Hollister fire chief retires, interim chief named

Hollister Interim Fire Chief Leo Alvarez confirms he is stepping in after former Fire Chief Mike O’Connor takes retirement. Alvarez says his interim duties begin Monday.

This announcement comes about two-and-a-half months after O’Connor was back to work following an internal investigation based on allegations from the firefighters’ union on behalf of the paid volunteer firefighters.

O’Connor was placed on administrative leave at the end of October.

In December, city manager Bill Avera announced three of five allegations brought against him were unfounded. Those claims said O’Connor violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Affordable Care Act. The city said those policies don’t apply to paid volunteer firefighters.

The third claim stated allegations of a conflict of interest because O’Connor’s son is also a firefighter for the department.

Avera said the two final claims were related to staffing issues, which the city asked O’Connor to better clarify for his department.

O’Connor’s career spans more than a decade and he served as the city’s fire chief for about a year.

On Monday, Avera met with a search firm tasked with filling O’Connor’s role and the roles of the others who left under a voluntary separation incentive program the city offered toward the end of last year. At least ten others left, including a city clerk. As part of the program, O’Connor stands to get $78,000 in wages and incentives. Whoever takes over the fire department has a large responsibility, overseeing Hollister, San Juan Bautista and part of San Benito county.

“They (the search firm) recently conducted a search for the city of Marina,” Avera said. “We hope to pull from some of those candidates.”

Alvarez hasn’t yet decided whether to pursue the role permanently. City leaders expect the hiring process to take several months, shorter if someone local is hired.