D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin assigned a seasoned firefighter to run his new internal affairs unit last summer even though the official was under investigation for misconduct himself, The Examiner has learned.
The D.C. inspector general found that Sgt. Phillip C. Proctor gave test questions to certain firefighters in June 2006, concluding that the sergeant had violated several of the District’s standards of conduct, including “lack of candor” and for “affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government.”
A fire department spokesman said the sergeant was placed on the internal affairs task force after former interim Fire Chief Brian Lee had assured Rubin that there was no truth to the accusations. Lee based his recommendation on the department’s own reviews of the matter, said D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesman Alan Etter.
“They were under the impression that this issue was going away,” Etter said.
In August, Rubin announced the creation of the internal affairs task force, placing Proctor in the midst of several high-profile investigations including allegations that firefighters were running a prostitution ring inside District firehouses.
Three months later, the inspector general released its report on the test questions.
“The minute they found out that this was being revisited, steps were taken to preserve the integrity of the investigation,” Etter said.
Rubin immediately removed the employee from the internal affairs unit, Etter said. Proctor is now in the arson investigative unit.
Kenny Lyons, head of the emergency medical services union, called Rubin’s actions “serious breaches in judgment.”
He said the inspector general’s findings could force the department to throw out cases, including arson investigations, in which Proctor was involved. He said his members have been fired for lesser charges than those faced by Proctor.
“Those are grounds for termination,” Lyons said. “Instead they put him in charge of the internal affairs where he would have access to employee’s sensitive information.”
