Southwestern Illinois College and the National Fire Academy.
“He also displayed vision, creativity, insight and leadership in his two interviews with me,” Bryson said.
Despite his résumé, Jenkerson was, if anything, soft-spoken and, by his own admission a tad jittery at Monday’s City Hall announcement.
“I’m a little excited today,” Jenkerson said. “I will try to relax and speak slowly.”
Jenkerson emerged from the mayor’s office with more than a dozen relatives in tow, including his three children, his wife, Michelle, and two brothers — one a city police officer, another a public safety officer in Des Peres.
“With the help of all St. Louis firefighters,” Jenkerson said, “we will turn the page and move this great and historic Fire Department forward.”
Among Jenkerson’s first tasks will be soothing the bitterness provoked by the departure of George, who retired rather than accept a demotion. George was stripped of his title after refusing an order to end his hold on promotions, which had been stalled for years amid a federal bias complaint.
The organization of black firefighters that filed the lawsuit has already condemned Jenkerson’s appointment, calling it a “sad day” for St. Louis. “This selection proves once again that public safety is off the table — politics, cronyism and race now drive the decisions made at City Hall,” said Addington Stewart, chairman of the Firefighters’ Institute for Racial Equality.
Whether Jenkerson can deflate any of that criticism by selecting the right assistant chief remains to be seen. Candidates for the position could come from the finalists for chief, who include Coyle and another African-American, Joseph L. Jones.
Still, the duties for assistant chief are undetermined — Jenkerson said it might involve technology or homeland defense — and it was unclear Monday how the new position differs from the existing positions of several deputy chiefs.
Another group not pleased about Monday’s outcome is the Board of Aldermen’s Black Caucus, which urged the mayor to reinstate George. Absent that, black aldermen believe that Slay’s administration should have selected another African-American.
“The mayor has missed a golden opportunity to heal some of the wounds that happened with the demotion of Chief George,” said Alderman Terry Kennedy, chair of the Black Caucus.
Though most black aldermen are not among those collecting signatures to trigger a recall vote against the mayor, Kennedy said Jenkerson’s elevation — coupled with George’s demotion — could haunt Slay’s political future.
“The impact in the community,” Kennedy said, “is a lot more than the mayor realizes.”