A trio of San Antonio Fire Department officials, including Chief Robert Ojeda, allegedly violated ethics rules when they received airfare, hotels, meals and gifts from a City of San Antonio vendor, according to a sworn complaint filed by a firefighter last week.
Also named in the complaint are Assistant Chief Carl Wedige and Lt. Jim Reidy.
The vendor, Total Fire Group, provides bunker gear, including hats, pants, boots and other protective gear, for the San Antonio Fire Department.
The ethics code reads in part that city employees and officials "shall not solicit, accept or agree to accept any gift or benefit from any individual or business entity doing or seeking to do business with the city."
Ojeda, Wedige and Reidy had not received official notification of the complaint as of late Tuesday, but Wedige issued a statement that said, "My actions, as well as those of Chief Ojeda, have always been consistent with the City of San Antonio's ethics code."
Chris Steele, president of the San Antonio Fire Department union, said that any appearance of impropriety questions the integrity of the equipment-selection process.
"If there's anything that gets in the way of that process ... those front-line firefighters want something done about it," he said. "So, they can have confidence in their equipment. We firmly believe in zero tolerance for any type of ethical violations."
An ethics review board has 90 days to investigate and make a ruling.
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