The D.C. Council unanimously approved Ken Ellerbe to head the city’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services agency. He has been the acting chief since January.
The 27-year D.C. fire veteran was born and raised in the District, and Councilman Phil Mendelson, who oversaw Ellerbe’s public hearings, said no witnesses disapproved of him.
That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been controversy surrounding Ellerbe. In August 2009, the 27-year D.C. fire department veteran left his job as a deputy fire chief to become the fire chief for the Sarasota County Fire Department in Florida. In January 2010, The Washington Times reported that the then-49-year-old Ellerbe had been put on leave without pay by the District while he worked in Florida so he could collect a higher pension from the city when he reached his 50th birthday. The report scuttled the deal, Ellerbe said in December after he was introduced as Gray’s pick for chief, and he officially left his city job.
Last month, Ellerbe was among several top city officials who had their pay cut by the mayor because they were on pace to break a city-imposed salary cap.
In his time serving as fire chief, Ellerbe has shown an understanding of the department’s issues needing resolution and commitment to making sure changes are made, according to Mendelson.
For years, FEMS has exceeded its overtime budget by several millions of dollars, overtime spending has decreased significantly with Ellerbe. Over the past three pay periods, overtime spending has decreased 70, 71 and 83 percent compared to the same three periods in 2010.
