The following chart summarizes 15 cases of alleged misdeeds by Cal Fire employees, the actions the department took

against them and whether

the employees appealed those actions. The information is taken from Cal Fire disciplinary documents issued to The Bee by the State Personnel
Board in response to Public Records Act requests.

Employee
(appealed/no
appeal)
Bruno, Salvador
(appealed)

Quote from Notice of Adverse

Action
" you admitted to this during your
administrative interrogation, stating, '
most of the class that was there was
heavily intoxicated ' and that you
failed to take action because it was, '
their moment to party and celebrate.'"

Allegation(s)
A. Drank alcohol at graduation
celebrations at least twice in 2014
and at unspecified other times since
2012.
B. Allowed cadets to do the same.

Disciplinary Action
Temporarily demoted from fire
captain to fire apparatus
operator for 14 months.

Camarena,
Bryant
(appealed)

A. On "various dates during 2012 and

2013" used state cellphone to access
"a considerable amount" of links
from TheChive.com w/sexual photos
of women. Site was accessed while
on duty and some images were
"displayed to coworkers." Stored
hundreds of sexually explicit photos
on state phone.
B. Drank alcohol at one graduation
celebration and allowed subordinates
to drink at three celebrations.

Battalion Chief demoted to fire

apparatus engineer

"A forensic analysis of your state cellular

phone revealed 7,198 digital
photographs saved to the device.
(H)undreds of them were personal digital
photographs of your spouse nude,
partially nude or posing in a sexually
suggestive manner. This included
several explicit photographs depicting
female genitalia."

Chaplin, Justin
(no appeal)

A. Received via text from Orville

Fleming the promotional interview
questions and preferred answers for
limited-term fire captain position at
Cal Fire academy.
B. Failed to report Fleming's
misconduct.

Demoted from limited-term

academy fire captain to fire
apparatus engineer. Pay
reduced 5 percent for one year.
Remained eligible for
promotion, but 5 percent pay
cut would hold. (Has since
promoted back to fire captain.)

"Specifically, in April 2014, you

contacted former Battalion Chief Orville
Fleming to express your interest in a
limited-term Fire Captain position at the
Academy. After that contact, and prior to
the interview for the position, you
received a text message from Fleming
that contained a picture of the interview
questions and desired answers."

Edgmon, Tim
(appealed)

A. While on duty, made repeated

sexual advances toward a civilian on
4/30/14 graduation celebration.
B. Lied to police about the incident.
C. Consumed alcohol while on duty
at 4/30/14 celebration.

Terminated from fire apparatus

engineer position (did not work
at the academy).

" you lied to law enforcement officers

during your administrative interrogations
you changed your story about your
encounter with (redacted) on April 30,
2014 "

Frates, Ben (no

appeal)

A, Drank at two grad celebrations.

B. Allowed subordinates to drink at
two celebrations.
C. "Intimately kissed" a cadet at a
4/30/14 grad celebration.
D. Lied during an administrative
interrogation about kissing the
subordinate.
A. Used state cellphone to contact
and meet prostitutes.
B. Used state vehicle to meet
prostitutes in Sacramento.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer with
automatic reinstatement after
one year. Suspended 30 days
w/out pay.

Kane, Russell (no

appeal)

A. Consumed alcohol at 4/30/14

graduation celebration. Drank with
colleagues on other occasions.
B. Allowed cadets to drink during
three graduation celebrations.

Rejected on probation as
battalion chief. Demoted from
fire captain to fire apparatus
engineer for six months.

"You admitted to consuming alcoholic

beverages with other COA and Fire
Fighter Academy instructors at local
establishments during the weekdays on
more than one occasion during your
assignment at the Academy."

Lyman, Deanna
(no appeal)

A. Drank at two grad celebrations

4/30/2014.
B. Allowed
subordinates to drink at four
celebrations.
C. Brought Tilly's bartender on
academy premises w/out permission.
Created after-hours disturbance in
dorms.
D.
Consumed alcohol with cadets in her
personal trailer on state property.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer.
Suspended 60 days w/out pay.

"You admitted during your

administrative interrogation to
consuming beer with cadets on State
property and that this was inappropriate
activity."

Henry, Scott
(appeal
withdrawn)

Demoted from assistant chief to

battalion chief.

"You denied intimately kissing a

subordinate while at the graduation
celebration for COA #47 at B.G.'s
Lounge in Jackson, CA, despite the
misconduct being witnessed by others.
Your answers changed multiple times
during the course of your administrative
interrogation."
"You admitted in your administrative
interrogation that you used your State
cellular phone to arrange for adult
sexual services. Additionally, during your
administrative interrogation, you
admitted to using your State cellular
phone both on and off duty for accessing
inappropriate adult websites. A forensic
examination of your State cellular phone
also confirmed the misconduct."

Michels, James
(no appeal)

A. Received questions and answers

for promotional interview via texts
from Fleming. Used the information
to secure employment.
B. Failed to report Fleming's
misconduct.

