Capping a year of growing tensions, D.C. firefighters turned their backs on their chief Tuesday — literally. Roughly 100 firefighters stood up, turned around, then walked out on D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief Kenneth Ellerbe in response to his State of the Department address, in the most severe public statement the union has made about any chief in recent memory. The gesture was to highlight firefighters’ growing frustrations with changes in the department, union members said after the meeting.

“We have zero confidence in his ability to lead the department,” a union member, Lt. Robert Alvarado, later said.