The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office contracted with a law firm to conduct reports of the Los Angeles Fire Department Chief being intoxicated while on duty, according to City News Service.
The Los Angeles Times reported that during the department’s battle Palisades blaze, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas received reports that his administrative commander, Chief Deputy Fred Mathis, “appeared to be under the influence while on duty while overseeing the operations center.” The Times also reported that the complaint made against Mathis, which suggests he admitted to being intoxicated, wasn’t filed for three days.
This comes as the department continues to face bias complaints, with two department officers who represent Black and Latino firefighters, claiming that Mathis was provided special treatment that non-white employees do not get if they are accused of being intoxicated on the job.
The Times reported two letters - one written by Assistant Chief Patrick Butler, as president of Los Bomberos an organization of Latino firefighters, and the other written by executive vice president of the Stentorians, Captain Robert Hawkin – which both claim special privileges are given to those who are white and who rank higher.
City News Service says LAFD declined to respond to accusations of the double standard; however, a spokeswoman told the Times, “Upon notification of the situation, the fire chief immediately directed that the appropriate steps be taken in accordance [with] department policy, which includes an entry into our complaint tracking system for investigation."
