Baker City Fire Chief believes ulterior motives led to dismissal
By Joe Hathaway on Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — Baker City Fire Chief Todd Jaynes said he wasn’t expecting to lose his job on the morning of Friday, March 8.
Jaynes tells Elkhorn Media Group that he was summoned to a meeting that morning with Baker City Manager Barry Murphy and said Murphy told him he was being fired.
“There’s a clause in my contract called a convenience clause, where I can be let go for convenience rather than for cause, so they said we don’t like the way you’re running the department, so we’re letting you go,” said Jaynes.
Jaynes says Murphy told him that we didn’t have all his certifications, which Jaynes denies. He also said Murphy told him he wasn’t qualified.
“I met all the qualifications for the job description, why else would they hire me?” said Jaynes.
Jaynes was hired last summer by former Interim City manager Jon France and was sworn in as Chief in July of 2023. He previously worked for the fire department in Jerome, Idaho.
Jaynes says he believes politics and ulterior motives led to his firing.
“I guarantee there’s more to this. I just got my review in December and they said I was doing great. Then just a little more than two months later with a new city manager and he lets me go because he says I’m not running the department right? Yeah, there’s definitely something behind this,” said Jaynes. “I think it’s more than a coincidence that he’s in for a month and then I’m out.”
In an email to Elkhorn Media Group, Barry Murphy said “Per city policy, we do not provide comment on personnel actions.”
Jaynes said during the meeting he asked Murphy if there’s any areas he could improve on.
“I said if you have a list of stuff I can work on, give me six months and I’ll fix it. All he said was no, we’re letting you go,” said Jaynes.
He says he’s spoken to firefighters in the department, who claim that Murphy told them he’s still pursuing Jaynes’ five-year plan for the department, including contracting out ambulance services for wildfire deployment, which has yet to be approved by city council.
“He apparently liked my ideas but apparently not the way I was doing it. It doesn’t make sense,” said Jaynes.
He says he’s shocked and disappointed, as he had optimism about his five-year-plan and his outlook for the future of the fire department.
“It’s a shame. This department hasn’t had stability for years and it looks like it’s continuing,” said Jaynes. “I’ve spoken with some of the guys, who said they’re already sending applications out to other departments.”
In a second email, Murphy tells Elkhorn Media Group, “As far as the way ahead, I am committed to the success of this city and the Fire Department. We will look to hire a new fire chief as soon as possible.”
