S.F. Fire Department Removes Chief Arson Investigator

The San Francisco Fire Department has removed the head of its arson task force after he voiced repeated public complaints that the unit was understaffed and overwhelmed by hundreds of uncompleted investigations.

The department confirms that acting Capt. John Darmanin was reassigned, but declined to comment on why the change was made.

Darmanin said in an interview that he's being punished for speaking out about staffing problems he says have led to a growing backlog of incomplete arson investigations. Darmanin said the backlog -- which the department acknowledged earlier this year included about 300 cases dating back to 2010 -- has grown to about 400 incidents.

"Without a doubt I was pushed out," Darmanin said. "The department told me to stop asking for additional staffing."

"My refusal to stay silent, my insistence that we get additional staffing, my comments that I made in a public forum at the Fire Commission meetings in recent months, were not well received," Darmanin said.

Fire Commission President Andrea Evans would not comment on the specifics of Darmanin's case but says no one should be penalized for speaking out.

"I would never condone any kind of retaliation for that kind of thing," Evans said in an interview. "I think it's critically important for the department to move forward and advance that all members feel comfortable coming forward."

Evans acknowledges that members of the arson task force pushed for more staffing and that their requests for help contributed to the department's decision to request funding to hire more investigators.

"We had some very vocal members who came to the commission to say, 'Please help us, we need more staffing.' That's what really catapulted the issue to the forefront in our budget," Evans said.

She says she has asked for an update on efforts to reduce the backlog at the next commission meeting.

"We will be able to track and see if the additional staffing is making a difference," Evans said. "And if it's not, we have to look at something else."

Darmanin, Evans and others have noted that it's important for fire investigations to be completed because they give closure to fire victims, they are important for legal and insurance claims, and they can help fire officials prevent future blazes.

Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge says the agency is still working on reducing the backlog.

"It has taken a little time to align our resources," Mindy Talmadge said in an email. The department has added investigators and created a new training program to include report writing, she said.

"While we haven't reaped the benefits yet, we are now in a position to see significant gains in the reduction of the open fire investigations report log," Talmadge said.

Capt. Attica Bowden is the new head of the arson unit, replacing Darmanin, who is now on leave. Talmadge said she could not answer questions about why Darmanin was removed from the arson unit because it's a personnel matter.