Longview Fire Chief Asked To Resign

Update: City manager asks Pruitt to step down; council to mull action
In his two years as Longview fire chief, Michael Pruitt’s lack of interpersonal skills has led to a fragmented fire department, Mayor Jay Dean said Friday after City Manager David Willard announced he’s placed Pruitt on administrative leave and asked the fire chief to resign.

“It appears to me the department has lost confidence in the chief,” Dean said.

Willard plans to recommend Pruitt’s termination at the City Council’s next meeting Thursday, according to a news release.

“This is a very difficult decision and one that I do with great contemplation,” Willard said in the release. “It should be noted this is not the result of any single incident.”

Calls to Pruitt’s work and personal phones were not answered Friday.

Willard said he has concerns about leadership in the fire department and its effect on employee morale and the department’s service.

“Given the nature of this personnel issue, I will limit additional comments at this time to allow council consideration on Thursday,” Willard said.

Dean said talk of Pruitt’s dismissal began in earnest about three weeks ago, when Longview Professional Firefighters Association officials told the mayor about a recent survey of its more than 150 members. Many surveyed firefighters were critical of Pruitt, though Dean called the survey’s questions nit-picky.

In the survey’s eight questions about administration, at least 40 percent of the 108 respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that fire department administrators were open to firefighters’ opinions, provide adequate training for advancement or appreciate the job that employees do.

Anonymous comments from firefighters in the survey included, “My captain and battalion chief listen to and respect me. Above that level I am regarded as a child.”

Another respondent said, “I don’t believe our administration has provided me any face to face medical instruction in a calendar year. We don’t train here.”

Longview Professional Firefighters Association President Wayne Oldham, a fire department captain, said the consensus against Pruitt existed for some time, but the survey’s results helped officials realize there was a big problem.

Dean told the association’s leaders to forward the survey results to Willard and that the council would support Willard’s decision.

“We came to the conclusion that it is irreversible,” Dean said.

Oldham credited Pruitt some positive changes, including implementation of truck company operations in which each responding firefighter has a certain ladder truck assignment to expedite structure fires more quickly.

“I think he’s a good person,” Oldham said. “I just don’t think he had the managerial skills to be chief of the Longview Fire Department.”

Fire and police chiefs in Longview are not asked to fight fires or work crime scenes, but instead handle administrative, financial and employee issues, Dean said. Pruitt at times was very angry with subordinates, leading to what the mayor described as “a very fragmented department right now.”

“In my opinion, (Pruitt has) gone overboard in some of his interpersonal skills,” the mayor said, adding Willard followed up the survey by talking with many fire department personnel, including several assistant chiefs and Pruitt.

The city hired Pruitt, a 30-year veteran of the Dallas Fire Department, in November 2007 to succeed former Chief Richard Lazarus, who retired in May 2007. He earns $97,000 annually.

In April, Pruitt told the Longview News-Journal he had developed a record of leadership success.

He changed fire investigators’ and officers’ work shifts, reduced fuel use and cut overtime pay by about $140,000 a year, he said. To recruit more firefighters, including black and Hispanic applicants, he dropped certification requirements for applicants and instead directed new hires to training before they began working for the department.

At that time, Willard said he was proud of Pruitt’s decision to allow a broader range of applicants.

“When Chief Pruitt was hired, oh that was a glorious time,” Councilwoman Sidney Bell Willis said Friday, adding that she didn’t know why Willard asked for the chief’s resignation. “I think we were all excited, and when he got the cadets and had a black cadet, that was exciting.”

Pruitt’s time in Longview has not come without controversy. About two weeks after starting the job, a Longview police officer stopped Pruitt’s car after observing Pruitt’s son not wearing a seat belt. In the recorded video of the stop, he introduced himself as the new fire chief and said the officer was “messing” with him.

According to police documents, Pruitt told a sergeant that he thought the stop was the result of racial profiling. Pruitt has said he did not refer to the incident as racial profiling, and he never made a complaint against the police department or the officer involved. He has referred to the stop as “an unfortunate incident.”

In October 2008, Pruitt was among eight finalists for Austin Fire Department chief, but withdrew his named within hours of learning he was a finalist. He said he applied merely to confirm he could be an effective fire chief anywhere in Texas.
By Jimmy Isaac in The Longview News- Journal
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Longview Fire Chief Michael Pruitt has been placed on administrative leave as he awaits the decision of the city council on the future of his job.

According to a press release from the city of Longview’s City Manager David Willard, Pruitt has been placed on leave after several meeting with council members.

The press release said the issue will be placed on the agenda for the council to discuss in executive session during the Thursday meeting.

“I regret to announce that this morning I asked Chief Pruitt to resign. At this time, it is now my recommendation for council to consider termination. This is a very difficult decision and one that I do with great contemplation. It should be noted this is not the result of any single incident. I have concerns about leadership within the department affecting employee morale and impacting the department’s service to the community.

“Given the nature of this personnel issue, I will limit additional comments at this time to allow Council consideration on Thursday,” the statement read.
Staff Article
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