The City of Fort Worth agreed to pay outgoing Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis $99,999 to drop any potential claims against the city, according to the separation agreement obtained by NBC 5.
According to the agreement between the city and Davis, Davis was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 22 while a law firm investigated him “concerning a personnel matter.”
The agreement states that the investigation is over, but it does not provide details on any findings. The document states that Davis had complaints against the city and wanted to voluntarily resign.
Davis’s resignation is effective Oct. 31 and he will be on paid administrative leave until then, according to the agreement. The document was signed on Oct. 17 and the city announced his resignation the same day.
“During his time as chief, Davis prioritized the health and wellness of firefighters, expanded fire station capacity across the City and oversaw the successful transition of more than 600 MedStar employees into the FWFD. This major operational shift has already improved quality of care for residents of Fort Worth and 14 partner cities that rely on the department’s emergency medical services,” the press release read.
The announcement did not include any statement from Davis.
City Council members approved Raymond Hill as interim chief at Tuesday’s meeting.
Firefighters union ditches Davis
On Friday, Oct. 24, the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association said they held a vote of “no confidence” in Davis’s leadership.
“Despite recent events, the vote continued due to our internal bylaws. Chief Davis’s 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,” Zac Shaffer, president of the union, said in an emailed statement.
He said the union is working with leaders to “course correct and improve service to the citizens of Fort Worth.”
Davis’s attorney responds
Davis’s attorney, Stephen Kennedy, fired back at the union’s allegations, accusing them of contributing to unsafe working conditions.
Kennedy said Davis recommended that a federal agency help conduct an external review of a recent firefighter injury “due to a lack of confidence in the internal after-action review process.”
“We believe the 440 has directly and indirectly contributed to unsafe working conditions. More specifically, the 440 opposes any outside investigation into the unsafe working conditions because the findings will likely reflect poorly on the Union’s current leadership,” Kennedy wrote.
He called the union’s actions retaliation.
“If it matters, Chief Davis has no confidence in the 440’s cavalier disregard for the safe working of the men and women under Chief Davis’ command. We cannot comment further except to say will continue to cooperate with NIOSH,” Kennedy said.
NBC 5 has submitted a Public Information Request for more details from the city on Davis’s departure.