Fairfax County Deputy County Executive for Public Safety Dave Rohrer today issued a report on his review of allegations made by Fire and Rescue Department Battalion Chief Kathleen Stanley in her Jan. 29 resignation as interim Women's Program Officer for the department. The review was conducted at the request of County Executive Bryan Hill.
Rohrer examined the specific complaints and allegations made by Stanley to determine whether they had been reported, investigated and reviewed in accordance with county policies and procedures. As part of the review, Rohrer and the human resources director met with Stanley to discuss the allegations and her concerns.
In cases where the review determined complaints or allegations had not been previously reported, they were assigned for immediate appropriate action. In other cases, the review determined that the allegations had already been appropriately investigated by the county’s Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs. Of those complaints reviewed by OHREP, some were substantiated while others were not.
“The county and FRD are committed to making improvements and change to benefit all FRD members, whether uniformed, volunteer or civilian,” Rohrer noted. “We need to acknowledge that change is not always readily accepted and the change process can be hard, but we have to be committed and consistent in our approach. We do need, however, to be more strategic in change management and communication. We must communicate more broadly a sense of both purpose and urgency."
Hill and senior leadership have met with representatives from all 10 of the work groups charged with implementing the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Organizational Climate Review Action Plan. That plan was created in response to an independent cultural assessment that identified challenges related to leadership, dedication, perceptions of bullying and harassment, hiring and promotions and conflict management.
“The cultural concerns in the Fire and Rescue Department stem from varied issues,” Hill wrote in a memo to the Board of Supervisors. “Our goal now is to understand these concerns as we move our great department forward. As I have begun my tenure in Fairfax County, our ultimate goal is to understand the past to effectuate the needed change for our future as our community deserves our best.”
Related Items
- Report on Review of Allegations from Deputy County Executive Dave Rohrer
- Memo to the Board of Supervisors from County Executive Bryan Hill
- Statement from Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova:
“I am grateful to our county executive for working to better understand and further address cultural concerns that have been raised within the Fire and Rescue Department. Fairfax County is committed to continuing to move the department forward to ensure a healthy work environment, effective internal communication and equal opportunities for professional development and leadership advancement.”