Police chief will lead fire department in Manhattan Beach
MBPD Chief Derrick Abell will also lead MBFD. Photo
Manhattan Beach Police Department Chief Derrick Abell will serve as acting chief of the city’s fire department after Chief Robert Espinosa retires on April 27.
City Manager Bruce Moe, who made the appointment, said Abell is expected to serve as fire chief for eight to ten weeks as the city completes its search for a new permanent chief. The deadline for applications is April 30.
“Chief Abell is an outstanding leader who is well respected throughout the organization and community, and I have the utmost of faith in his abilities,” Moe said. “That, coupled with his strong management team at the police department, gave us the opportunity to tap Chief Abell’s talents during the transition.”
The appointment was welcomed by the Manhattan Beach Firefighters Association, which spurred Espinosa’s retirement by going public with a vote of no confidence in February after nearly three years of behind-the-scenes conflict. Espinosa originally announced his retirement in October, effective in December, but City Manager Bruce Moe asked him to rescind his retirement and stay another six months. In January, 84 percent of firefighters voted no confidence in Espinosa.
“A city should never be in a position where the community is asked to choose between its fire chief and their firefighters,” Espinosa wrote in an email to Moe announcing his retirement a second time. “I do not desire to hold a public discussion about the differences management and labor have.”
Moe became city manager in December, after serving 29 years in the city’s finance department, and asked Espinosa to stay on temporarily for stability’s sake.
Abell was named police chief prior to Moe’s appointment as city manager and took the helm of MBPD in January. His dynamic leadership style has been embraced by the city.
“We all know Police Chief Derrick Abell and hold him in the highest regard and have great respect for him,” said MBFD Capt. Dave Shenbaum, speaking on behalf of the firefighters association. “We are eager to work with him and have confidence that his leadership will bring our department together and move us in a positive direction. Chief Abell is a person of character who is more than capable of assisting us to achieve this goal.”
Shenbaum said Abell — known for his communication skills and collaborative style — is precisely the kind of chief firefighters hope becomes the next permanent chief. The firefighters’ hope is that Abell will also provide input in the recruitment process.
“We hope to select a chief who possesses the same leadership traits and core values as Chief Abell — a collaborative and communicative leadership style based on mutual respect and trust.”
Moe said the position would come with additional pay for Abell but how much has not yet been determined.
Mayor Amy Howorth, who on Monday night, along with council hosted a fire service study session to better understand how the department works and what it needs, praised Abell’s appointment as acting chief.
“From my perspective, we are using our available resources, and I totally trust Chief Abell if he feels he has the time,” Howorth said. “One of his incredible attributes is he’s a terrific coach — I think he’s a great builder of teams, so he’ll be great in this interim capacity. It’s a ‘We are all in this together, so let’s get through this,’ mindset. He’ll be a calming influence. I think it makes a lot of sense.”