PASADENA : Fire Chief Fired After Dispute With City Manager

Pasadena Fire Chief Kaya Pekerol was fired Monday after a long-running dispute with City Manager Philip A Hawkey. City spokeswoman Ann Erdman said that Acting Deputy Fire Chief Calvin Wells will assume Pekerol’s duties

Although Erdman declined to specify the reasons for Pekerol’s dismissal, she noted that Hawkey had placed the fire chief on paid administrative leave three times in the past year, at least once because of what Hawkey called “performance issues.”

Pekerol said he was “in shock” over his dismissal.

“I’ve worked for the city for 27 years, 14 of them as chief,” he said. “I’ve never been treated this way by the city of Pasadena.”

Pekerol filed a libel suit against Hawkey and the city last month, about a week before the most recent time he was placed on leave. The suit concerned comments that Hawkey made after Pekerol was placed on leave in November. That was when Hawkey had said Pekerol’s leave was because of performance issues.