Issue date: August 26, 1998
By MARION SOFTKY
Early in September, directors of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District will be interviewing eight candidates who have applied for the position of fire chief to succeed former Fire Chief Rick Tye, who went on medical leave over a year ago, and resurfaced teaching at Texas A&M University.
At its meeting Aug. 18, the board selected eight finalists from 23 applicants who were screened and presented by the executive search firm of Ralph Anderson and Associates of Sacramento. "We hope to have somebody aboard before the end of the year," said board president Erwin "Erv" Ericksen.
The board is anxious that the new fire chief live on this side of the Bay so he will be available in case of disaster. "If we have a major earthquake, the other side of the Bay is as far away as Marysville or Auburn," said Dr. Ericksen. He was referring to Chief Tye, who spent weeks living in fire stations, and joined his family in Marysville for weekends. He never moved them to the Bay Area.
One person who won't be fire chief is Acting Chief Charlie Fasso. Near retirement, Chief Fasso doesn't want to move his home from Alameda to the pricey Peninsula. "I'd be taking a pay cut if I moved," he said.
Dr. Ericksen recognizes that finding nearby housing may be part of the negotiations in hiring a new fire chief. "We may have to do something to help someone with a home," he said.
The new fire chief will oversee fire protection for 80,000 people in an area of 29 square miles including Menlo Park, Atherton, East Palo Alto and portions of unincorporated San Mateo County.
Meanwhile, negotiations with former Fire Chief Tye are dragging on as the district tries to verify his medical claims, and resolve issues surrounding his taking a teaching job in Texas while apparently still on the local payroll. Mr. Tye is due to come to California in September for a deposition. Bill Esselstein, the district's attorney, will sit in, Dr. Ericksen said.
Mr. Tye has requested disability retirement, which is handled by the California Public Employees Retirement System (CALPERS). But the district ends up paying more in case of a generous settlement. "Although people tell us worker's compensation doesn't come out of district pockets, the next year we see an increased premium," Mr. Ericksen said.
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