After more than two decades of service, Palo Alto Fire Deputy Chief Catherine Capriles concluded her career with the city Friday.
Capriles joined the city in 1994 and gradually climbed up the management ladder, becoming a captain in 2007 and a deputy chief in 2012. Over the last two years, she has been embroiled in a legal dispute with the city of Palo Alto after Fire Chief Eric Nickel suspended her for taking a department firetruck to Mountain View, where she lives, reportedly without proper authorization.
The incident spurred a successful appeal from Capriles, in which a judge overturned the suspension, followed by a "fact-finding" statement from City Manager James Keene, who upheld the original suspension. Capriles then sued the city to challenge that decision.
In considering disciplinary measures, Nickel considered demoting Capriles, according to a finding from Administrative Law Judge Michael Scarlett, who ruled against the city. After considering "appellant's stellar 22 year career with the Department with or above expected performance evaluations and her letters of recognition and acknowledgement, Chief Nickel concluded that the suspension was the appropriate level of discipline," Scarlett wrote.
Capriles told the Voice's sister paper, the Palo Alto Weekly in an email Friday that she felt it was time for her to complete this part of her journey. She plans to teach swimming in Mountain View.
Comments
The Crossings
on Mar 31, 2018 at 4:32 pm
on Mar 31, 2018 at 4:32 pm
There is much more to this beyond taking a fully-staffed emergency vehicle off station. Numerous complaints and police reports were filed regrading her reckless driving of her assigned vehicle. PAFD and MVPD were loathe to do anything about it until forced to. This was corruption to the core giving the foot dragging by both cities. She also was engaged in retaliatory acts. The records are there if the writer wanted to look. She was given the option to retire, but she should have been fired on the spot. Ironically she alone could have saved her own job by just acting professional, doing the right thing and admitting fault.
Regardless, good riddance. There are plenty of good and professional firefighters ready to step up and not bring a bad name and image to the profession. And at least here in the Crossings we won't have to put up with the many years of her blowing through stop signs in the community or having her assigned fire vehicle constantly parked on our private street taking up valuable parking rather than in her empty driveway. All because she thought she was untouchable.
another community
on Mar 31, 2018 at 4:48 pm
on Mar 31, 2018 at 4:48 pm
[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]
The Crossings
on Apr 1, 2018 at 8:07 am
on Apr 1, 2018 at 8:07 am
@Liars
The only person responsible for inserting Palo Alto fire trucks into HOA politics was the Deputy Chief. Any other attempt to justify such behavior is just denial. But if Capriles really wants to blame any one, she just need look at the disgruntled and unethical neighborhood busy bodies who recruited her to be on the board, hid behind her trumped up authority and aires of respect, and then left her hanging out to dry to lose her job. She was played. And what's even more ironic is that some of those same busy bodies have already sold their homes and moved away, so she was really left holding the bag in the end. Sad.
Registered user
The Crossings
on Apr 2, 2018 at 6:07 pm
Registered user
on Apr 2, 2018 at 6:07 pm
A whole lot of people in Mountain View, in Palo Alto, and at the Crossings have a very high regard for Catherine Capriles. I certainly am one of them. She is a warm and wonderful person and an inspiring and confident leader, as her record of achievement clearly show. At the Crossings, she was a popular and effective chairperson of our HOA.
I worked with Caroline on the parking subcommittee of the Crossings HOA. Like a lot of neighborhoods, we have a lot more residences than we have parking spaces, and we wanted to free up parking spots as much as possible. One of the most important points for parking is that fire-trucks - including truck and ladder units - have to be able to navigate all parts of the road infrastructure, including the tight areas behind row homes. So, you can't put parking spaces where it blocks fire trucks!
The responsible department for our community was the Palo Alto Fire Department, so we asked for a run-through of the community to check turn radii, red curb areas, etc. That was very helpful. (We have had several run-through with the Mountain View fire department as well.)
Some other points are important as well - professional fire truck drivers are some of the most capable and safe drivers there are, plus it is important for them to be familiar with the roads in their areas of responsibility to most effectively serve their community.
Fire safety was a number one priority for Catherine and we learned to make it our priority as well!
Registered user
Shoreline West
on Apr 3, 2018 at 11:34 am
Registered user
on Apr 3, 2018 at 11:34 am
I rent in the Crossings and I know for a fact that the Mountain View Fire Department has jurisdiction/responsibility as the first responder for the Crossings, just as the Mountain View Police do. Call City Hall, in MV, if you have doubts.
Under Capriles's leadership, red curbs that had been red from the time the community was built in accordance with the HOA CC&Rs and the law were painted over white! Cars are parked blocking sidewalks, crosswalks and disabled ramps, and on corners, all against HOA CC&Rs, Mountain View (not Palo Alto) municipal code, California vehicle code and Fair Housing laws related to disabled access. Yes, all safety hazards. When any individual or child is hit by a car, I will hope those that painted the curbs will be happy with the price they paid for more parking: someone's safety and perhaps life. We know hundreds of complaints have been written to the HOA about this on behalf of a large (and growing) number of people left in a hazarded situation and at the mercy of people who don’t believe in the law. A HUD Fair Housing complaint has been made as well. Good luck to the homeowners; glad I don’t own here.
Registered user
Monta Loma
on Apr 3, 2018 at 2:46 pm
Registered user
on Apr 3, 2018 at 2:46 pm
When they broached the subject of demoting she freaked out.
She retired right fast to protect the pension.