The Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association<\/a>, or Local 440, opposed the external investigation, Kennedy said. The attorney argued union officials worried the investigation\u2019s findings would reflect poorly on the union\u2019s leadership and positions they had taken.<\/p>\n \u201cFort Worth taxpayers and the hardworking men and women in the fire department, they should be asking the (union\u2019s) leadership why they took the official position of opposing Chief Davis\u2019s request for an independent review of safety conditions by a third party,\u201d Kennedy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Friday, union officials announced members took a vote of no-confidence<\/a> against Davis\u2019s leadership, citing failures in safety enforcement and emergency response standards, according to the union\u2019s statement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cChief Davis\u2019 failure to correct violations of safety standards, recognize acceptable on-scene times for EMS and fire response, and ensure accurate dispatch of resources have led the membership to this result,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n Kennedy argued the vote amounted to retaliation against Davis.<\/p>\n Representatives from Local 440 declined to comment further on Davis\u2019s leave or Kennedy\u2019s assertions about a third-party investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a body, the 440 does not believe Jim Davis can lead this department effectively,\u201d the union\u2019s statement read.<\/p>\n About two weeks before Davis was placed on leave, Fort Worth firefighter Caleb Halvorson was nearly killed by a collapsing garage roof<\/a> during a house fire. He was hospitalized for 34 days\u00a0after sustaining third-degree burns and a dislocated knee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kennedy declined to say if Halvorson\u2019s injury was directly related to Davis\u2019 call for an external review of safety standards.<\/p>\n From day one of taking over the then-987-member department in 2018, Davis wanted Fort Worth to have more \u201cregimented training,\u201d and the union \u201copposed it every step of the way,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n Davis reached a settlement with the city after being placed on leave. At the time of publication, city spokespersons have not responded to requests for comment nor to the Report\u2019s public information requests for documents related to the settlement.<\/p>\n The union frequently endorses City Council candidates, contributing at least $155,000<\/a> in the months leading up to May\u2019s election under the name \u201cFort Worth Firefighters Committee for Responsible Government.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In the first half of 2025, the union donated an average of $15,500 to each City Council member except Alan Blaylock, who ran unopposed. Mayor Mattie Parker and council member Elizabeth Beck received the most, reporting $30,000 and $35,000, respectively, according to campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for Fort Worth\u2019s Fire Department?<\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s comments to the Report came the day before Fort Worth City Council was expected to approve the formal appointment of Assistant Chief Raymond Hill as interim leader on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The city is expected to soon launch a search for a new fire chief, which will come on the heels of the city\u2019s recent six-month-long process of selecting a new police chief<\/a>.<\/p>\n That search, which saw race relations, police accountability and public outreach<\/a> as top-of-mind issues for community stakeholders, ended with the appointment of Chief Eddie Garc\u00eda<\/a>, a former Dallas police chief and Austin assistant city manager.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2018, Fort Worth conducted a five-month national search before ultimately choosing Davis<\/a>, a former assistant fire chief in Columbus, Ohio.<\/p>\n Whoever fills the position must manage the fire department\u2019s newly launched emergency medical services, or EMS, branch<\/a>. Davis was a key leader of the branch\u2019s launch in July, which city officials have touted as having gone smoothly.\u00a0<\/p>\n The EMS branch assumed the responsibilities of Fort Worth\u2019s former third-party ambulance provider, MedStar. EMS leaders and staff have said Davis intentionally welcomed MedStar employees and history into the new city operation, and credited that as key to the launch\u2019s success.<\/p>\n Nearly four months after the launch, Fort Worth ambulances are still struggling to shorten emergent response times \u2014 a fact referenced in the union\u2019s statement about Davis. Over July, August and September, the EMS branch repeatedly missed the target of an eight-minute response time for 10% of emergency calls by about three minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Davis earned an annual salary of about $250,000, according to city records. He oversaw a department with a $226.8 million budget<\/a>, about 1,600 employees and 45 fire stations.<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Medstar-EMS-2.jpg\")
Former Fire Chief Jim Davis speaks to MedStar employees about the EMS transition on May 23, 2025, at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex after a day of onboarding into the Fort Worth Fire Department. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
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