KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The union representing Kansas City, Kansas, firefighters unanimously voted “no confidence” in KCK Fire Chief Michael Callahan last week.
“It is the desire of the membership of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 64 to state formally that they do not support Chief Callahan and have no faith in his ability to lead the Fire Department,” the union said in a letter it sent to media regarding the vote, which took place Jan. 19 and 20.
The IAFF Local 64, which represents the KCK Fire Department, said in a letter that Callahan’s lack of responsiveness to problems within the department has tanked morale among KCKC’s firefighters, “while grievances and complaints are being filed at a record pace.”
“This ‘vote of no confidence’ is in response to the policies and actions of Chief Callahan during his tenure as Fire Chief, and reflects the growing dissatisfaction and concern among Local 64 members,” the union said in a statement. “As a Union, Local 64 has brought forth numerous issues and concerns dating back more than a year. Unfortunately, these issues continue today.”
Callahan, a former deputy fire commissioner with the Chicago Fire Department, was hired in July 2018, but his tenure has been dogged by controversy.
Callahan said shortly after he was hired that he thought he’d be able to spend a lot of time at firehouses “and working out issues that currently exist in them” after coming from a department in Chicago roughly five times larger.
Instead, IAAF Local 64 complained in November about KCK Fire’s lax COVID-19 protocols.
“Chief Callahan has clearly demonstrated a disregard for what is in the best interest of both the public we serve, and the members of the Fire Department,” the union said in a letter. “His lack of leadership, and misguided reckless decisions concerning the Covid-19 pandemic, deployment of resources, and policies affecting response times (to name only a few), certainly are, and will continue, to put both the public and firefighters at an unnecessary and increased risk.”
The union called for his ouster last summer after learning he’d been living outside of Wyandotte County in Prairie Village for 13 months.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, issued a statement Monday afternoon, expressing "full faith and confidence in Chief Callahan."
The Unified Government (UG) is committed to engaging in meaningful conversations with IAFF 64 to address their concerns, and will continue to provide for and maintain the highest level of public safety throughout the entire community.
These actions were not unexpected following a recent letter from IAFF 64 union leaders highlighting various grievances, which the UG responded to publicly at the time with comprehensive and detailed information.
The UG will continue to maintain an open dialogue and communications processes between the Unified Government, the Kansas City, KS Fire Department, and IAFF 64 union leaders.
The Mayor and UG administration have full faith and confidence in Chief Callahan.
IAFF Local 64 sent a letter Dec. 28, 2020, to the Unified Government outlining its issues with Callahan. County Administrator Doug Bach responded Jan. 7 with a letter of his own, blaming the impasse, in part, on ongoing collective bargaining with the union.
"Some of the allegations stated in the (Dec. 28) letter, insofar as they are unsubstantiated, have the potential to be counterproductive to the desire to have a more harmonious relationship with Local 64 Executive Officers," Bach wrote in the nine-page letter addressed to KCK Mayor David Alvey and the Unified Government Board of Commissioners.
The current contract with IAFF Local 64 expired at the end of 2018.
The KCK Fire Department had been plagued by several issues, including infrastructure needs and concerns that “shift swapping” cost the city too much in overtime, even before Callahan’s arrival.
The KCK Fire Department and Mayor David Alvey’s office have yet to respond to a request for comment.