Rejected on probation as fire

captain. Returned to fire
apparatus engineer with 5
percent pay cut for 12 months.

"Specifically, in Apri12014, you

contacted former Battalion Chief Orville
Fleming to express your interest in a
limited-term Fire Captain position at the
Academy. After that contact, and prior to
the interview for the position, you
received a text message from Fleming
that contained a picture of the interview
questions and desired answers. You
reviewed this document and responded
to Fleming stating, 'You're a godsend,
I'm excited to come down and present.'
You then sent Fleming a fo11ow up
question via text message regarding one
of the answers you did not understand,
and could not answer on your own.
Fleming responded with a more detailed
answer for which you thanked him
stating, "Thanks. I struggled hard
looking for that. You then used the
information during your interview, and
accepted appointment to the position of
Fire Captain."

Periera, Cole
(appealed)

A. Drank on duty during three

graduation celebrations.
B. Allowed drinking by subordinates
at those same events.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer for 12
months.

"You observed cadets consuming

alcoholic beverages while they were on
duty. At the graduation celebrations
noted above, you failed to take any
action and/or report the misconduct.
Your failure to take action was witnessed
by several subordinate cadets, and you
admitted to this during your
administrative interrogation."

Ramirez, Michael
(appealed)

A. Consumed alcohol while on duty

and allowed subordinates to do the
same on or about 4/12/14.
B. Participated in, failed to recognize
and respond to EEO policy violations.
B1. Cadet buttocks slapping.
B2. Viewed "inappropriate images" in
the workplace.
B3. Failed to investigate or correct
workplace discussions of an
employee's "vaginal piercings."
B4. "Just kept clicking the answers"
for online EEO test.
C. Failed to respond to workplace
violence (buttocks slapping)
D. Used state vehicle for personal
business.
D1. Commuted
to airport for personal business trip.
D2. Drove from Burney to
Sacramento in state vehicle to
attend concert.
D3. Misused state time for above
400-mile round trip.
E. Violated administrative time off
terms by going a academy grounds
without checking in.
F. Lied to police about some of the
above incidents

Terminated from assistant chief

position at the academy.

"Fire Captain Russell Kane stated in his

administrative interrogation that he
witnessed you in the instructor barracks
area at the Academy looking at
inappropriate pictures with former
Battalion Chief Fleming and other
instructors. He stated the instructors
would 'giggle' as the phone was passed
around and that you looked at the
pictures."

Roe, Michael
(appealed)

A. Drank at two graduation

celebrations. Drank with other
captains and cadets at an unnamed
bar on 4/17/14.
B. Allowed cadets to drink at above
events.
C. Failed to
render aid to cadet who lost
consciousness at 4/30/14 grad
celebration.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer.
Suspended w/out pay for 60
days.

"While assigned as Fire Captain to the

Cal Fire Academy, you failed to render
aid to an unconscious subordinate cadet
(who) became extremely intoxicated,
vomited in the bar, and lost
consciousness. You failed to render any
aid despite your on-duty status and the
fact that you are a certified Emergency
Medical Technician."

Sado, John (no

appeal)

Schonig, Frank
(no appeal)

Valenzuela,
Daniel (appealed)

A. Drank at four graduation

celebrations in 2013 and 2014.
B. Allowed subordinates to drink at
all four celebrations while on duty.
C. Engaged in "inappropriate
behavior" with a cadet during grad
celebration on 12/18/13 while on
duty.
D. Displayed a photo of a woman's
bare breasts to colleagues while on
duty.
A. Received via text the promotional
interview questions and preferred
answers for limited-term fire captain
position at Cal Fire academy.
B. Failed to report the misconduct.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer.
Suspended 15 days w/out pay.

The contact with the cadet "was

described as touching, groping and
grinding while you were seated at the
bar and while dancing with (redacted)."

Demoted from limited-term

academy fire captain to fire
apparatus engineer. Pay
reduced 5 percent for one year.
Remained eligible for
promotion, but 5 percent pay
cut would hold. (Has since
promoted back to fire captain.)

"Specifically, in April 2014, you

contacted former Battalion Chief Orville
Fleming to express your interest in a
limited-term Fire Captain position at the
Academy. After that contact, and prior to
the interview for the position, you
received a text message from Fleming
that contained a picture of the interview
questions and desired answers."

A, Drank at two grad celebrations.

B. Allowed subordinates to drink at
grad celebrations.
C. Used a "marked Cal Fire vehicle to
transport intoxicated cadets" on
4/30/15.
D. Used state cellphone to receive
and transmit a web link to "a private
sex club," displayed nude photos on
phone to at least two coworkers.
E. Insubordination for going on
academy grounds without permission
after put on administrative leave.

Demoted from fire captain to

fire apparatus engineer.
Suspended w/out pay for 30
days.

"When asked during your administrative

interrogation if you had a duty to act if
you observed cadets drinking while on
duty, you stated, 'I don't care if they're
on duty.'"

Sources: Cal Fire notices of adverse action