Of Chief Concern: Dog fight at Station 6 perks ears of Brownsville commissioners

Disruptions within the Brownsville Fire Department that involve a dog named Chief have evoked reactions from embarrassing to incredible, while the City Commission could be discussing the issue next week.

A proposal to authorize the city manager to develop a policy that would allow for mascots at fire stations is tentatively slated for Tuesday's City Commission meeting. The agenda for the session will be finalized today.

"Basically, I don't believe the City Commission has a dog in this fight," Commissioner Melissa Zamora said. "If we request that a policy be created to allow for a mascot, I still believe the City Commission cannot dictate that it should be allowed. The policy should ultimately allow the fire chief to say yes or no," Zamora added.

Zamora and Commissioner Edward C. Camarillo agreed to place the proposal on the agenda for discussion.

Firefighters adopted Chief about two months ago and took her to a fire station where they nursed her to health, but citing health and liability concerns, Fire Chief Lenny Perez took the dog to the animal shelter after firefighters refused to remove the dog.

Marco Longoria, president of the Brownsville Firefighters Association, responded by filing a report with the Brownsville Police Department on June 23, accusing Perez of theft, the police report reflects.

The firefighters' rescue of Chief, Camarillo said, had been "noble and kind hearted. It's something that should get highlighted. You don't hear of that every day."

Camarillo said that when he visited Chief at the fire station, she didn't bark or try to bite him.

"What a nice dog. What is the big deal? I don't think it's a bad idea (to have a dog at the fire station). Let's work it out," Camarillo said.

Camarillo also noted, however, that the "fire chief is the chief and there is a chain of command and it needs to be upheld."

Commissioner Charlie Atkinson said the city could face legal action from Perez because of the mayor's "stupidity" when the mayor proposed that the City Commission evaluate the fire chief and recommend his ouster.

Atkinson said the issue "makes the city look bad as a whole. Where does it all stop?"

He also doesn't think that Zamora and Camarillo should place the item on the agenda for discussion. "Until this issue (in the fire department) is resolved, we shouldn't even be going there. You think Juliet Garcia would be happy if Camarillo had a dog in his office?" Atkinson said, referring to Garcia, president of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College where Camarillo is employed.

Commissioner Anthony Troiani noted, "I would like to see them resolve this issue within themselves. I think that the fire department and the chief should be able to come up with a reasonable resolution . . . without going to the City Commission or making this a spectacle."

"There is a definite disconnect if you have to go to the City Commission as to whether or not they would have a mascot or choose to name the mascot after their director (Chief Perez)," Troiani added.

Commissioner Ricardo Longoria Jr. is Marco Longoria's nephew. "He is my uncle and I love him to death," Commissioner Longoria said, but the commissioner's philosophy is to "pick your battles. Don't make a war out of everything (and with) something as petty as this."

Commissioner Longoria, who supports management's decision, added: "I don't agree with some of the things that (my uncle) does politically, but he is his own person (and) if there are repercussions, he'll deal with them."