Crisis Deepens at Montague Fire Department as Personnel Actions Violate Bylaws

A public safety crisis continues to unfold in Montague, California, as recent personnel actions at the Montague Fire Department have sparked concerns about emergency response capabilities and adherence to departmental procedures.

According to department bylaws revised in April 2021, which directs the fire department’s right to self-govern according to the Montague city governmental code, any disciplinary actions must follow a specific protocol that requires the chief officers to conduct, or cause to be conducted an investigation of the situation with a commissioned officer committee (Captains) and provide a written report of the charges. However, multiple firefighters report being summarily removed from service without proper documentation or due process.

Since Friday, Assistant Chief/Mayor Murakami has terminated three firefighters, suspended one, and threatened others with removal – actions that appear to violate the department’s Personnel Conduct Code. The code explicitly requires written notice five working days before any suspension, including “a statement of the acts or omissions upon which the action is based.”

The impact on public safety was evident Friday evening when a medical emergency call received limited response after two firefighters had been removed from duty earlier that day. Scanner traffic indicated the incident, involving an unresponsive person requiring CPR, had only two responders available. It will likely never be known if additional responders would have made a difference in the outcome of the call or not..

At Thursdays city council meeting during public comment the following state was read into the record:

“The mayor/assistant chief is turning people against each other. He needs to step down from both his positions so that the people who actually care about this city can rebuild it after the mess he has made,” said Michael Crow ,one of the firefighters terminated with no cause given. He added that “the assistant chief did not tell the truth at the last meeting saying that there have not been any calls that Montague Fire Department has not responded to and that the number of responders has not dropped off. The responders know that this is untrue as does the dispatch center, and other fire chiefs that are monitoring the situation.”

“At the current rate of the assistant chief removing responders, Montague will likely have to rely on CalFire to come from Yreka, significantly increasing response times,” said one department member who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation.

The situation is complicated by multiple roles held by Murakami – serving simultaneously as Assistant Fire Chief, Mayor, and President of the Montague Fireman’s Association. This has created what critics call an untenable conflict of interest, particularly in council votes where Takeshi Murakami has voted on matters concerning his own position.

According to sources involved, The Assistant Chief should be removed (temporarily or permanently) due to:

Leadership & Communication Issues:

• Created a hostile work environment
• Refuses to acknowledge conflicts of interest
• Demonstrates lack of leadership capability
• Unable to function effectively during incidents
• Maintains secretive stance and poor communication with volunteers

Financial Impact:

• Incurred thousands in unnecessary attorney costs
• Blocked department’s ability to participate in strike teams, which:
  • Reduces mutual aid to communities in crisis
  • Eliminates income that supports outdated department budget (unchanged since 1970s)
  • Removes vital supplemental income for volunteer firefighters who serve hundreds of calls annually without compensation

The combined effect damages both department operations and firefighter morale while putting unnecessary financial strain on both the city and its volunteer emergency responders.

Meanwhile, Fire Chief Vela remains on Administrative Leave for undisclosed reasons, with no formal charges filed after months of investigation.

The city council, currently operating with only four members, remains deadlocked 2-2 on department matters. Monday, January 6th, 2025 at 4pm marks the deadline for letters of interest for the crucial fifth council seat, with interviews scheduled for February 3rd at 6pm in an open session at city hall. If successful, the new council member would be sworn in at the regular monthly meeting on February 6th at 6:30pm

Members of the community have asked for you to please get involved, this affects not Just Montague, community members from both Montague and surrounding areas are urged to attend these meetings and voice their concerns. For more information or to contact the city council.
visit: cityofmontagueca.gov/city-council

The situation affects not only Montague residents but also neighboring communities that rely on mutual aid agreements with the department. Public safety officials emphasize that maintaining adequate staffing levels and proper governance is essential for effective emergency response throughout the region with Federal, State, County, and local officials now monitoring the situation.

Editorial Opinion: McCLOUD just has a similar situation from the last election. A McCLOUD fire fighter was elected to the McCLOUD Community Service District and in their by-laws the fire fighter has a decision to make. They could only serve in one capacity, not both. Results from that decision will be made available after January 13th, 2025.