LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[May 4th, 2005] View from the Hot Seat

In response to the accusations made public April 27 in the Willamette Week newspaper article by Nigel Jaquiss ["Fire Bureau Manager in Hot Seat"], I feel it is my responsibility to issue a statement.

As senior facilities supervisor for Portland Fire & Rescue, it is my responsibility to ensure that all City of Portland fire stations are well-maintained and are ready for emergency response. To accomplish this task, I use a variety of resources available for this purpose.

* City staff: PF&R has on staff seven maintenance personnel, carpenters, painters, facilities maintenance technicians and an electrician. These tradespeople are assigned work based on priority set by the facilities supervisor. Work requested by fire-station personnel is handled in the same manner.

* Outside vendors or contractors are used to complete specialty tasks or to accomplish tasks too large for the staff to manage. Outside vendors will also be used from time to time to offset some of the demand if the workload on staff is too great.

* Capital improvement projects or large projects will be contracted out through the Bureau of Purchases, using their formal process.

It is in the area of the second bullet point that my judgment is called into question. I do not feel that I have violated any City rules or guidelines. While it is true that my son's company has performed work for the Fire Bureau, the work consisted of small projects at several different locations over the past few years. The work was performed satisfactorily, and I believe the City received a good product for a fair price. I received no personal gain from the work, and I have no personal interest in my son's company, Mt. View Contracting.

Since this is still an ongoing investigation, the outcome is still undetermined. I am confident I will be cleared of any wrongdoing. If for some reason it is determined that I have violated any state or local rules, I will take full responsibility for my actions.

Michael Speck
Senior Facilities Supervisor
Portland Fire & Rescue