On Tuesday, the Richmond Firefighters Local 188 announced it has unanimously voted to a “no confidence” vote in Fire Chief Angel Montoya.
They say Richmond Fire Chief Montoya’s desertion and dereliction of crucial duties which are not only expected, but required of an administrative department head has left the Richmond Fire Department essentially a rudderless ship with no clear leadership, and our community lacking adequate and vital resources in which they are in desperate need. The Richmond community deserves better.
Fire Chief Angel Montoya
Here is a copy of their statement:
Richmond, CA – Members of the Richmond Firefighters Local 188 have unanimously agreed to a “No Confidence” vote in Fire Chief Angel Montoya’s ability to lead the Richmond Fire Department. Chief Montoya’s refusal to address pressing public safety issues, unwillingness to meet and confer, and his excessive absence from the City of Richmond make him incapable of running a safe, functional, and cost-effective fire department.
Richmond Firefighters Local 188 Union President Mike Velazquez says, “it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this. Union leadership made every effort to meet with Chief Montoya to voice our concerns. His refusal to meet with us while we have so many safety issues has left us with no choice.”
Local 188 representatives met formally with City Manager Shasa Curl on two occasions in an attempt to enlist her support, but to no effect. While our members recognize the support of Mayor Martinez and Richmond City Council, the administration of the department is not under their purview. It has become clear that these urgent safety issues must be brought to the attention of the public at-large. The list of complaints against the Fire Chief include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Chief Montoya has allowed staffing levels to get so low that firefighters are commonly working up to 480 continuous hours without time off to rest.
- When confronted with the unions concerns regarding inadequate staffing and a lack of program to address firefighter mental health, Chief Montoya called the union’s concerns “union propaganda”.
- Chief Montoya has repeatedly refused to meet and confer with union leadership regarding working conditions. This refusal has resulted in Local 188 beginning an Unfair Labor Practice Complaint with the State of California Public Employee Relations Board.
- Chief Montoya is regularly absent from his office, spending much of his time at his home in Orange County. Due to his frequent absences, Chief Montoya was not present when the Emergency Operations Center was activated during a recent hillside emergency in Point Richmond or at the scene of a three-alarm fire which resulted in the loss of the International Hotel, an important piece of Richmond history.
- His absences from regularly scheduled meetings of the Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs have resulted in Richmond not being included in a coordinated request for Measure X grant funds.
- Chief Montoya was absent from the recent City Council budget meeting, attended by the other department heads, and was therefore not available to answer questions from City Council members regarding issues or concerns regarding the Fire Department budget.
- Chief Montoya has engaged in unethical behavior by lying to City Council members, the city manager and union leadership.
These are just some of the issues that Richmond Firefighters Local 188 members have noted as the cause of their loss of confidence in Chief Montoya. It is in the best interest of the Richmond Fire Department employees, the City of Richmond, and the local community to end his tenure as Fire Chief. Local 188 believes that Chief Montoya’s lack of integrity, refusal to meet, and his absence make him unfit to serve as Fire Chief.