1. Two Votes of No Confidence
• The Big Bear Professional Firefighters Association formally issued a vote of no confidence in Jeff Willis’s leadership in 2020. They cited issues including stifled morale, financial mismanagement, and what they viewed as self-serving behavior detrimental to staff and community safety .
• A second vote of no confidence followed in June 2023, driven by accumulated frustrations over fiscal irresponsibility and “conduct unbecoming of a fire chief” .
2. Alleged Mismanagement of Funds (Millions)
• Firefighters have alleged that, despite a three-year budget increase of approximately $4 million, the department is now facing depletion without enough transparency. “Where did the money go? … The union doesn’t know” .
• Since the merger in 2012, firefighters say not a single piece of firefighting apparatus has been replaced, and there is no working budget for apparatus replacement. They accuse Willis of prioritizing “a bloated administration” over public safety while operating under a budget deficit .
• The department reportedly has carried deficit spending, drawing down on reserves—an unsustainable path according to Willis and board members .
3. Poor Leadership & Operational Neglect
• The union criticized Willis for “political posturing, leveraging, and extreme operational neglect” over the past eight years .
• Operationally, they highlighted lingering issues like two-person engine crews, an unsustainable staffing model, and being ignored on basic labor needs .
• Willis has also been described as absent during critical incidents, such as the Radford Fire and major winter snow events in 2023, allegedly because he joined out-of-region teams, rendering him unavailable as fire chief at his home agency.
4. Merger of Two Departments in 2012
• Willis successfully merged the Big Bear Lake Fire Department and the Big Bear City Fire Department, forming the Big Bear Fire Authority under a unified board—a move recognized as a significant operational achievement .
• However, firefighters maintain that this remains the last notable success under Willis; subsequent years were marked by decline
5. Allegations of “Double-Dipping” / Pension Concerns
– Highest paid Fire Chief around managing only three fire stations with subpar staffing and standards.
each engine company should have a minimum of 4 firefighters, and a full alarm assignment requires at least 15 firefighters on scene within 9 minutes. With only 10 firefighters across three stations, Big Bear Fire Department operates below the national standard, leaving the community severely at risk and firefighters forced to work understaffed and unsafe. They took steps backwards to staff ambulances with non-sworn safety personnel cutting firefighters positions. The Chief bolsters his administration staff which covers half the firefighters staffed daily.
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each engine company should have a minimum of 4 firefighters, and a full alarm assignment requires at least 15 firefighters on scene within 9 minutes. With only 10 firefighters across three stations, Big Bear Fire Department operates below the national standard, leaving the community severely at risk and firefighters forced to work understaffed and unsafe. They took steps backwards to staff ambulances with non-sworn safety personnel cutting firefighters positions. The Chief bolsters his administration staff which covers half the firefighters staffed daily.