Embattled La Verne CA Fire Chief Retires Firefighter Union Spat

La Verne’s embattled fire chief has retired, 11 months after he went on medical leave.

Pete Jankowski retired as fire chief Nov. 1 after 20 years with the department, City Manager Bob Russi announced at the council meeting Monday, Nov. 4. Jankowski’s annual salary with benefits was more than $314,000, according to the city.

Jankowski went on medical leave at the end of November 2018. In April, the city reached a $5.5 million settlement with its union after a lengthy public battle. But Jankowski never commented on allegations against him in the lawsuits.

In a Nov. 4 email to staff, however, Jankowski did not hold back from addressing his critics.

“I hope you remember that statements made repeatedly, and with passion, still do not make them accurate. That if you can’t disagree with others respectfully, you will lose respect. That attacking the reputation of others to advance your narrative tarnishes their reputation, but also yours,” he wrote.

“And finally,” he added, “if you are not part of a solution you become part of the problem.”

The La Verne Firefighters’ Association Local 3624 issued a vote of no-confidence against Jankowski more than two years ago. The battle between the two parties began, the association alleged, when Jankowski retaliated against union members for supporting Mayor Don Kendrick’s political opponent in 2017.

The initial 44-page suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Dec. 4, 2017. The lawsuit claimed firefighters were subject to “frivolous disciplinary investigations” and “unwarranted and excessive discipline,” among other complaints.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the union said its membership is happy Jankowski is no longer with the Fire Department. Since the settlement in April 2019, the union said the promotional process has been improved and a wildland fire policy has been developed that allows firefighters from the department to help surrounding communities.

“Even as he exited, Pete Jankowski never took responsibility for his actions and his lack of leadership,” the union’s statement reads. “Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses. Hopefully, Pete will learn that someday.”

Terms of the settlement stipulate that neither the city, Jankowski nor Battalion Chief Michael Thompson admits any wrongdoing.

In his Nov. 4 email, Jankowski said he had hired or promoted many in the department in the past seven years as chief.

“Each time, without exception, the individual spoke of their interest in helping improve the Fire Department and serving the community. I would encourage all of you to remember why you entered the fire service and to always prioritize service to others over self, especially the citizens of La Verne,” Jankowski wrote.

Following the announcement of Jankowski’s retirement, Russi said La Verne will be coordinating a recruitment process to permanently fill the vacancy. That process is expected to take three to six months, he added.

“In the meantime, we will be exploring options to temporarily fill the chief vacancy,” he told the council.

Interim Fire Chief Kirk Summers has been in the role since February but because of limitations with the state public employee retirement system, most likely he will have to leave before the recruitment process has been completed.

La Verne will look “for another interim to fill in the gap and we expect to have that worked out in the next month or so,” Russi said.

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