Fulton Deputy Speaks In Defense of Former Renton Fire Chief

In response to the recent vote of  by Woodinville Fire & Rescue firefighters union, many firefighters from previous unions the chief has clashed with have made similar complaints as those cited by Local 2950. Chief Larry Few of Fulton County Fire and Rescue in Georgia said he has nothing but respect for the job Daniels did in his department.

Few worked under Daniels leadership for five years, first as fire marshal and later as deputy chief.

One of the complaints from firefighters in Fulton was that Daniels treated them in a combative and degrading manner.

“I personally do not remember an incident where Chief Daniels talked directly to a firefighter in a demeaning manner,” Few wrote to Patch. “If he witnessed an act by a firefighter that he considered negative or not in the best interest of the fire department or the county those comments were reserved for a Chief Officer and the Chief Officer in charge handled the issue.”

Few wrote that occasionally during private meetings with the Daniels, a “boorish or impolite phrase” about fire personnel on an infrequent basis may have been elicited by the Chief; however that was not the norm.

“Chief Daniels always wanted this Department and its personnel to be perceived in a positive manner,” Few wrote. “I do not know of any Fire Chief or Superior who in strict confidence with an Executive Staffer who may not have uttered the same.”

In regards to software Daniels purchased for the department that critics said was a waste of the department money, Few confirmed that the Vector Command program is not currently being used. However, he was quick to add that Daniels did not mismanage department funds.

Daniels was a demanding boss. “What that meant for me was that I had to be prepared to attend his staff meetings; at meetings which I accompanied him I needed to be prepared to assist him with supporting documents or foundational facts or numbers.”

Few added that many people operating in such an environment may find that difficult, but he did not.  “I learned very quickly, if you work with Chief Daniels at the Chief Officer level you had to be prepared and in doing so it forced you to move to the next level in professionalism; again many found that very difficult and I did not.” 

The Woodinville Fire & Rescue Board of Commissioners has mostly remained silent on the union’s vote of “no confidence” in Chief Daniels.

In a statement emailed to Patch on Aug. 3, Board Commissioner President Tim Osgood wrote:

“We appreciate the seriousness of the concerns raised by our Union Local and an ongoing deliberation and fact finding is already underway by the Board to determine what the best course of action for the District will be. A timetable for any action or response, if any, by the Board, is inappropriate at this time.”