\u201cWe are skeptical that the city will fairly investigate Chief Davis based on prior experience and believe you intend to terminate Chief Davis as soon as practicable,\u201d the letter read. \u201cWe expect that you already have a draft of his termination memo prepared even though his \u2018investigation\u2019 is ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
After reaching the settlement agreement in mid-October, the city announced Davis\u2019s resignation effective Oct. 31.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The attorney\u2019s letter claimed city management\u2019s \u201cabject disregard\u201d of Davis\u2019 efforts to raise the fire department\u2019s safety standards put firefighters at risk. Davis\u2019s attorney, Stephen Kennedy, on Oct. 27 told the Report that the city\u2019s firefighters\u2019 union was a primary reason for Davis\u2019s resignation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before Davis was placed on leave, he had pushed for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health<\/a> to launch an external investigation into a recent firefighter\u2019s injury, Kennedy said.<\/p>\n The Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association<\/a>, or Local 440, opposed the external investigation, Kennedy said. The attorney argued that union officials worried the investigation\u2019s findings would reflect poorly on the union\u2019s leadership and positions they had taken.<\/p>\n Fort Worth Chief Communications Officer Sana Syed declined to comment on the claim letter, instead pointing to a statement from Mayor Mattie Parker issued when the city announced Davis\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n In it, Parker said the city appreciates Davis\u2019s years of dedicated service and wishes him well in his future endeavors.<\/p>\n In the settlement, Davis agreed to drop his claims against the city and signed a non-disparagement agreement, barring him from making \u201cdefamatory or disparaging comments in any public forum\u201d about the city and its employees.<\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s comments to the Report came days after union officials announced members took a vote of no-confidence<\/a> in Davis\u2019 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 union\u2019s vote amounted to retaliation against Davis.<\/p>\n Representatives from Local 440 are not commenting on Davis\u2019 leave or Kennedy\u2019s assertions about a third-party investigation at this time.<\/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 The letter to the city also demanded Fort Worth preserve all evidence relating to Davis\u2019s employment and resignation, including internal and external communications and surveillance footage.<\/p>\n \u201cRecent experience with other directors who have been terminated teaches that we must demand that you preserve the metadata associated with any draft termination memo that you may have,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n Fort Worth City Council formally appointed 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. Whoever fills the position must manage the fire department\u2019s newly launched emergency medical services, or EMS, branch<\/a>.\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 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
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