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In Re Fire Chief In Re Civil Service Examination for position of Fire Chief Ma~or of the City of Santa Ana. Trustee Mandy made a motion, seconded by Heed, that Elmer C.Gates be pe ~rmanently appointed as Fire Chief. Trustee Cheney stated in his opinion a civil service examination should be held for position as Fire Chief. Trustee Chandler requested a roll call vote: Roll Call Ayes, Trustees Noes, Trustees Allen A. Mandy~ Virgil H. Reed W.J. Cheney, Courtney R. Chandler Absent,Trustees None Chairman of the Board read his opinion relative appointment of Fire Chief, as follows: The appointment of a Fire Chief in a rapidly growing City like Santa Ana is too important a decision to be kicked around like a political foot-ball. I deeply regret that since our ~ st COuncil Meeting the real issue at stake, which is that of securing the best qualified man possible for the position, has been bogged down beneath pressure politics and personal grudges. Slighting remarks have been aime~ at our City Attorney, John Colwell, who has been conscientiously endeavoring to give a fair interpretation of a rather ambiguous civil service law.. Petitions have been circulated and telephone campaigns staged by certain pressure ~roups. It is imperative for the good of Santa Ana that we ~ep clear of petty politics and personalities. The Chief of the Fire Department is not selected annually like the President of a service club, nor elected every four years like the Councilmen, Police Chief, City Clerk, City Attorney or the City Treasurer, but is a permanent appointee. Thus he may continue in office while the City grows from $0,000 to lO0,O00 people. For, once appointed, the Chief assumes civil service standing accor~ng to the rules voted by the people of Santa Aha. It makes no difference whether he is appointed outright by the Uouncil from among all the employees in the Fire Department or whether he is appointed from among the highest three candidates to pass a competitive civil service examination. The result is the same in both cases; he cannot be removed after his probationa~ six months are passed excepting through complicated civil service channels. Since there are in our City Fire Department many men of fine qualifications from the Acting Chief down through the lower ran~ and since the Chief willcome under Civil Service anyway~ it seems to me that there can be no Just criticism by using the Civil Service method of appointing the department head. The examinati. consists of an impartial comprehensive written test, together wit~ an oral one by qualified fire experts from outside this district. After much thought and deliberation, acting absolutely without political motives and in the b~st interests of the City of Santa Ana, I therefore vote for a civil service examination to be held as soon as possible for the position of Fire Chief. Mayor Smith voted "No" on the motion and the same was lost. On motion of Trustee Chandler, seconded by Cheney and carried, Civil Service Board wa~ instructed to call an examination for position of Fire Chief, to be held as soon as possible. Roll Call Ayes, Trustees W~ J. Cheney, Courtney R. Chandler, R. Carson Smith. Noes, Trustees Allen A. Mandy, Virgil H. Reed Absent,Trustees None On motion of Trustee Mandy, seconded bY Chandler and carried, the City Council ad Journed to March 29th, 1948, at 7:30 P.M. City Clerk Y n