Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Misconduct in Encinitas Fire Department Draws Fire

Steve Meiche, an Encinitas resident and L.A.-based firefighter-paramedic, is sounding alarms on what he sees as rampant corruption and misconduct within the Encinitas Fire Department.

Meiche contends that firefighters in the department have failed to respond to emergency calls, been late getting to calls, have neglected to restock ambulances with emergency medical supplies, and have been observed acting in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner.

Meiche accuses Fire Chief Mark Muir of mismanagement and criticizes city manager Phil Cotton for not disclosing the incidents of misconduct, or the disciplinary actions taken, to the public.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"The City of Encinitas does not regularly report to the public information on disciplinary action," wrote Meiche in a March 29 email. "Unlike other cities, Encinitas has refused to release any information related to disciplinary, corrective action or investigations of misconduct."

Following up on his allegations in an April 14 email, Meiche described a discussion that he had with Michael Goralski, president of the Encinitas Firefighters Association.

"[Goralski] confirmed that all of the accusations were true and clarified a few of the exact details. He stated, ‘Yes, those incidents did, in fact, happen.’ In additional dialogue, he made it clear that corrective action was taken."

And while Meiche says he received confirmation of wrongdoing in the City's fire department, his request that the City release the disciplinary actions taken is not likely to be granted.

"Disciplinary actions are not made available to the public," wrote Tom Beckford, director of human resources for the City of Encinitas, during a previous interview. "There is a specific provision of the California Public Records Act that makes an exemption for personnel, medical and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

Beckford says that Meiche's claims that other municipalities release investigations of city employees are likely not accurate. "My impression is that there is general consensus about the applicability of the California Public Records Act exemptions to disciplinary investigations and disciplinary actions."

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?

Steve Meiche, an Encinitas resident and L.A.-based firefighter-paramedic, is sounding alarms on what he sees as rampant corruption and misconduct within the Encinitas Fire Department.

Meiche contends that firefighters in the department have failed to respond to emergency calls, been late getting to calls, have neglected to restock ambulances with emergency medical supplies, and have been observed acting in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner.

Meiche accuses Fire Chief Mark Muir of mismanagement and criticizes city manager Phil Cotton for not disclosing the incidents of misconduct, or the disciplinary actions taken, to the public.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"The City of Encinitas does not regularly report to the public information on disciplinary action," wrote Meiche in a March 29 email. "Unlike other cities, Encinitas has refused to release any information related to disciplinary, corrective action or investigations of misconduct."

Following up on his allegations in an April 14 email, Meiche described a discussion that he had with Michael Goralski, president of the Encinitas Firefighters Association.

"[Goralski] confirmed that all of the accusations were true and clarified a few of the exact details. He stated, ‘Yes, those incidents did, in fact, happen.’ In additional dialogue, he made it clear that corrective action was taken."

And while Meiche says he received confirmation of wrongdoing in the City's fire department, his request that the City release the disciplinary actions taken is not likely to be granted.

"Disciplinary actions are not made available to the public," wrote Tom Beckford, director of human resources for the City of Encinitas, during a previous interview. "There is a specific provision of the California Public Records Act that makes an exemption for personnel, medical and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

Beckford says that Meiche's claims that other municipalities release investigations of city employees are likely not accurate. "My impression is that there is general consensus about the applicability of the California Public Records Act exemptions to disciplinary investigations and disciplinary actions."

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Next Article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader